Learning to read in English, one level at a time
Bookiverse is an online English reading platform for learners from beginner to advanced level. Every book, text, activity and test is levelled according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), from A1 to C2. Learners move through the material at their own pace, at home or at school, in an interface available in English and Arabic.
Reading is at the centre of Bookiverse. The platform rests on one principle: learners need different types of reading for different goals. Bookiverse therefore offers three reading programs, supported by vocabulary and grammar practice, games, songs and placement tests.
Designed for learners of English as a second or foreign language
Most reading programs are written for children who already speak English at home. They follow school grade levels for native speakers and assume a vocabulary and a familiarity with English that many learners do not yet have. Bookiverse was designed for a different reader: the learner for whom English is a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL). This shapes every part of the platform:
- CEFR levels instead of native-speaker grade levels. Books, texts, vocabulary and tests are levelled from A1 to C2, the framework used to describe the progress of language learners worldwide.
- A path for every age, not only young children. The program runs from first letters and sounds to C2 texts for university students and adults.
- Vocabulary built step by step. Words and expressions are taught and practised level by level, so learners meet new language at a pace they can absorb.
- Results that language learners and teachers recognise. The placement tests report an estimated CEFR level and an indicative IELTS band.
- Support in the learner's own language. The interface and the AI assistants work in English and Arabic.
- Listening alongside reading. Audio narration and Read Aloud, in British or American English, help learners connect the written word with its pronunciation.
- Content that reflects learners' own cultures as well as the wider world. Folktales from Bahrain and the Arab world, such as The Donkey's Mom and Ommi Sissi and the Ogre, sit beside world classics, science and history.
Bookiverse is one of a small number of reading programs built from the start around the needs of second- and foreign-language learners, rather than adapted from a program for native speakers.
What Bookiverse offers
Three reading programs aligned with the CEFR: phonics for the foundations of reading, extensive reading for wide exposure to English through levelled books, and intensive reading for the close study of texts with comprehension questions.
Placement tests to start at the right level: the English Proficiency Test (EPT) for ages 6–15 and the English Mastery Test (EMT) for learners aged 15 and over.
Hundreds of levelled books and texts: stories, folktales, fables, articles and podcasts, many with audio narration.
Vocabulary practice: six CEFR-levelled vocabulary challenges with more than 3,600 words and expressions, and a Vocabulary Trainer of 9,750 words that brings back the words a learner finds difficult.
Three learning games: Mountains of Knowledge (vocabulary), Halls of Order (grammar) and Detective Read (reading).
Read Aloud: listen to any word, sentence or text in a British or American voice, at the speed you choose.
Songs aligned with CEFR levels.
AI assistants for learners, teachers and parents, answering in English or Arabic.
A personal dashboard that records the books and lessons completed, scores, test results and the time spent on each activity.
The Bookiverse learning path
- 1
Find your level
Learners begin with a placement test. The results show an estimated CEFR level, an indicative IELTS band, an estimate of vocabulary size and the level of books to read next. Learners can print a certificate of completion, and the result is saved to the dashboard when they are signed in.
- 2
Build the foundations with phonics
Younger and beginning readers learn letters, sounds and word families through 125 short, interactive lessons covering the alphabet and the core sounds of English, with bubbles, word matching and spelling activities.
- 3
Read widely
In the extensive reading program, learners choose from levelled books that match their level and interests. Reading many books at the right level builds fluency, vocabulary and confidence. There are no comprehension questions here: the aim is to read a lot, for pleasure. Audio narration lets learners listen and read at the same time.
- 4
Read closely
In the intensive reading program, learners study shorter levelled texts in depth. Each text ends with comprehension questions and a score, so learners and teachers can see what has been understood.
- 5
Expand vocabulary and grammar
In the vocabulary challenges, a score of 90% at one level unlocks the next, and a short review round brings back only the items answered incorrectly. The Vocabulary Trainer offers six task types, from recall and spelling to gap-filling and drag-and-drop.
- 6
Learn through play
Mountains of Knowledge is a vocabulary quest across six mountains, from A1 to C2. Halls of Order is a grammar quest through six halls and 18 grammar rules. Detective Read is a reading mystery with 54 cases, in which learners read story files and reports to find the evidence.
- 7
Follow progress
Every learner has a dashboard showing what they have read, their results and their time on task. Parents can add a profile for each child and follow each one from a single account. Teachers can create classrooms of up to 50 students, who sign in with a username, the class code and a password, without an email address. Schools and organisations can receive a licence for administrators, teachers and classrooms.
Start reading with Bookiverse
Create a free account to read a free sample of every program, take the English Proficiency Test and play Mountains of Knowledge. Subscribe when you want the full library, all the games and all the activities.