Meet Multitudes
Multitudes is a groundbreaking digital platform, research system, and community to support transformational change in literacy outcomes, educational equity and brain health for California students.
Digital Platform
The UCSF Dyslexia Center’s digital tool, Multitudes, aids in the early identification and remediation of reading challenges in Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade.
Research System
Multitudes translates research into practice in a continuous cycle of innovation and improvement, informed by the latest neuroscience.
Community
Multitudes is a multidisciplinary partnership of educators and researchers committed to fostering a healthy, literate society.

 

 

Our Story

Three years ago, the State of California asked the UCSF Dyslexia Center to begin research and development of a free digital tool to identify the risk of learning challenges, including dyslexia, in young readers. The Multitudes platform will provide educators with a precision screener to recognize students' strengths and learning needs and address them as early as possible.

From a small pilot in the Central Coast’s Hollister School District, Multitudes has grown to include over seventy schools across the state in a longitudinal validation study with over 12,000 students, that represent the vibrant diversity of California. Now in its third year, Multitudes is poised to launch both Spanish and English language screeners in the fall of 2025. 

 

 

Our Approach

UCSF researchers are adapting traditional and novel assessments to meet the needs of our unique California communities with a contemporary tool that is efficient, culturally and linguistically affirming, and informed by the latest neuroscience. Our research is guided by core values of inclusion, diversity, equity and anti-racism, to build a tool that serves everyone. 

For multilingual learners, we know that assessment is a moving target. The complexity of this challenge has strengthened our commitment to build tools that anticipate an increasingly multilingual population. We are designing new language measures, dynamic protocols, and cross-linguistic approaches to interpret the performance of all children more accurately; to understand their true knowledge and language strengths; and to target areas of concern with data-driven intervention strategies. 

Multitudes is... 


Neuroscience Based
Translates the latest findings into useful tools for educators


Effective and Accurate for Multilingual Learners
Fair and accurate measurement of all multilingual children to support equitable reading outcomes


Culturally Affirming
Embraces the many variations in dialect, culture, and region that enrich our state


Free for All CA Public Schools
Every student can expect the best in early literacy screening for reading challenges


 

Introducing Poppy And Friends!

These friendly characters from California's deserts, mountains, oceans, and cityscapes will guide children through the Multitudes screener. Meet Malik the kit fox, Maya the quail, Li the little bear, Poppy the big bear, Luis the blue-bellied lizard, Sam the raccoon, and Emma the sea lion!