Getting my children to set aside daily reading time has always been a challenge, especially in the summer months when theyre even more active, said Tabetha Ross, a Denver parent to two young children using Amira and the StoryCraft. But they love Amiras game-focused approach and its become one of the first activities they want to do when they get home, which is a huge help in getting them ready for school this fall.
Amira Learning, the company behind Amira, the first-of-its-kind digital reading assistant that listens, assesses & tutors announces today an updated version of its at-home app, Amira and the StoryCraft. The app is a new spin on its scientifically proven software for improving literacy. Now anyone with access to the App Store can download it for free. The Amira and the StoryCraft app combines the joy of reading with a fun and interactive game with data-backed learning tools tailored to each childs individual reading level.
While the full extent of COVID-19s negative impact on learning isnt yet fully understood, a recent study from Stanford found that reading fluency among second-and third-graders in the U.S. is ~30 percent behind what it would be in a typical year. As many schools prepare to return to in-person learning, getting young students up-to-speed and on track with their reading ability has never been more critical.
Many of the countrys top school districts are already utilizing Amira Learnings software to accelerate the pace of reading growth among students, said Mark Angel, CEO and Co-Founder of Amira Learning. Amira and the StoryCraft is a continuation of our mission to use intelligent tech to identify a childs unique learning style and provide individualized coaching to help them build critical reading skills.
The app, which is an extension of the classroom software in use today by 300 school districts, leverages over 20 years of research from Carnegie Mellon and has been proven to double the pace of reading growth for children with just 10 minutes of use per day. Through a combination of A.I., 20+ different tutoring techniques, and speech recognition, Amira and the StoryCraft is able to catch mistakes or mispronunciations and provide real-time assistance. The software draws from hundreds of different stories from beloved publishers like Highlights Magazine and Rebel Girls to curate stories while rewarding readers with celebratory achievements to encourage them to keep progressing. The dashboard also ensures parents are included in every step of their childs reading journey with access to custom reports documenting their childs progress and achievements.
Getting my children to set aside daily reading time has always been a challenge, especially in the summer months when theyre even more active, said Tabetha Ross, a Denver parent to two young children using Amira and the StoryCraft. But they love Amiras game-focused approach and its become one of the first activities they want to do when they get home, which is a huge help in getting them ready for school this fall.
All-New Amira and the StoryCraft Journey
Building upon the Amira classroom experience that children have come to love, the app invites players to fly an airship through a storybook world, read stories aloud to power their journey, and work with Amira to build the reading skills needed for the ultimate showdown with the infamous villain, Dr. Backfire.
All-new interactive app features include:
Unlocking new characters, quests, and game leveling, enticing players to keep exploring and reading.
Reading comprehension Game Show quiz that allows players to battle robots
Leaderboard to spur healthy competition and create incentives for players.
Dynamic coach and skill-building activities to help children become better readers and surpass goals
Reading motivations and funny encouragement videos at just the right time to keep readers engaged with a growth mindset.
A limited-time 30-day free trial is currently being offered to demonstrate how the Amira and the StoryCraft app can help children become masterful and motivated readers, and after that, the subscription price is $7.99 per month.
For more information or to subscribe today, visit ReadwithAmira.com or download Amira and the StoryCraft from the App Store.
About Amira Learning
Founded by a team of former engineers and executives from Pearson, IBM, ACT, and Renaissance, and built from a foundation of 20 years of research from Carnegie Mellon, Amira Learning is on a mission to help close the 32 million person literacy gap in America by creating personalized and engaging reading experiences for children.
Headquartered in San Francisco, the company is currently being used by 300 school districts, 49 states, and 3 countries globally and has raised over $20M in venture capital with previous investments from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Google Assistant Fund, Amazon Alexa Fund, GSV AcceleraTE, Rethink Education and Owl Ventures. To learn more about Amira, visit amiralearning.com.
Media Contact
Adam Benavides
VSC for Amira
amira@vsc.co
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