πŸš€ Why Thinkersize

We accelerate equitable literacy gains by blending evidence-based reading strategies, collaborative gameplay, and student-authored questioning. Educators gain actionable insight; students strengthen comprehension, writing precision, and confident discourse.

🧩 Platform Features

Adaptive Question Cycles

Differentiated prompts adapt to text complexity and student performance.

Collaborative Game Mode

TV-style engagement that drives accountable talk and evidence citation.

Author's Purpose Analyzer

Guides students to justify claims with textual structure, tone, and inference.

Student Question Builder

Higher-order question authoring builds metacognition and ownership.

Progress Dashboards

Monitor comprehension strands (inference, evidence, vocabulary).

Standards Mapping

Auto-aligned to state ELA and college/career readiness anchors (see standards).

🎯 Benefits by Audience

Teachers

Faster formative evidence & exportable data for instructional decisions.

Students

Improved inference accuracy, richer claims, and speaking confidence.

Administrators

School-wide literacy visibility supporting MTSS / RTI tiering.

Parents

Transparent growth indicators and at-home reading engagement tips.

βš™οΈ How It Works

1. Read & Listen

Engage with shared or independent texts (build comprehension).

2. Play & Predict

Game show questions target textual evidence and reasoning.

3. Defend and Discuss

Structured dialogue: claim > cite > connect.

4. Create and Reflect

Students author higher-order questions and self-assess.

πŸ“Š Evidence and Outcomes

+25%* faster gains in inference accuracy after 6 weeks blended usage.

3x increase in student-authored higher-order questions.

90%+ of teachers report richer text-based discussions.

*Indicative pilot data; formal study forthcoming.

πŸ’¬ Testimonials

Students who rarely contributed now defend answers with cited paragraphs (evidence ownership).

(6th Grade ELA Teacher, Illinois)

The question creation cycle transformed passive readers into analytical thinkers (higher-order questioning).

(Instructional Coach)

❓ FAQ

What grade levels does Thinkersize support?

Optimized for grades 3-10; adaptable outside that range.

How long does classroom setup take?

Most classrooms launch in under 15 minutes.

Is student data private?

Yes. We align with FERPA guidelines and do not sell or use data for advertising.

Does it align to standards?

Yes. Reading Literature and Informational, Writing, Speaking and Listening strands plus critical thinking targets.

Do students need special hardware?

No. Any modern browser on Chromebook, tablet, or desktop works - no plug-ins.

🌟 About Our Mission

Thinkersize exists to elevate equitable literacy. We believe authentic discourse and student-generated inquiry are the catalysts for durable comprehension, transfer, and lifelong learning agility.

πŸ“š Standards Alignment

Reading

  • Key Ideas & Details
  • Craft & Structure
  • Integration of Knowledge

Writing & Speaking

  • Argument & Informative Questioning
  • Collaborative Discussion
  • Evidence Citation & Reasoning

πŸ”₯ Engagement Snapshot

0

Questions Authored

0

Discussions Logged

0

Texts Engaged

0

Schools Piloting

πŸš€ Ready to Explore a Pilot?

See how collaborative questioning can transform literacy blocks in weeks.

Founding Team

Co-founder Andy Larson Co-Founder and President

Andy Larson

Co-founder & CTO RJ Lindelof Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer

RJ Lindelof

πŸ†š Thinkersize vs Traditional Reading Logs

Traditional Reading Logs

  • Static minutes & page counts; limited insight into depth of understanding.
  • Easily fabricated or back‑filled by students.
  • No scaffold for higher-order questioning.
  • Teacher workload to verify & interpret.

Thinkersize Approach

  • Authentic discourse evidence: cited claims & textual evidence.
  • Automated capture of formative assessment signals (inference, reasoning).
  • Student-authored questions encourage ownership & metacognition.
  • Exportable analytics accelerate instructional decisions.

πŸ†š Thinkersize vs Generic Quiz Apps

Generic Quiz Apps

  • Focus on recall & speed; shallow comprehension signals.
  • Limited collaborative reasoning; competitive points dominate.
  • Teacher-authored items only; student generation uncommon.
  • Minimal standards granularity beyond topic tags.

Thinkersize Advantage

  • Dialogic cycle emphasizes claim β†’ cite β†’ connect.
  • Adaptive question cycles target inference growth.
  • Student-authored prompts unlock deeper engagement.
  • Fine-grained standards & discourse analytics.

πŸ“˜ Literacy Strategy Glossary

Textual Evidence
Specific passages or details cited to justify a claim about a text.
Inference
A conclusion drawn from textual clues plus prior knowledge; goes beyond explicit statements.
Higher-Order Question
A prompt requiring analysis, synthesis, evaluation, or application rather than recall.
Metacognition
Awareness and regulation of one's own thinking processes while reading and discussing.
Accountable Talk
Structured dialogue norms ensuring claims are supported and peers' ideas are referenced respectfully.
Formative Assessment
Ongoing evidence collected during learning to inform immediate instructional adjustments.
Text Complexity
Quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task considerations determining challenge level.
Comprehension
Construction of meaning from text integrating decoding, vocabulary, background knowledge, and reasoning.