Are you looking for another way to teach your kids how to read? I’ve always imagined how neat it would be to be able to open a book and have each word light up as you read it aloud. Well, the creators from Box of Frogs Media have not created exactly that, but they have come pretty darn close.
Little Lost Note : Interactive Reading that Entertains
Little Lost Note is an app for the iPad that is an interactive storybook. The story centers around a musical note who has lost her instrument, and consequently, her sound. She goes in search of her instrument and meets friends along the way, looking to help find her “voice”. The app itself is a book that displays one page at a time. On each page, there are serene illustrations that come to life with simple taps and swipes. Swipe near either the left or right side and you can flip to the previous or next page. Tap on random areas of the each page to see a bird peck on the grass, a cloud wisp through the skies or a gopher emerge from beneath.
The app also provides for a few options to make the interaction more or less engaging. Options include being able to listen to a narrator take you through the story as the words light up when she speaks. One word lights up at a time, as she speaks the word, so kids identify with the word, how it sounds and how it looks, engaging several inputs at once to solidify the learning experience. Birds chirp and music plays in the background to bring a calm effect to the story. Another option gives you the opportunity to read the story in Night Light mode. The screen dims a bit to allow for bedtime reading that does not excite the child. Currently, the app is in English; and it would be exciting to see it offered in other languages. Not only engaging with other ethnic groups, but helping English speakers learn new languages.
As you swipe through the pages, you’ll see small interactive movements that occur when areas of the screen are tapped. One page renders piano keys that can be tapped to play a melody. Kids will thoroughly enjoy this as it breaks up the reading a bit.
One small improvement to make nighttime reading more conducive to sleepiness would be the option to turn off the small interactions that are usually offered on each page. I would think it would be better to not have the ability to search around and tap and laugh at night, if the intention is to calm.
Otherwise, this interactive storybook app is a must have for parents who wish to make reading a more engaging and fulfilling experience for their kids. We can all learn to read from books, and we should; but, by making the experience available to kids in a more interactive way, we bring more value to the skill, and hopefully, reach success sooner.
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