AI Reading Comprehension Helper for ESL

Text simplification replaces the original text with a rewritten version using simpler language, this solves access in the short term but does not build the reading skills students need for assessments. Vocabulary scaffolding provides pre-reading vocabulary and idiom support so students can engage with the original text successfully. The original text is the target; the scaffold removes specific barriers to comprehension without replacing the cognitive work of reading.

Idioms and figurative language are among the most problematic features of academic text for ESL students because they cannot be decoded literally. The tool does not scan the text, so you note idioms, metaphors, and culturally-specific references that a non-native reader might misinterpret. Add each expression to the words to know line with a plain-language explanation and, where you can, a note about whether an equivalent exists in Spanish, French, or Arabic.

Academic texts assume shared background knowledge that native English speakers absorb through schooling and cultural immersion. ESL students may have equivalent or superior background knowledge on some topics, but presented through different cultural frames. You can add notes on what the text assumes readers already know, with brief context for ESL students who may have encountered the topic in a different educational system or cultural context.

The tool does not translate; you can add bilingual notes in Spanish, French, Arabic, Mandarin, or Portuguese alongside the English words to know. Bilingual notes allow ESL students to confirm their understanding of concepts in their stronger language before engaging with the English text. This is especially valuable for content-area reading in science and history.

Yes. The form has an English language learners level but no WIDA field, so for schools using the WIDA framework, you adjust the words to know, sentence length, and question language to the student's WIDA proficiency level (1 Entering through 6 Reaching). You might give WIDA Level 1-2 students heavily scaffolded supports with simple vocabulary, and Level 4-5 students lighter scaffolding focused on idiomatic and figurative language.