Insights

Why We Need to Protect Children’s Reading Data

In today’s digital world, data is power. As individuals, we keep significant information online, from personal to financial details. However, regarding children’s data, we should be more cautious as children are not so security-minded, so they might add personal information that could put them at risk. Schools, online education, and gaming applications deal extensively with child data. However, as technology advances, we must be mindful of the more profound risks now posed involving voice recognition (VR) and how the data is protected.

In this blog post, we will explore the importance of protecting children’s data and three reasons why it should be a significant concern to everyone.

Firstly, VR technology poses many risks we must be aware of. Many VR apps and toys interact with children, interpret their speech patterns, and react accordingly, frequently recording and storing what is said. However, as the child befriends the app/toy or uses it in a family environment, the child might divulge personal information or feelings, plus discussions by parents in the background could all be captured by the system and be used to exploit the family, either through social engineering, phishing attacks, or worse still direct contact with the intent to blackmail.

Secondly, all data has value, and as children increase their use of technology for education and fun, more data is being gathered and stored. Hackers thus target companies who offer such applications to steal and use the data themselves but more frequently sell it on the dark web to multiple hackers, meaning families could be a target for numerous attacks with the potential of significant financial impacts. It is vital, therefore, that developers and owners of applications are cyber-aware and build into their systems robust data security procedures and techniques to minimise the risk of data theft. Parents and schools must ensure that their children’s privacy is adequately protected and take the time to check if the intended application is operated by a trusted organisation, and specifically for schools, they should conduct a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) as recommended by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to verify an application or service has taken steps to protect the data stored by them. Parents can also use this requirement to check an application, as frequently, within the organisation’s website, they will outline their DPIA compliance facts.

Thirdly, data protection is an essential legal requirement outlined in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Children’s data falls under “special categories” of personal information, which means there are strict regulations concerning how that data can be collected, processed, used, or stored. Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to hefty fines. Therefore, schools, app service providers, etc., responsible for dealing with children’s data, including their voices, must ensure adequate protection measures are in place to meet this regulation. It is wise to check a company’s GDPR statement for any new application you are considering for your children to reassure yourself that the organisation follows these rules, especially about data sharing.

Our Position on Data Security
At Auris, we take the security of our data very seriously. We designed our system to keep children safe on our platform. So our first step was to store the child’s voice recordings only if we had the specific consent of the parent or custodian. In these situations, the recordings are never linked to the child and are anonymous to our internal processes, but they still allow the parent or custodian to delete the recordings at any time should they wish. Finally, we encrypt all data so that even if a hacker were to gain access to it, they would not be able to read or use it as they would not hold the key to decipher it.

These measures mean our platform is robust and meets all the requirements of compliance and best practices for cyber security. It is the benchmark that others should be taking in protecting their digital assets. But we also recognise that we must be bold and that protecting data is a journey, not a one-time fix, so we will continue to enhance our service to meet the new challenges hackers present.

In Summary…
As the digital landscape grows, it is essential to consider the safety and protection of children’s data. Parents, teachers, and other individuals responsible for caring for children should be mindful of the risks involved in voice recognition technology, cybersecurity risks, and GDPR. As technology advances, so must we in safeguarding the data of children. Becoming more proactive in protecting children’s data from cybercriminals and other malicious organisations is crucial. Data protection regarding sensitive personal information collected through online resources is not something to take lightly. At Auris, we understand that well.

Posted in Technology, Insights, Reading

The Benefits of Gamification

Gamification is about involving game elements in non-game contexts. There has been a lot of research about how gamification can be beneficial in education in order to help motivate and engage children in their learning. 

By making education more interactive and fun, the educational outcomes can be far better. Gamification encourages children to think about their own learning process and discover how to progress at their own pace. It also helps to develop problem-solving skills, creativity and collaboration among students. Rewards in the form of points or leaderboards can motivate children to push themselves further in their learning to ensure they hit the next milestone in the game. 

