The Speakaboos team believes they have found the key to turning young children into avid readers.
Their platform — www.speakaboos.com and free mobile apps for iTunes and Google Play — uses interactive stories to get children as young as 2 ready for reading. Speakaboos features a growing library of over 175 stories divided into categories children are interested in such as princesses, robots, vehicles and monsters.
Improving comprehension is one of the main goals of the stories, which feature highlighted read-along text illuminating the connection between letters and sounds. If the young users lack strong background knowledge, rich illustrations and animations help them understand the plot. Touch-screen interactivity advances the story line, spotlights individual characters and helps children to connect with the text.Interesting topics keep children engaged in Speakaboos’ stories, said Alice Wilder, chief learning officer for the company. This increases the likelihood they will build background knowledge in the topics and become motivated to learn more, which boosts comprehension.
The full piece can be read on Speakaboos Platform Uses Topics Kids Love to Get Them Hooked on Reading.