Criar
Product by Arvore
Facts checked: Not yet checked
Our take (not a Learning Standard rating). This label applies to learning-science judgments throughout this overview.
Our take (not a Learning Standard rating)
Criar effectively motivates students through authentic project-based learning and the tangible reward of a published book, but its direct instructional efficacy remains unevaluated. The platform excels at building creative confidence and writing stamina, though it relies heavily on classroom teachers to provide the core literacy instruction necessary for foundational skill mastery.
Pros
- Employs authentic project-based learning by culminating in a real-world physical book publication.
- Increases student writing stamina and motivation through the clear, tangible goal of an author event.
- Supports personalized learning by allowing students to drive their own narrative creation and design choices.
Cons
- Relies completely on classroom teachers to provide direct literacy instruction and grammatical corrections.
- Lacks built-in spaced repetition or retrieval practice for foundational spelling and grammar mechanics.
- Requires parents to purchase the physical books to fully participate in the culminating author experience.
What Do We Know About Criar?
Criar is effective at motivating students to write through authentic project-based learning, but it relies entirely on classroom teachers for direct literacy instruction. Your child uses this platform to write, design, and ultimately publish a physical book, transforming standard writing assignments into an authentic author experience. This approach strongly aligns with learning science principles regarding intrinsic motivation and project-based learning, where students demonstrate higher engagement and effort when producing work for a real-world audience. However, parents should understand that Criar does not teach phonics, grammar, or vocabulary through active recall or structured practice. The educational value depends entirely on the feedback and drafting process facilitated by your child's teacher. The program culminates in a school-hosted publishing event where students sign their books. While the digital platform is free for schools to implement, the physical books are monetized, meaning parents must purchase copies for their child to have the tangible product at the signing event. Because The Learning Standard has not yet evaluated Criar, we cannot definitively rate its impact on standardized literacy metrics, but its design effectively builds creative confidence and writing stamina.
How Does Criar Work?
Criar uses project-based learning with a strong emphasis on authentic audiences to drive student writing production. Students log into the digital platform and follow a structured, step-by-step workflow that mimics the real-world publishing process, from initial brainstorming and drafting to illustration and layout design. The platform acts primarily as a digital portfolio and formatting tool, guiding your child through the distinct phases of book creation while their classroom teacher provides the necessary pedagogical support, peer review frameworks, and editorial feedback. By breaking the massive task of writing a book into manageable cognitive chunks, the interface reduces cognitive overload and helps students maintain focus on one creative element at a time. Once the digital manuscript is complete, the platform generates a professional-grade layout. The school then organizes a publishing event, and the digital files are sent to print, resulting in physical books that parents can purchase. This tangible end product serves as the primary motivational anchor, encouraging students to revise and polish their work more rigorously than they would for a standard classroom worksheet.
Strengths and tradeoffs of Criar
The biggest strength of Criar is its use of authentic audiences to boost intrinsic motivation, while its biggest weakness is the absence of built-in instructional scaffolds for structural writing mechanics. Motivation through tangible outcomes is deeply supported by educational psychology; when students know their work will result in a real, printed book shared with family and peers, their willingness to engage in the tedious process of drafting and revision increases dramatically. The platform effectively utilizes project-based learning to give students ownership over their creative choices, fostering agency. However, because Criar functions primarily as a publishing pipeline rather than a teaching engine, it lacks evidence-based instructional features like worked examples, retrieval practice, or immediate corrective feedback. If a student struggles with paragraph structure or dialogue punctuation, the app itself will not diagnose or correct these deficits. It relies entirely on the classroom teacher to intervene during the drafting phase. Furthermore, the monetization model creates an inherent inequity; while the digital process is accessible to all, the culminating reward requires a parental purchase, which may exclude lower-income students from fully experiencing the final motivational payoff.
Who Might Benefit From Criar?
Best for K-12 classrooms looking for a highly engaging, project-based capstone activity to apply previously taught writing skills. Because the platform spans from 1st to 12th grade, it is adaptable to various maturity levels, allowing young students to create simple picture books while older students tackle complex narratives. It is ideal for teachers who already have strong literacy instruction practices in place and simply need a professional framework to host a publishing project. Your child will benefit most if they already possess basic writing mechanics and need a motivational boost to practice sustained writing stamina.
Data Transparency
Does Not Meet Data Transparency Standard
Criar does not meet our data transparency standard. Its privacy policy does not document basic protections, including a statement that it does not sell data, a commitment against targeted advertising and contractual limits on service providers.