Gamification in the National Read Aloud Challenge
At the National Read Aloud Challenge, we know it can be near impossible to encourage children to read over the summer break. Understandably, they just want to spend their time having fun and enjoying the sunshine. In order to combat this, we have made reading fun and engaging through using gamification. Your children won’t want to stop!

From hitting various milestones and gaining certificates to appearing on a national leaderboard, the National Read Aloud Challenge has carefully curated different ways to make reading exciting and competitive but also meaningful and constructive, even for those reluctant readers.

Children can compete against other children their own age, children in their regional area and other children in their school. Schools within a multi-academy trust can also compete against each other!

We don’t do things by half!
The National Read Aloud Challenge not only incorporates gamification into the challenge but children can actually win some prizes, including vouchers and signed books. Not only that, schools also have the chance to win a FREE trip to London for an awards ceremony hosted by our brand ambassador Clare Balding, MBE! 

Enrol your school now and let the games begin!

www.readaloudchallenge.co.uk
#BeProudReadAloud

Posted in Insights, Reading, Team Fonetti

Fluency in all its Glory!

Fluency in reading is an important skill for success in school and in life. Fluency is the ability to read accurately, quickly, and with expression. It helps students comprehend what they are reading more effectively and enables them to spend less time decoding words and more time understanding the content. When students can read fluently, it encourages them to become engaged readers who explore different genres and topics.

Break it Down
The EEF explains how the development of fluency in reading can be broken down into three distinct skills: accuracy, automaticity and prosody. 

  • Accuracy refers to the ability to recognise words quickly and accurately; this is achieved by developing basic phonemic awareness and decoding skills. 
  • Automaticity is reading words automatically. It enables appropriate reading speed and should feel effortless. Automaticity requires accuracy.
  • Prosody is the ability to read text with intonation and emotion; this is accomplished by having children vary their voices as they read aloud using different volume, smoothness and pace. Prosody requires accuracy and automaticity. 

These three skills are essential for building fluency in reading and helping students become more confident and proficient readers. Fluency supports comprehension and as the EEF states, ‘fluency is sometimes described as a bridge from word recognition to comprehension.’ By providing students with meaningful reading experiences, they can be encouraged to practise their fluency skills and become avid readers. With dedication and practice, fluency in reading can help students grow and succeed.

Read to Succeed 
In order to ensure students are reaching their full potential in reading fluency, teachers and parents should provide ample opportunities for children to practise and develop these skills. Activities such as interactive read aloud sessions and timed readings can help build accuracy and speed. 
The DFE states in The Reading Framework 2022 that ‘reading engagement is not possible if children struggle with the basic mechanics of reading. Fluency and enjoyment are the result of careful teaching and practice.’

Fabulously Fluent with Fonetti
Fonetti has partnered with the National Read Aloud Challenge to ensure children have the chance to develop their reading fluency over the summer break. It is such a crucial skill that needs to be practised in order to be a successful reader. 

Children will have access to hundreds of books on the Fonetti in app library for free to practise their fluency over the holidays. They will receive instant, constructive feedback so they are making progress all while having fun.

Enrol your school now!

https://www.readaloudchallenge.co.uk

Posted in Insights, National Read Aloud Challenge, Reading

How To Prevent The Summer Slide And Keep Children Reading

Summer reading regression, otherwise known as the ‘summer slide’, is described by Twinkl as, ‘The trend of students “sliding backward” in their reading abilities during the summer months.’ It is something that educators and parents show concern about year on year. 

Summer Reading Regression
The summer holidays are in no doubt a time for children to relax and spend time with family and friends, but it is also a time where education is often pushed to one side. Like many things in life, reading is a skill that needs to be continuously practised in order to maintain the standard to which it once was, and short bursts of reading regularly is what is recommended to keep kids on track. 

