See what over 2500 educators had to say about Epic in these key takeaways from our 2023 educator survey.
Each year, Epic releases a report on the state of reading in kids, based on insights from their parents and reading habits we see here on our platform. We’ve had fascinating findings around how much they’re reading and its positive impact on their emotional well-being. You can read those reports here and here.
This year, we wanted to focus on our educators—after all, Epic is used in over 80% of U.S. elementary schools! We surveyed more than 2500 Epic Educators in the US between May 16 and May 31, 2023. Our goal was to find out how they’re using Epic with their students, and to better understand their attitudes towards the platform and their perceptions of digital technology in education more generally. We’ll be using these insights in our work to improve the effectiveness of Epic as an educational tool.
Here are some of our biggest findings!
How Educators Are Using Epic
83% of Epic Educators use Epic for independent reading, highlighting its importance in fostering reading habits among students.
Nearly half of the educators surveyed (48%) reported using Epic for read-alouds, indicating its role in promoting interactive and engaging reading experiences within the classroom. And more than half of the Epic educators (57%) reported using Epic to engage reluctant readers, demonstrating its effectiveness in capturing the interest and attention of students who may be less enthusiastic about reading.
Forty-seven percent of Epic Educators use Epic as a research resource for their students, showcasing the platform’s ability to provide a wide range of educational content to support student inquiry and exploration.
In addition to its academic uses, Epic serves as an option for free tech time for more than half of the surveyed educators (59%), providing students with a fun and engaging environment for exploration and learning.
Finally, one-third (33%) of Epic Educators reported using Epic to reward students, emphasizing its value as a motivating tool that can incentivize students to actively engage with reading and learning.
Which Features Educators Use Most
We also looked at which features educators were using most. About one-third of Epic Educators use quizzes (34%), assignments (34%), and collections (38%) regularly. These features offer educators a means to assess student comprehension, track progress, and provide personalized feedback.
In addition, 44% of Epic Educators reported using reading level filtering regularly. This feature lets educators customize reading materials to match individual students’ abilities—so kids can get just the right content for them.
How Epic Helps Students & Educators
A significant percentage of Epic educators (90%) believed that Epic helped their students catch up from pandemic-related learning loss, indicating the platform’s effectiveness in supporting educational recovery during challenging times.
More than half of the Epic educators (57%) reported getting ideas for books and reading content from Epic, showcasing its role as a valuable resource for educators’ instructional planning.
Furthermore, a substantial proportion (63%) of Epic Educators expressed high likelihood to use a phonics program and a leveled reader program if Epic were to create them, highlighting their receptiveness to additional tools and resources that can enhance reading skills.
Educator Attitudes Toward Epic
The majority of Epic educators (74%) said Epic’s kid-friendly experience is unique, highlighting its appeal and suitability for young learners. A similar proportion (72%) also emphasized the uniqueness of Epic’s range of books, further underscoring the platform’s breadth and variety of educational content.
We’re proud of all the ways Epic is empowering educators and helping students fall in love with reading and learning. And we look forward to using these survey results to help shape the future of Epic!
If you’re an educator interested in using Epic in your classroom, try Epic School—it’s free for teachers and students to use during the school day! For 24/7 access to over 40,000 books, talk to your school administrator about purchasing Epic School Plus for your school or district.
Research Methodology & Key Stats
- Survey Respondents: Educators in the U.S. that use Epic
- Emails were sent to a representative sample of Epic educators in the US, directing them to an online SurveyMonkey survey.
- Survey open from May 16 – May 31, 2023
- Total Responses Received: 2,588
- Results have a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points
