The Problem
Reading & Curiosity Are Declining
U.S. middle schools aren’t improving in reading: NAEP 2024 shows 8th-grade scores still below 2019, with more students now scoring Below Basic—especially at the lowest percentiles, which hit series lows not seen since 1992.
Despite billions spent on EdTech, comprehension and reasoning skills have dropped to their lowest levels in over a decade. Classrooms still rely on static tasks that fail to surface real interpretation or reasoning, leaving students disengaged and teachers stretched thin.
Students are swiping through text, not thinking through it—and they know it. In recent surveys, many admit that AI tools are making their critical thinking “lazier,” revealing a widening motivation and skills gap that today’s learning tools simply don’t address.
Schools urgently need learning experiences that rebuild comprehension, exercise higher-order thinking, and reignite curiosity—without adding to teachers’ workload.
The Solution
Start with play. End with insight.
Litreal turns a unit into a decision-based quest, followed by an adaptive AI debrief that probes reasoning and ends with actionable dashboards. Students step into story worlds—taking on roles, making decisions, and reflecting on consequences. Each quest transforms abstract themes (for example, censorship, fairness, or truth) into something they can feel, analyze, and defend. Gameplay reveals what students truly grasp, while the AI pushes for text-based evidence, theme connections, and why/how/what-if reasoning—building interpretation and higher-order thinking.
The experience reignites curiosity through choice, feedback, and challenge, adapting support for every learner. Teachers get real-time insights—skill scores, exemplar responses, and AI-assisted scaffolds—without added grading. By having students explain understanding tied to their own play, Litreal reduces shortcuts and reframes AI as a coach that demands reasoning.
In short: Play reveals. AI makes them think. Dashboards turn thinking into next steps—advancing comprehension, critical thinking, and curiosity while keeping teacher workload low.
Why It Matters
Rebuilding the human skills AI can’t replace.
Litreal strengthens the human skills that define real learning:
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Curiosity — the drive to explore beyond the prompt.
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Reasoning — the ability to connect ideas, weigh evidence, and defend choices.
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Empathy — the understanding that stories build perspective, not just knowledge.
It’s not about automation; it’s about awakening reflection in a generation raised on instant answers.
Because education shouldn’t just measure what students know — it should shape how they think.
And the opportunity is significant: Litreal reaches a TAM of ~7.3 million U.S. private and charter students in EdTech-ready schools — classrooms actively seeking tools that rebuild comprehension and critical thinking.
The Team
Laura Castro Ramirez
Co-Founder & CEO
BS - International Relations
MFA - Interactive Media
Vanessa Bravo
Co-Founder & COO
BS - Business Administration
MS - Finance (Pursuing)
Join Us!
Help us bring Litreal to classrooms. We’re partnering with schools, educators, and investors who believe in rebuilding critical thinking for the AI era.
Be part of the movement — and if your school is interested in joining our pilot or beta program, we’d love to hear from you.