The summer reading regression occurs when children do very little reading or no reading at all over the summer holidays. Children who don’t read over the summer lose about 20% of the reading gains from the previous academic year and, according to scholastic, ‘it takes on average 4-6 weeks for students to catch up on lost progress’. Lower income families experience the ‘summer slide’ at a greater amount due to lack of resources which widens the literacy gap further.

Put the Brakes On
We need to put the brakes on the ‘summer slide’ and make sure children don’t slip backwards, no matter their background. Working together with families is crucial to ensure that they feel supported. Parents need to be made aware of the summer slide but also given solutions to help them prevent it. If we know families don’t have the relevant resources at home, we need to provide them with what is necessary in order for them to succeed. 

Aswell as engaging the parents and educating them on the ‘summer slide’, we also need to make children excited about reading over the holidays. Considering the children are on their summer break, we need to think creatively to make reading engaging and fun. 

Below are three tips to get children excited about reading over the summer:

  1. Let children choose their own books. It is important that children feel they have ownership over the decision of the book they are reading and that they have the chance to choose one that they are interested in. If the book seems slightly too easy/hard, don’t worry! We just want children to enjoy what they are reading over the summer – any reading is better than no reading
  2. Include some games. Children love games! By involving games in education, children forget that they are learning and are focused on getting to the next stage in the game. It is the perfect way to keep children engrossed in books. 
  3. Incorporate technology. These days, children appear to be more tech-savvy than adults and can’t get enough of using technology. Why not make screen time productive and get children reading on tablets? 

The National Read Aloud Challenge 
The National Read Aloud Challenge is the perfect way to encourage children to read over the summer. Not only is the challenge completely FREE and provides children access to hundreds of books, it also incorporates games and prizes to motivate the kids. All our books are available on tablets so children can spend their screen time on something educational. 

Our aim is to reduce summer reading regression by making children love reading! We don’t want reading to be a chore, we want children to enjoy picking up books and experiencing the joy of being engrossed in a story. 

Put the brakes on the summer slide and enrol your school in the challenge! 

https://www.readaloudchallenge.co.uk

Posted in National Read Aloud Challenge, Insights, Reading

5 Top Tips for Kicking off the National Read Aloud Challenge Successfully!

The National Read Aloud Challenge aims to reduce reading regression over the summer as well as enhancing a love for reading. We want all children to return to school in September as confident, excited readers. 

Follow these five tips to ensure your school is set up successfully to make the most of the challenge!

1.School Community
Encourage children, parents and teachers at your school to be on board with the challenge. If you secure the support from the whole school community, they will naturally work together to keep the reading momentum going. 

  • Talk to children about the challenge in assemblies and during classroom time.
  • Remind your staff about the challenge during staff meetings and in the staff room.
  • Keep the parents involved by posting about the challenge on social media and sending out the letters we have provided.

2.Materials and Resources
Use the National Read Aloud Challenge resources available on your school’s personalised webpage. We have created these so that your workload is kept to an absolute minimum. You are provided with an assembly presentation, parent letters, posters & flyers, a staff information presentation and so much more! Make the most of the resources to promote the challenge!

3.Dive into the App
Explore the app so you are familiar with it. You will feel more confident when talking about the challenge if you have taken the time to get to know the app the children will be using. You might also want to have book discussions with children and recommend some books that you have seen on the in app library. The more book talk, the better!

4.Praise, Praise, Praise
Praising children who have signed up to the app is a great way to encourage other children to get involved. Celebrate the class who has the most children participating, congratulate children in assembly for signing up and thank parents for getting their children involved. Everyone loves a bit of praise (even the parents)!

5.Check in
Not all children will have access to a tablet at home. Check in with those children and give them the opportunity to take part in the challenge while they are still at school so they feel involved.

Remember, if you have any questions about the challenge, please use the ‘get in touch’ link and we will get back to you as soon as possible!

Enrol your school or register your child now!
www.readaloudchallenge.co.uk
#BeProudReadAloud

Posted in National Read Aloud Challenge, Insights, Reading

The National Read-Aloud Challenge goes live!

