By Tyson Smith, CEO of Reading Horizons
At Reading Horizons, our story has always been one of growth and purpose. We began as a software company—using technology to open doors to literacy. Over time, we became a reading company, focused on equipping educators with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to help every person learn to read. We started as a software company, became a reading company, and now—through Ascend—we’re stepping boldly into comprehensive literacy.
This evolution isn’t just about expanding our scope—it’s about solving the real challenges schools face today. Students need more than just the ability to decode words; they need to read, write, think critically, and apply literacy in every aspect of their lives. Teachers, meanwhile, need a system that respects their reality: time is limited, pressures are high, and the demand for results has never been greater.
Why Now
The literacy landscape is fragmented. Educators are asked to piece together multiple solutions—often with conflicting approaches, inconsistent data, and limited support. The result is complexity and uneven outcomes. What schools need now is unity: a seamless path forward that is structured yet flexible, technology-enabled yet human-centered.
That’s what makes Ascend different. We are uniquely suited to bridge the balance between direct instruction and technology. We honor the timeless practices of literacy—books in hand, pencils on paper, teachers leading with their art and expertise—while also incorporating the latest in technology, including AI, to individualize, accelerate, and extend learning.
Why Reading Horizons
We can do this because of who we are and how we’ve grown:
- Our legacy: grounded in the proven method of visionary educator Charlotte Lockhart, whose systematic, multisensory approach proved that every student can learn to read.
- Our evolution: from software to reading to comprehensive literacy, always staying aligned with our mission to eradicate illiteracy rather than market trends.
- Our conviction: to remain independent when it mattered most, keeping our focus on educators and students, not investors.
Why We’ll Succeed
I believe Ascend will succeed where others have not for one reason: the people behind it.
- A team that listened deeply to educators and understood what was missing.
- A team that preserved our foundational literacy roots while designing for the future.
- A team that lives our mission daily, striving to change the trajectory of students’ lives through literacy.
Ascend is more than a platform. It’s a promise: to simplify complexity, to unify what has been fragmented, and to support educators in ways that build both confidence and competence to drive literacy mastery.
This move is the culmination of decades of work—and the beginning of a new horizon for literacy. Together, we will ensure that every student has the skills, confidence, and opportunity that literacy provides.
Because literacy changes everything, and we won’t stop until every learner has the chance to succeed.