12 of 35 checks passed
Evaluated September 2026
Árvore →Level 1 · Basic protections
Does not sell data or target ads at students, limits sharing, and lets parents see and delete their child's data.
Not documented: a statement that it does not sell data, a commitment against targeted advertising, contractual limits on service providers, a COPPA or FERPA commitment, parents' right to see their child's data, parents' right to delete their child's data
Level 2 · Parent control (meets the standard)
Families can get their data out, know who processes it, and know how long it is kept.
Not documented: self-service deletion
Level 3 · Direct data access
Families or schools can pull their own data through an API, in a stated format.
Not documented: an API for retrieving their own data, a named export format
View all 35 checks
Parent Access2/8
Does the policy mention parents specifically?
“Há situações nas quais os responsáveis legais pelos alunos/usuários cadastrados pela contratante serão os responsáveis pelo pagamento diretamente à **ÁRVORE**”
Can parents view their child's data?
The policy sends student data rights requests to the contracting school but never says parents can view their child's data.
Can parents modify their child's data?
The policy does not give parents a right to modify their child's data.
Can parents delete their child's account?
The policy does not give parents a right to delete their child's data or account.
Is there a dedicated Children's Privacy section?
“5\. DADOS DE MENORES DE IDADE”
Does it reference COPPA compliance?
The policy does not mention COPPA; it refers only to Brazil's data protection law (LGPD).
Does it reference FERPA compliance?
The policy does not mention FERPA.
Is parental consent required for child accounts?
The policy says schools supply student data under contract and does not require parental consent.
Data Portability2/5
Can users access their personal data?
“Acessar seus dados pessoais;”
Can users download/export their data?
“Requerer a portabilidade dos seus dados pessoais a outro fornecedor de serviço ou produto, observados os nossos segredos comerciais e industriais, após a regulamentação pela Autoridade Nacional de Proteção de Dados;”
Is there a self-service data access tool?
The policy handles rights through requests by email or through the school, not a self-service tool.
Is a specific data format mentioned for export?
The policy does not name any export format.
Is there an API for data access?
The policy does not describe an API for users to retrieve their own data.
Data Minimization2/6
Is data collection itemized?
“4.3. Dados de alunos/usuários: (a) Nome; (b) E-mail; (c) Ano de ensino; (d) Registro acadêmico; (e) Data de nascimento; (f) Turma; (g) Instituição de ensino.”
Can the app be used without a real name?
The policy says student names are collected, supplied by the school.
Can the app be used without an email?
The policy says student emails are collected, including institutional emails.
Does it state collection is limited to what is necessary?
“Caso, eventualmente, a **ÁRVORE** receba das contratantes base de dados contendo informações excessivas e desnecessárias, a **ÁRVORE** prontamente fará o saneamento desses dados, mantendo tão somente aqueles indispensáveis ao funcionamento de sua plataforma, descartando os demais em definitivo.”
Is IP address anonymized or truncated?
The policy says it collects connection and IP data and does not mention anonymizing it.
Is location tracking explicitly excluded?
The policy does not rule out location tracking.
Third-Party Protection3/7
Does it explicitly state no selling of data?
The policy does not say that data is not sold.
Are third-party providers named?
“SenseData, Klipfolio, PowerBI”
Are providers contractually restricted?
The policy binds employees to confidentiality but does not describe contract limits on third-party providers.
No-targeted-advertising commitment?
The policy makes no promise against targeted advertising and lists advertising campaigns as a use of newsletter data.
Is AI/ML data sharing addressed?
The policy mentions an AI tutor (Otto) but does not say how data is shared with AI or machine-learning services.
Child-specific sharing restriction?
“Alunos/usuários: Apenas dados agrupados por turmas, escolas e/ou redes.”
Cookies/tracking limited or opt-out?
“Se não for a vontade do usuário receber cookies, ou o mesmo desejar uma notificação prévia antes de seu uso, ele deverá programar, a seu critério, seu web browser (navegador da web) com essas opções, caso seu browser disponha do recurso.”
Deletion & Retention3/5
Can users delete their account?
“Em relação aos dados pessoais tratados enquanto a **ÁRVORE** atua como controladora, os mesmos poderão ser objeto de pedido de exclusão através de solicitação escrita por e-mail e enviada para atendimento@arvore.com.br especificando quais dados deverão ser descartados.”
Self-service deletion mechanism?
The policy handles deletion only by email request, with no self-service option.
Specific data retention timeline?
“Os dados pessoais tratados enquanto a **ÁRVORE** atuar na função de operadora serão mantidos durante toda a vigência do contrato celebrado com a contratante e por mais 6 (seis) meses após o término do mesmo.”