The National Read Aloud Challenge: Empowering Kids with Fonetti’s Award winning Voice Recognition Technology

At Fonetti, we believe that reading is an essential tool for learning and personal growth. That’s why we are thrilled to announce our support for the National Read Aloud Challenge, a groundbreaking initiative that encourages children across the UK to read aloud during their summer break. With Fonetti’s voice recognition technology and the challenge’s fun activities, we are confident that this program will help kids develop their reading skills while having a blast. In this blog post, we’ll explore the details of this program and its benefits for children and parents everywhere.

Discover what the National Read Aloud Challenge has to offer! A free summer programme for children across the UK, running through the months of June, July and August. The challenge: incorporating Fonetti, our innovative voice recognition technology, into your child’s reading routine

Reading aloud provides a plethora of benefits. Children can enhance their pronunciation, comprehension, and vocabulary, essential skills for personal and academic success. More than that, this engaging activity sparks a love for books and learning that lasts a lifetime. With the National Read Aloud Challenge, kids can start their school year with confidence, curiosity and verbal fluency.

Fonetti is thrilled to be a part of this initiative, proudly offering our technology for free to children. Our award-winning app uses cutting-edge voice recognition to guide and support early readers, allowing them to read independently whilst receiving valuable personalised feedback and encouragement.

By incorporating Fonetti into the National Read Aloud Challenge, we are taking a significant step towards realising our mission of enabling young learners to achieve their full potential.

In conclusion, the National Read Aloud Challenge is a fantastic opportunity for children to enjoy reading and improve their skills during the summer months. By using Fonetti’s voice recognition technology, kids can receive instant valuable feedback and support as they explore new books and stories. We encourage parents and teachers everywhere to participate in this program and share the joy of reading with the next generation. Let’s make this summer a time of learning, growth, and fun!

Posted in National Read Aloud Challenge, Insights, News, Reading

Fonetti’s Helping to Tackle Summer Reading Regression!

As children across the UK start their summer holidays, it is important for parents and carers to be aware that reading and learning regression can occur while pupils are out of school.

In simple terms, reading regression is when a student loses reading accuracy, fluency or comprehension skills due to not reading regularly during the school break. After so much disruption over previous years, it’s important that we all try to minimise the regressive impact of time away from school, so that as pupils return to school in September/October, they’re able to make progress.

Encouraging reading and literacy activities over the summer can help to prevent reading regression. This includes reading for fun or reading aloud with family members, as well as engaging in online reading resources such as books, articles and audiobooks. There are also games and puzzles that pupils can take part in to help with reading skills.

To do our part, we’ve launched the Summer UK Read Aloud Challenge, to encourage children to read aloud on their tablets, to  maintain the momentum of the previous term, and keep up their practice. There will be rewards for top readers to keep them motivated over the 5-6 weeks.

It’s just one of a number of preventative measures that teachers, parents and carers can put in place, to help their students succeed in reading over the summer holidays, which will then support them into the new school year.

For more information on reading regression prevention, teachers can visit the National Literacy Trust‘s website for advice and reading resources.

Posted in Reading, Insights

Literacy Crisis is the Greatest Threat to Our Children After Covid-19

Over the Easter Weekend The Times ran an article Boris Johnson fears Lockdown illiteracy surge reporting the number of children struggling with literacy, as a result of lockdown learning, is rising by 30,000 over the past year.

If that’s not shocking enough, according to unpublished government figures revealed this week, more than 200,000 primary school pupils could make the transition to secondary school without the adequate literacy skills for their age. Many will not be able to read properly. It’s reported this will be Boris Johnson’s top priority after the coronavirus vaccination programme. The Government is expected to unveil a new four-year ‘emergency plan’ in May as a direct response. This could include after-school and holiday clubs as well as small group tutoring. But is manpower enough to solve this?

