The AI Kindergarten Reading Teacher

Many children face challenges in learning to read, and this does not have to be the case: they need to be taught differently. Unfortunately, this relies on teacher knowledge, skill, and access to solutions that will not only address the learning challenge but do so in engaging ways.

While parents are often the best teachers, not all children have the privilege of literate parents with the time, patience, and knowledge to teach them. This places a significant burden on the education system.

Data indicates that in the UK, approximately 1 in 4 children fails to reach the minimum expected reading levels by the end of year 6, and the situation is similar in Australia. The statistics are even more alarming in the USA.

To address this issue, it's crucial to invest in innovative early intervention programs for children who may struggle with reading at school. Here, we propose the development of the AI Kindergarten Reading Teacher by Emma Hartnell-Baker - Miss Emma - to prevent many from falling behind and becoming instructional casualties.

Our goal is to ensure that children are out of the 'learning to read' phase, with strong orthographic knowledge and word mapping skills, before they even start school. They should already be reading for pleasure at this stage.

By focusing on early intervention and supporting parents in their role as educators, and by supplying free access to the AI Kindergarten Reading Teacher for parents of 4 and 5-year-olds, we can work towards improving literacy rates and fostering a love for reading and writing among children. This technology can help meet the diverse needs of children who will learn in kindergarten/reception classes around the world.
As readers their experiences in those classrooms will be markedly different: life changing for millions.