Reigniting a Love for Reading with AI and Avatars with Lawton Smith, CEO of Literal

Send us a text Lawton Smith is a literacy advocate focused on adolescent reading engagement and the co-founder and CEO of Literal (LiteralApp.com). Praised as a “game changer”, a “Top Tech for Advanced Learners of ELA”, and awarded a rare five stars out-of-five for “Student Engagement” by Common Sense Media, Literal is an all-in-one digital reading platform for modern classrooms that is fundamentally changing what it means to read books on screens. 💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why reading scores have declined for over a decadeHow Literal makes classic texts engaging through chat-based formatsThe impact of long-form reading on soft skills and mental healthHow AI is used to scaffold texts with translation, rephrasing, and levelingWhy playful, personalized reading boosts student engagement ✨ Episode Highlights: [00:01:17] What Literal is and how it"s addressing the reading crisis [00:04:45] Key factors behind the long-term decline in reading [00:09:45] Adapting books to match students’ media habits [00:16:20] Lawton’s personal journey losing and regaining reading focus [00:23:12] Turning novels into chat conversations with avatars [00:32:56] Expanding the Literal library beyond public domain [00:36:31] How AI powers Literal’s reading support tools 😎 Stay updated with Edtech Insiders! Follow our Podcast on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicSign up for the Edtech Insiders newsletter.Follow Edtech Insiders on LinkedIn! 🎉 Presenting Sponsor: This season of Edtech Insiders is once again brought to you by Tuck Advisors, the M&A firm for EdTech companies. Run by serial entrepreneurs with over 25 years of experience founding, investing in, and selling companies, Tuck believes you deserve M&A advisors who work as hard as you do.