The solution is digital learning
It’s estimated that English students have lost more than 800 million teaching hours due to the pandemic. While those hours cannot be recouped instantly, independent digital learning can play a huge part in supporting the nation’s primary school pupils. As founder and CEO of Auris Tech, voice tech for literacy in the UK and English language learning, I understand the vital role technology plays in our schools. You can reach more children with technology. There’s no way reading can get back on track without it. Technology is the greatest way to reach people – as a leveller.

And the pandemic has proved that. Not just in education and the academic sector but in business in general. You only have to ask business leaders who led the IT strategy in their company? Was it their Chief Tech Officers, CEO or Covid-19? The answer will be the latter. Collaboration tools have supported businesses globally throughout this pandemic. Zoom has become a verb as well as one of the most used apps in lockdown, (increasing its profits by 400 percent*) with Microsoft Teams, Yammer and Google Classrooms being other go-to functions to keep schools and businesses connected. The digital realm has been a life-line and it will continue to be for many years to come.

If digital platforms are the foundation of future learning, smart technology applications are the perfect partners to guarantee success. Digital learning with smart AI and safe technology is a recipe for success. It provides a level playing field to all pupils, not just those within a radius of a school ranked as ‘excellent’. Schools simply don’t have the people power to offer 121 tuition for every child without technology. Accessibility is key to learning and indeed to literacy. The Government has made a massive in road to schools with technology but they need to install the right smart tech to guarantee success. The Hungry Little Minds campaign is just one example of this.

Reading is a foundation to learning. It’s a building block for every other academic subject and it’s essential in providing key skills for life. Confidence in our children is at an all time low as a result of the pandemic. Many children have had limited verbal interaction with their peers and these communicative skills can all be boosted through independent digital learning, as can vital life skills. Children are very comfortable with technology. Primary school pupils in particular are digitally native and expect technology to play a part in their lives.

Connecting communities
Throughout the pandemic there have been some fantastic initiatives that promote independent digital learning. MBE Oli Barrett’s ‘Turn On The Subtitles’ campaign is just one example that encourages subliminal reading and showing the power of digital intervention. Turning on the subtitles while children are watching television can double the chances of a child improving their literacy. One simple step that can make a huge impact.

The BBC’s ‘Equipment For Schools’ campaign has also offered a life-line to learning across the country during the pandemic.

Schools have relied on support from businesses to keep them connected throughout lockdowns. Whether it’s providing devices, technology support and expertise or by sponsoring subscriptions to educational apps like Fonetti, there’s no doubt how smart tech and independent digital learning has played a huge part in lockdown learning. It’s now down to the Government to invest in the right AI and smart tech to complement this initial foundation for schools to build on for the next four years. And we at Auris Tech will be ready to take their call.

Sources:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/zoom-pandemic-profit-income-tax-b1820281.html

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-johnson-fears-lockdown-illiteracy-surge-7ghpwgf3w

Posted in Technology, Insights, News

Reading Aloud: A fear of fiction or failure

Throughout fiction it’s often the introverts that become the quiet heroes. The ones that turn their shyness into a superpower. Think Matilda, Boo Radley and Bilbo Baggins, they all find their inner strength from their introverted nature. And their characters reassure young readers in their company, that they too can overcome the anxieties caused by their shyness.

Reading about the adventures of these protagonists to themselves can be a comfort to a shy child. But reading a few pages aloud to their class can be a game-changer, not only to their confidence but to their enjoyment and perceptions of reading on the whole.

To a shy child, being asked to read even a sentence aloud can be the greatest challenge to overcome.

Maybe they’re embarrassed.

Maybe they’re scared of saying the wrong thing, worried they’ll look silly or be judged by their classmates.

Maybe it’s the attention they don’t like, the spotlight suddenly shining on them, sentence by sentence. Whatever the reason, the fear is the same.

As is the sensation of butterflies in their tummy, flushed cheeks, sweaty palms and quivering voice, all unwelcome symptoms that tar a love of stories by association. And all avoidable.

