Yap Books Gives a New Twist to Storytelling With Revolutionary Voice-Activated App
Storytime adventures are about to get very real with the launch of a revolutionary voice-activated reading App from Yap Books.
Anything from fairies to dinosaurs, spacemen to wizards, hidden forests to mythical cities will come to life through the power of speech on this new multi-sensory platform designed to encourage children to read.
The App, developed by Midlands-based Yap Technology Ltd, reacts to the reader’s voice to trigger a variety of stimulating actions including animations, sounds, videos, images and digital content which is a completely synchronised to the story.
The only limitation in this powerful storytelling App is the child’s imagination. And stopping mum or dad from having all the fun!
Specifically targeted for younger school children. The App has also been developed for use by children that have individual learning needs including dyslexia, dyspraxia and speech development.
It has a built-in Yap Library which is filled with books. Learning materials and digital content all of which is available to download. Or youngsters can use Yap Creator to make up their own stories.
Ben Ridgway, founder of Yap Books, initially developed the App as a speech development tool for his own son. But knows all parents of young children can benefit and enjoy the thrill of story time.
“The concept was born when I was exploring ways to help our son overcome delayed speech,” said Ridgway.
“This prompted me to begin developing software that could provide instant visual feedback and animated rewards in response to his speech and pronunciation. My son seemed very engaged with this method. And I believe that it has helped to develop his speech far quicker and more effectively than other methods we had tried.
“This has seen the Yap concept fully-developed into a product which is now available to help children of all ages and abilities. Whether as a speech development tool. Or to simply provide a more immersive reading experience.
“We’re excited to explore the ways in which this creative use of voice technology can be developed further. And are looking forward to working with creators and authors. To deliver this exciting way of reading to a wider audience.”
The App also has some powerful tools for parents to monitor the progress of their child’s reading development. As the App is able to generate an individualised data analysis from what the child reads. This enables parents to gain a greater understanding of a child’s reading level and ability. It can also help to identify achievement and to assist with the implementation of child centred interventions.