Auto-deletion of inactive accounts?
The policy links deletion to the end of the school contract, not to account inactivity.
Post-deletion handling described?
“Assim, após a finalização do contrato com a contratante, os dados de identificação dos usuários são apagados (nome, e-mail, registro acadêmico, data de nascimento, cargo, telefone), ficando apenas quantitativos de uso anonimizados para fins de inteligência de mercado.”
Advertising0/4
Advertising model explicitly disclosed?
The policy does not describe whether the product shows advertising.
Free from third-party advertisements?
The policy does not say whether the product has third-party ads.
Children excluded from ad targeting?
The policy does not exclude children from ad targeting.
Ad-free option available?
The policy does not mention an ad-free option or say the product has no ads.
What This Means
The policy review did not meet our data transparency standard. The checks above show the documented findings and unknowns. A missing statement does not establish how the app handles data in practice.
About this evaluation: Based on automated analysis of Árvore against 35 policy-disclosure questions, including questions adapted from the Common Sense Privacy Program's published evaluation questions. TLS is not affiliated with Common Sense Media, and this is not a Common Sense rating. Quoted text is copied from the policy; unquoted notes are our summary. Results describe what the policy documents, not the company's actual practices. Privacy policies can change: this review reflects the version we analyzed and does not determine legal compliance.
Sources and review method
TLS combines product information and editorial analysis to explain how Criar works, its tradeoffs, and the questions to ask before choosing it. Product features, an instructional rationale and evidence of learning outcomes are different kinds of information.
Formal Learning Standard assessment: not yet completed. Data Transparency findings are reported separately and do not establish learning effectiveness. Read our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions About Criar
Is Criar free?
The digital platform and project implementation are completely free for schools to deploy within their classrooms. However, the final physical books produced by the students are not free. Parents must purchase these printed copies if they want their child to have the tangible book at the culminating publishing event. This monetization model means that while the educational process is accessible, the final motivational reward requires a financial investment from families.
Is Criar good for elementary students?
Yes, Criar is highly effective for elementary students when supported by strong teacher guidance and classroom instruction. The prospect of becoming a published author is incredibly motivating for young learners. This tangible goal helps them build crucial writing stamina and view themselves as capable creators. While they are just beginning to master sentence structures and phonics, the project-based approach encourages them to apply these foundational skills enthusiastically toward a real-world product.
What does Criar teach?
Criar facilitates the practical application of creative writing, storytelling, narrative structure, and digital design. Rather than directly teaching grammar, spelling, or vocabulary through active recall or repetitive drills, it provides a project-based framework. Your child will apply the literacy instruction they receive from their teacher to draft, edit, and format a complete narrative work. It primarily teaches the long-term writing process, from initial brainstorming and rough drafts to final publication and presentation.
How does Criar compare to standard writing assignments?
Standard classroom writing assignments often lack an authentic audience, which frequently leads to lower student engagement and rushed work. Criar directly addresses this by leveraging project-based learning to provide a tangible, real-world reward. Knowing that their work will culminate in a physical book and a public author event significantly increases a student's intrinsic motivation. This encourages your child to engage much more deeply in the tedious processes of drafting, peer review, and revision.
Has The Learning Standard evaluated Criar?
TLS has not yet completed a Learning Standard evaluation of how well Criar teaches. Its privacy policy has been reviewed for Data Transparency and does not yet document the basic protections (Level 1).
Is Criar COPPA compliant?
A COPPA reference was not found in the reviewed privacy policy. This does not determine whether the app complies with COPPA. Policy review note: The policy does not mention COPPA; it refers only to Brazil's data protection law (LGPD).
Is Criar FERPA compliant?
A FERPA reference was not found in the reviewed privacy policy. This does not determine whether the app complies with FERPA. Policy review note: The policy does not mention FERPA.
Does Criar have a children's privacy policy?
The reviewed policy includes a dedicated children's privacy section. Policy review note: The policy has a section headed for minors' data.
Does Criar sell student data?
A statement ruling out data selling was not found in the reviewed policy. This does not establish that the app sells student data. Policy review note: The policy does not say that data is not sold.
Can you delete your data from Criar?
The reviewed privacy policy describes account deletion. We have not tested the deletion process. Policy review note: Users can ask by email to have their data deleted.
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- Pricing
- Free for schools to deply the project. Parents buy the physical books for the students to sign in the publishing event.
- Platforms
- Web Browser, iOS (Apple mobile), iPadOS (Apple tablet), Android (Google mobile)
- Grade Levels
- 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade, 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade
- Website
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