Reading aloud should be fun – not feared

As a parent you can remember your own experience of assemblies, school plays and classroom reading. How did those experiences shape your adult life?

Reading aloud is a life-skill. Presenting to an audience and being able to communicate confidently is not only valuable academically but personally too. It helps us with exams, job interviews and gives us reassurance just re-reading documents for clarity on a daily basis.

Anxiety builds quickly and a bad experience at school, for a shy child, can have a huge impact on their adult life. But there’s one word that can stop fear in its tracks: Fonetti.

Ultimate app for reading aloud

Fonetti offers a private platform for children to practice reading aloud. It’s a world of stories, fun and fiction that helps build confidence through praise and rewards, far from the ears of judging peers or a classroom environment. It’s a reading revolution that’s taking the world by storm and building confidence by the minute.

Approved by the Department for Education’s Hungry Little Minds campaign. Fonetti is the world’s first listening bookshop. And right now, it’s the reading assistant available to every home and is the technology behind interactive reading.

Think of it as karaoke, but for speech rather than song. Children choose a story and start reading aloud. When they get the words right, they turn green. If they get stuck, they double tap for help. So, they can practice again and again, with confidence – as there’s no one else listening to them but themselves. When they finish a book, they win rewards, stars and fanfares…and soon start to love reading.

Mum of three, Kelly Williams explains:
“Freddie’s always been a shy little boy – he loves school, don’t get me wrong, but he’s quite happy to let others put their hand up and take the lead. Having an older brother and sister, he’s used to others speaking for him in one way.

My husband and I thought school would help him come out of his shell a little and weren’t worried about his school work until he had to learn lines for his school assembly. I’ll never forget how he came home in bits. He knew the words and could read them to himself but just struggled to say them aloud, even to his big brother. So, we tried to find him some help and thankfully found Fonetti.

After just two days of using the app, something changed. It was as if he’d found his voice for the first time and would take himself off to the sofa to read but aloud. I remember us both putting shopping away in the kitchen and hearing Freddie’s voice in the living room as he read. 

I’ll be honest, it made me a bit emotional…but watching him in his school play a week later made me even more. I couldn’t have been prouder. His voice didn’t boom like the other kids but he said his lines out loud without a wobble and with a smile. We’ve not doubt that was helped by Fonetti.”

Independent but informed
Fonetti gives children the freedom to read without needing support from an adult. But that doesn’t mean you can’t keep track of their progress. Fonetti keeps parents, like you, up to date with what your children are reading. You’ll receive regular weekly updates that tell you:

  • how long your child has read for
  • which stories they’ve read
  • the number of times a book has been chosen
  • and what words they’ve struggled with.

It also tells you when they’ve reached a new reading level. Designed by speech recognition experts at the University of Edinburgh, Fonetti can recognise readers speaking English as a second language, those with dyslexia and SEN.

It also senses when a child is shy by how many pauses they take and how softly they speak. It’s that intuitive. So, it can support every reader individually and allow them to read at their own pace.

Together we can turn timid readers into confident speakers of the future. Ones that love to talk to an audience and love to share a story.

Let Fonetti be the start of theirs.

Posted in Reading, Insights

Screen Time for Children: A Shift in Perceptions

Screen time – a sudden shift in perceptions
The recommended daily screen time allowance for children is an hour per day (based on the World Health Organisation guidelines issued in 2019).

Easily manageable when you take nursery/school hours and outdoor activities into the equation. That is until one little word introduces itself:

Lockdown

If there was ever a metaphorical rule breaker, tempting us all, lockdown is it.

As adults, let’s consider our own screen time use. Pre-lockdown it would probably have been high but during lockdown it’s potentially doubled.

Zoom is no longer a word we see in the pages of a picture book at bedtime, it’s a verb we use daily and a virtual ticket that connects us to colleagues, friends and family via a screen.

Smartphones, tablets, laptops and TVs become our focus out of necessity and our children are no exception.

