Learn to read with Bolo

Introduction

Development of a child is concerned with behavior acquired through learning. Every child is unique and the level of learning rests upon schooling and family environment. Teachers, as well as Parents, play a crucial role in the learning process of a child; in-home and at school. Learning starts with an experience, and a child can learn effectively through innovative means employed by teachers. Technology has been aiding teachers for an intriguing interaction with their students. Smartphones are the new age teaching aids and their application would further enhance the learning capabilities of children.

Bolo app for primary children

"Bolo" is an application designed by Google for primary grade children, to improve their reading skills, by encouraging them to read aloud and giving them instant feedback - even when completely offline. Bolo comes with a fun and helpful reading tutor, “Diya”, which is powered by the same speech technology that is in the Google Assistant.

Utility of the App

• Read all by themselves: Bolo listens to what children read, encourages them when they read well and helps them when they get stuck - just like a real reading tutor.
• Choose from a large variety of engaging stories in multiple languages:

The app comes preloaded with a large collection of engaging and carefully selected stories in the following languages:

• English
• Hindi (हिंदी)
• Bangla (বাংলা)
• Urdu (اردو)
• Telugu (తెలుగు)
• Marathi (मराठी)
• Tamil (தமிழ்)

All the reading material on the app is completely free, with new stories added regularly!

• Enjoy as they learn: Children can also play interesting word games and earn in-app awards, helping reading become both fun and a daily habit.
• Personalised for each child:Multiple children can use the same app, and track their progress separately. Over time the difficulty level of recommended stories adjusts to their reading skills.
• Understand English better: Diya - the reading buddy in the app cannot only read out the text to a child, but also explain the meaning of English text in regional languages.
• Read without distractions (and without data too): The app works even when completely offline, and shows no ads, so your children can just focus on reading.
• Stay safe and secure: The app has been designed with children's safety and security in mind and all personal information always stays on device.

How to access

Link to download the app from Google play store:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.seekh&hl=en_IN

Bolo works on all smartphones running Android 4.4 (Kit Kat) and higher.

Conclusion

Effective learning is always permanent and children must learn through the best possible means. Teachers should sensitize parents with the latest technologies, and support their child to develop effective learning skills. Learning at home is a crucial stage in childhood as it would prepare them for at school.This app is quite handy for parents to interact with their child and at the same time evaluate their learning competencies.