Using smart books: App fosters reading culture among children in Kenya

Frida Waithera’s discovery of the Booksmart mobile app two years ago through her reading club at the National Library of Kenya changed her family’s reading habits.

The mother of three was spending about Sh2,000 a month on books for her two sons and daughter. Today he is amazed not only at the savings, but also at the positive impact of the practice on the intellectual development of his children.

Frida’s children now spend three to five hours a day on the app on non-school days and read three to five books each.

“The app actually brought about the discipline of reading more frequently. It gave them a kind of positive addiction to reading,” he explains. “I was so glad the content was clean and relevant.”

For Sarah Anyira, an ECDE teacher at Little Rock School in Nairobi’s Kibra district, the app has also been a game changer.

It costs her an average of Sh1,500 a month to borrow story books from the library and occasionally buy them for her four children.

Through Booksmart, she has seen her children develop a true love of reading and increase their self-confidence and self-esteem.

“The app has helped tremendously in fostering a reading culture. My kids take turns reading books every day, even though we only have one device,” notes Sarah.

The Booksmart app is part of a literacy initiative by Worldreader, a US-based EdTech non-profit organization, that aims to improve the reading levels of children around the world.

Designed for children aged 3-12, the application provides access to thousands of books and reading materials appropriate to their age.

Olivia Kimani, Worldreader’s Director of Partnerships, describes the platform as a powerful equalizer, especially for families who have previously struggled to access reading resources.

“You don’t have to be rich or struggling to buy books. “Booksmart offers free access to all types of books, plain and simple,” he explains.

Accessible even on feature phones, the app has nearly 3,000 books in multiple languages, including Swahili, English, French and Spanish.

“Books are selected based on cultural relevance, age and environmental background to ensure they resonate with readers,” adds Olivia.

Getting started with Booksmart is simple: Users download the app, sign up with basic information, and create individual accounts for each child. The registration process ensures that each child’s account is customized by age and gender, and only relevant materials are unlocked.

Once launched, the app offers a wide variety of categories, including Science, Math & Art, Preschool Fun, Fairytales & Adventures, Sports & Health, and Learning to Read. The personalized approach helps children navigate the extensive library effortlessly.

Olivia says the app has been remarkable to use. Last year, more than 3,000 families used Booksmart to read books together, and more than 50 children completed 25 books in just one month. Impressively, each of the four young readers managed to finish more than 1,000 books.

Parents are already seeing many benefits, from fostering a love of reading to improving literacy skills. “It’s inspiring to see children’s enthusiasm for reading that wasn’t so evident before,” says Olivia.

While Booksmart is making significant progress, Olivia says parents are sharing their feedback on improvement. Many suggested introducing a download feature for offline access and expanding the reading material to appeal to children over 12 years of age.

For now, Olivias is pleased that Booksmart is playing a role in bridging the gap between accessibility and affordability and laying the groundwork for a generation of avid readers.

“It’s not just about literacy – it’s about instilling a lifelong passion for learning,” concludes Olivia.