"Readioo has worked incredibly well for a child who previously lacked interest in reading aloud" – Amanda, preschool teacher

At Milstensgården preschool in Borås municipality, language and children's language development are at the center. Preschool teacher Amanda Kling says: "From the moment the children walk through the door, they are greeted by a language immersion. We have a language policy that permeates our work, which is quite unusual among preschools. Here, the children are truly overwhelmed with language."

The preschool has a literature diploma and has gained a very good reputation thanks to its successful work with language development.

When Readioo was introduced, there was initially some skepticism. Principal Fredrik Gieth admits: “I wasn’t completely convinced at first. But as a curious person, I still wanted to try something new. Now I see how Readioo fills a gap between the analog book and the screen. The children’s own discovery and curiosity really find a place here. The child does an action, something happens and then the child can respond back. The experience of Readioo has been surprisingly positive.”

The educators began by presenting the Readioo reading pen along with the books and letting the children explore for themselves. Amanda says: “The children immediately became curious and interested. It was exactly what we hoped for – that they became curious themselves and wanted to try it.”

In the next step, both posters and puzzles were placed on the walls at the children's height. "Our environments are extremely accessible to the children. It should be attractive, appealing and inviting to play," explains Fredrik. Even children who usually shy away from language activities were now drawn in. Amanda says: "We have a child who is difficult to catch and prefers to run around and ignore the reading aloud. But Readioo has worked incredibly well for her. It allows her to be involved and act on her own. We can only feel grateful, now we can finally get her involved in reading too!"

Amanda further describes how Readioo has become an activity that contributes to interaction where the older children guide the younger ones by pointing to different parts of the books and encouraging the younger ones to poke their way through. In this way, the children contribute to each other's language development. "The older children show the younger ones, and form a linguistic community."

How do you measure language development? It’s difficult, but educators see how children are drawn back to Readioo, time and time again. They listen, repeat and receive support at their own pace. It’s not just about words and concepts, but also about turn-taking and collaboration. “The children get to try it themselves and that’s when they really learn,” says Amanda.

The introduction of Readioo has gone from skepticism to enthusiasm. Amanda concludes: “I would definitely recommend other preschools to use Readioo. It has become part of our everyday life and helps the children to control, explore and create their own learning. I am saved!” Principal Fredrik agrees and says that he would also recommend other preschools to use the tool: “Readioo is used extensively and has become very popular, it was exactly the result we had hoped for, that the children themselves show great interest.”