Reading? There’s an app for that – Poio with Daniel Senn PP236

In our first episode for the new academic year, Tara speaks to Daniel Senn whose background and skills helped him to invent a new reading app called Poio which has helped more than 100,000 children aged 3-8 crack the reading code! Daniel also shares his research and views on the role of fun in education. Daniel is the dad and educator behind the learn-to-read game, Poio. Six years ago, he embarked on a journey of trying to help his own son learn how to read. He was born with a severe hearing problem and Daniel was told that he would need extra assistance to keep up with other kids. However, experts also told him that motivating young children to practise reading is very hard, and that adults who push the learning early on often make matters worse, resulting in negative learning spirals and a loss of confidence. So together, Daniel and his family engaged in a fun project to crack the reading code through play, where his son’s ideas were the main inspiration to the method that is now called Poio. A game that is able to help all kinds of children learn how to read, whether they are learning at a regular pace, are struggling with the process, or are gifted. Daniel says: ” Now The Poio Method has gone beyond helping my son, Leon, and our family. I have worked closely with a committed group of game developers, scientists and educationalists to make Poio what it is today. And in just a short period of time, we have helped more than 100,000 children across Scandinavia crack the reading code. I can hardly believe it, and feel so proud of what our team has achieved. Still, there is always more to do, and we’re only just getting started! In light of Poio’s success, our goal is to help even more children learn how to read. By joining forces with the EdTech company Kahoot! this spring, we are now able to bring Poio to a global audience quicker through a newly developed English version.The UK edition of Poio is now available from the App Store and Google Play. The US edition will be available soon! Sign up to get notified.” Tweet of the Week As students here in the U.S. head back to school, let's remember that more than 98 million adolescent girls around the world don’t have that opportunity.This #WorldCharityDay, share your #BackToSchool photo and take action with the @girlsalliance: https://t.co/uAJh9LbSW0 pic.twitter.com/p5mFJ2p1fo— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) September 5, 2019