My word: Phone app teaches children to read

22 : 01 : 2013 Education : Mobile Phones : Qualcomm

Las Vegas – Sesame Workshop, the non-profit-making educational organisation behind Sesame Street, has teamed up with 3G and mobile technology provider Qualcomm to create Big Bird’s Words, a smartphone app that teaches young children how to read.

Big Birds Words by Sesame Street Workshop Big Birds Words by Sesame Street Workshop
Big Birds Words by Sesame Street Workshop Big Birds Words by Sesame Street Workshop

Powered by new technology by Qualcomm, the app uses a ‘word-a-scope’, which recognises any printed word that the child points at. The app asks the child to pick a word using an image that depicts it. The child then has to find the word in the real world using the word-a-scope.

‘We designed the app with three- to five-year-olds in mind,’ says Carla Riney, director of product management at Qualcomm. ‘We had to design the app in such a way that it is intuitive for children, and make the graphics work with how they hold the phone.’

For Generation I, learning is indistinguishable from play. For more key lessons for this emerging group, book a place at our forthcoming Trend Briefing.

Discover More Daily Signals
Stat: How strength and longevity are reshaping 2026 fitness priorities

Daily Signals

Stat: How strength and longevity are reshaping 2026 fitness priorities

Strength training continues to dominate global wellness priorities, according to Life Time’s 2026 Wellness Survey. Some 42.3% of respondents to the...
Health : Fitness : Statistic
CES spotlights a new wave of intentional smartphones

Daily Signals

CES spotlights a new wave of intentional smartphones

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, smartphone innovation is shifting away from feature overload towards focus, control and intent. Two ...
Technology : Consumer Electronics Show : Global Events
Why Pharmaicy is selling synthetic drugs for AI

Daily Signals

Why Pharmaicy is selling synthetic drugs for AI

Start-up Pharmaicy is pushing the boundaries of machine intelligence with what it claims is the world’s first ‘marketplace for synthetic drugs for ...
Technology : Creativity : Psychedelics
Community Clothing makes a performance case for plastic-free sportswear

Daily Signals

Community Clothing makes a performance case for plastic-free sportswear

British social enterprise and clothing brand Community Clothing has introduced Organic Athletic, a 100% plastic-free sportswear range made using pl...
Sports : Fashion : Sustainability
Why climate change could erase Europe’s Alps glaciers by 2100

Daily Signals

Why climate change could erase Europe’s Alps glaciers by 2100

Europe’s Alps are on course to lose nearly all (97%) of their glaciers by the end of the century, highlighting how climate change is redefining som...
Environment : Sustainability : Travel
Stat: Young women drive surge in US emigration intent

Daily Signals

Stat: Young women drive surge in US emigration intent

New polling by American multinational analytics and advisory company Gallup finds that as many as one in five American citizens would like to leave...
Society : Emigration : Urban Migration
 Sleevenote taps into demand for distraction-free tech

Daily Signals

Sleevenote taps into demand for distraction-free tech

Musician Tom Vek has launched Sleevenote, a compact touchscreen music player designed to restore a sense of ownership and intention to digital musi...
Media : Technology : Entertainment
How Hyrox is moving from mass participation races to wellness tourism

Daily Signals

How Hyrox is moving from mass participation races to wellness tourism

Indoor fitness race company Hyrox has announced the launch of Hyrox Experiences, a new travel-focused category positioning the brand within the fas...
Travel : Fitness : Health & Wellbeing
Stat: AI optimism outpaces daily use as employee motivation hinges on trust and skills

Daily Signals

Stat: AI optimism outpaces daily use as employee motivation hinges on trust and skills

Workers are increasingly optimistic about AI, yet daily usage remains low, according to PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Surve...
Statistic : Technology : Artifical Intelligence
The Trend: Coffee Shop Raves

Daily Signals

The Trend: Coffee Shop Raves

Coffee shops are emerging as the new hubs for daytime raves, driven by a generation of sober-conscious consumers seeking real-life connection and fun.
Food And Drink : Coffee Shop Raves : Hospitality
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN