Hi everyone! As we work to better support learners on their journey to becoming confident readers, I’m excited to share a few updates about Reading Coach – our free, AI-powered reading fluency tool – and highlight how it’s now even more accessible for your classroom.
📣 What's new: Reading Coach in the Microsoft 365 LTI
We've heard from educators that managing multiple LTI® integrations can be overwhelming. That's why we're thrilled to announce that Reading Coach is now available in the unified Microsoft 365 LTI!
This means you can access Reading Coach alongside other Microsoft education tools – like Class Notebook, Assignments, Reflect, and more – all from a single integration in your Learning Management System (LMS).
What does this mean for you?
✅ One integration, many tools: No need to install separate LTI apps for each Microsoft education tool
✅ Simpler for IT admins: A single app to configure and manage
✅ Same great Reading Coach experience: All the AI-powered fluency features you love
If your school uses Canvas, Schoology Learning, Blackboard, Brightspace by D2L, Moodle ™, or another LTI 1.3 Advantage platform, ask your LMS administrator about enabling the Microsoft 365 LTI.
Where to find Reading Coach in the Microsoft 365 LTI
- Navigate to the Microsoft Education placement in your LMS and select Course settings in the top right under your profile image.
- Ensure Reading Coach is toggled on. If you don’t see it, your administrator might need to enable it for your district.
To learn more, check out these resources:
- For educators: Microsoft 365 LTI User Docs
- For administrators: Microsoft 365 LTI Deployment Guide
📖 How-to: getting started with guided practice in Reading Coach
Guided practice allows educators to create reading assignments that students can join with a simple link or code – no complex setup required.
What is guided practice?
Guided practice features bridge the gap between free reading and formal assignments. Educators can create two types of practices:
| Practice Type | What It Does |
| Open Reading | Set a time goal (for example, "Read for 20 minutes"). Students can read anything in the app – AI stories, library passages – to reach their goal. |
| Single Passage | Share a specific text for students to read. Paste your own content or choose from the built-in ReadWorks library. |
🎬 See It in Action
Watch this quick demo video to see guided practice features in action:
Step 1: Access Reading Coach as an educator
- Go to coach.microsoft.com or access Reading Coach through the All Apps list on microsoft365.com. Keep an eye out for a lightweight guided practice preview in Reading Coach in the Microsoft 365 LTI soon!
- Sign in with your school Microsoft account (Microsoft Entra ID).
- Look for the Teacher/Student toggle at the top of the home page – make sure you're in Teacher view.
Step 2: Create a new practice
- Select Create a Practice.
- Choose your practice type:
- Open Reading: Set a time goal.
- Single Passage: Paste custom text or browse the ReadWorks library.
- Give your practice a name that students will recognize.
- Select Create.
Step 3: Share with students
Once your practice is created, you'll see:
- A unique Join Code (for example, "567123")
- A direct link to share
Share either of these with your students via:
- Your LMS announcement or assignment
- Projected on your classroom board
- Email or messaging
💡 The Join Code is great for younger students – they just need to enter 6 characters!
Step 4: Monitor student progress
From each practice in the Teacher tab, you can track:
- Completion status: Who has started? Who has finished?
- Time spent: How long did each student practice?
- Fluency metrics: Words Per Minute (WPM) and Accuracy percentage
- Individual history: Drill down into any student's reading journey
Requirements
To use Guided Practice:
- Accounts: Requires Microsoft Entra ID (school) accounts
- Same tenant: Educators and students must belong to the same Microsoft 365 tenant
- No-cost: No additional licenses required beyond Microsoft 365 Education
Get Started Today!
Reading Coach is free for all Microsoft 365 Education users. Whether you're using it standalone at coach.microsoft.com or through the Microsoft 365 LTI app in your LMS, we're here to help every student build reading confidence.
Helpful Links:
📘 Reading Coach on Microsoft Learn
💬 Share feedback with us by joining our EDU Insider Program
Have questions? Drop them in the comments below – I'd love to hear how you're using Reading Coach in your classroom!
Until next time,
Emma Gray
Microsoft Education
Learning Tools Interoperability® (LTI®) is a trademark of the 1EdTech Consortium, Inc. (1edtech.org)
The word Moodle and associated Moodle logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Moodle Pty Ltd or its related affiliates.
Microsoft