Amazon Alexa's newest feature helps kids improve their reading skills by encouraging them to read along with Alexa.
Buzz: Amazon Alexa Helps Your Child Learn to Read
The feature, called Reading Sidekick, is available now on Amazon’s Kids+ service on Amazon Fire tablets and Amazon Echo speakers. By saying, “Alexa, let’s read,” kids will be prompted to choose from hundreds of supported books and read along with Alexa.
A child can choose to read a little (Alexa reads most of the pages), read a lot (the child reads four sentences, paragraphs or pages) or take turns reading with Alexa. Amazon said Alexa will offer words of encouragement if the child is doing well and provide more support if the child is struggling with the book.
“Reading Sidekick offers kids great reading support in the form of ‘edutainment’: kids learn so much, but they enjoy interacting with Alexa so much that they don’t necessarily realize they’re learning,” said Dr. Michelle Martin, a professor of child and youth services at the University of Washington, in the company’s announcement.
