AlphaRead provides article-based reading comprehension that carries readers from Grade 3 all the way through Grade 12 through short articles followed by questions. Your child reads at their own pace, answers guiding questions along the way, then proves they understood the whole piece with a brief quiz. Difficulty climbs as comprehension holds, so the reading grows with them across the grades.
How to log in
Apps in TimeBack log in automatically as standard. If the automatic login doesn't work, follow the steps below.
AlphaRead signs in with your child's Alpha / 2 Hour Learning Google account; there's no separate password to remember.
Open TimeBack: Sign in to TimeBack with your child's student email and find the “Reading - AlphaRead” course on your “Home.”
Click Jump In: Open the “Reading - AlphaRead” course and, on the next article, click Jump In. The app opens your article.
Getting Started
How a lesson works
Open the next article in the plan; articles are done in order. You will have to read for at least 30 seconds before the guiding question is unlocked.
Read carefully so you understand exactly what the article is saying.
Answer the guiding questions: After you finish reading each section, you will be given a guiding question to help you follow the reading as you go.
Try to find evidence for your answer in the section you just read!
Finish the article, then answer quiz questions covering the whole piece. Once you’ve finished reading the entire article, there will be 4-6 questions about the article as a whole that you need to answer to prove mastery. Be sure to follow those earlier tips for success, and you’ll have no trouble.
How XP works
You earn XP when you complete the questions in the article with more than 80% accuracy.
You can earn bonus XP for completing the questions with 100% accuracy.
What to aim for
Each article is worth roughly as many XP as the minutes it should take to read carefully. Aim for a steady 25 XP a day at 80%+ accuracy; a little every day, like training for a sport, is what builds the skill.
Five habits that lead to success
Read carefully.
Take your time to understand the article. Reading well is the first step to really comprehending the article and understanding the questions.Find evidence for your answer in the article.
This will help make sure that your answer is actually the right one, because the article backs you up.Summarize in your own words.
After each section, take some time to summarize it in two to three sentences in your own words. Try to make sure you understand why the author wrote this and what the main ideas are.Don’t guess.
If you’re unsure, re-read the question or check the explanation again. Guessing often causes more mistakes.
Be consistent.
Just like training for a sport, regular daily practice builds skill. A little bit each day adds up.
How to tell it's working
Steady XP earned with focused minutes is the goal. If app minutes are high but XP is low, your child may be distracted; a refresher on using the reading tools helps. If both minutes and XP are low, they may be rushing the content; that's a good moment to talk about slowing down and reading thoughtfully.
Common Issues
Why can't my child answer the first question right away?
AlphaRead holds the first guiding question for about 30 seconds so your child actually reads the section first. It unlocks on its own; nothing is wrong.
My child finished an article but didn't earn XP
XP is awarded once the questions are completed with more than 80% accuracy. Below that, the article won't pay out; reading again and answering carefully is the fix. Reaching 100% earns bonus XP.
How much should my child do each day?
Work in AlphaRead fills your child's daily ring in TimeBack (see Levels: your child's daily goal). An article is worth roughly the minutes it should take to read carefully.
My child is spending lots of time but earning little XP
That usually means focus has drifted. A quick reset- read carefully, find evidence in the text, summarize each section - brings XP back up. Low time and low XP, by contrast, usually means rushing.
What grades is AlphaRead for?
Grades 3 through 12. Students move into AlphaRead after completing Grade 2 Reading, and it carries reading comprehension all the way through high school.