Screen time used to be viewed as ‘lazy-parenting’ and was seen as an ‘easy option’ to entertain, frowned upon by many.

But in a world where technology offers our safest way of communicating, keeping in touch and educating ourselves, perceptions are changing daily. Screen time is being embraced and the positives are being explored, for some for the first time.

Educators are way ahead of us. They know the positive powers of screen time and are already taking advantage of technology as a teaching resource.

With four in 10 British children predicted to own a tablet before their 6th birthday it’s clear that screen time is becoming habitual in a large percentage of homes.

Our children are a generation of ‘digital-natives’ who adapt to technology instinctively. All sounding positive so far isn’t it? But what about the guilt?

“As a busy mum of 3, I am guilty, as I’m sure many others are, of using screen time as a babysitter in order to get jobs done. However, it’s not all bad, I have noticed a marked improvement in my two-year-old’s vocabulary from the educational games that he has been playing.”,

Chloe Smith (Mother and Primary School Teacher)
Many parents feel guilty for using screen-time. They believe it will make their children anti-social, damage their eyesight and lure them away from traditional methods of learning.

But feelings of guilt should actually be replaced by gratitude. Screen time can enhance learning rather than hinder it.

Just as the world is changing rapidly, so are the perceptions of screen time.

In fact in their The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 2019 screen time study shows that social media has more of a negative impact on an individual rather than the use of the device itself.

They recommend that screen time use with digital devices should be made on a case-by-case basis within families rather than a general limit based on age.

It’s time to turn the spotlight on the advantages of screen-based technology
When used effectively, screen time can be hugely beneficial to a child’s development.

Fonetti:

  • Encourages independent learning
  • Connects students directly to schools and syllabus
  • Improves cognitive skills
  • Develops motor skills and co-ordination
  • Nurtures life-skills such as email comms, coding and video conferencing
  • Provides access to educational tools and resources

So where does Fonetti fit-in?
Quite simply, Fonetti injects fun into screen time. Accredited by The Department for Education’s Hungry Little Minds Campaign, Fonetti is an approved platform, and a safe place, for children to practise their reading.

With Fonetti screen time and story time merge into one with a little bit of magic and many benefits including:

Building confidence:

  • There’s no fear of reading aloud or peer pressure. With Fonetti children can read independently without the need of a grown-up (great news for parents working from home). If children stumble on certain words, they just double tap for hints and help – it couldn’t be simpler.

Entertaining all abilities:

  • We have a range of reading levels to suit every reader and that works alongside the National Curriculum. Our library is constantly evolving with new titles added daily ready for eager readers to jump in and enjoy a new adventure.

Supports children learning English as a second language:

  • Fonetti recognises a child’s speech patterns regardless of dialect, accent or native tongue, making it the ideal learning platform for those learning English as a second language.

Provides encouragement:

  • Think of Fonetti as a virtual high-five, as the pages turn, the fanfares, prizes and encouragement begin

Keeps parents in the loop:

  • If children use the app at home, you’ll be notified weekly of their child’s progress – we’ll email you to tell you how much time your child has spent reading, which books they’ve finished, which words they’ve struggled with and if they’ve progressed from one reading level to another.

We’re the world’s first listening bookshop.
And we’re the only platform that listens to children while they read, that recognises their speech regardless of dialect, accent or native tongue.

You could say, at the moment, we’re the teaching assistant available to every home and the technology behind interactive reading.

And we’re building confidence on an hourly basis…or however long your children choose to interact with us.

Screen time is a personal choice.

The results of screen time resources are fact. Using some of your child’s screen time allowance on Fonetti will benefit them more than playing on their games console.

It still entertains, feeds their imagination and gives them valuable life-skills as well as nurturing a love of reading.

We’re sharing this experience together.

The fears, the frustrations, the pain. The pride, the gratitude and the love. We’re sharing our space, our time and our skills. We’re sharing our screens. We’re sharing our stories.

And there has never been a better time: #Fonetti

Posted in EdTech, Insights