When Frida Waithera discovered the Booksmart mobile application through her reading club at the Kenya National Library two years ago, it transformed her family’s reading habits.
The mother of three would spend around Sh2,000 monthly on books for her two sons and daughter. Today, she marvels not only at the savings but also at the positive impact the app has had on her children’s intellectual growth.
Frida's children now spend three to five hours daily on the app during non-school days, reading between three and five books each.
“The app brought a discipline to actually read more often. It has given them a kind of positive addiction to reading,” she explains. “I’m very glad because the content is clean and relevant.”
For Sarah Anyira, an ECDE teacher at Little Rock School in Nairobi’s Kibra neighbourhood, the app has also been a game changer.
Borrowing storybooks from the library and occasionally purchasing them for her four children cost her an average of Sh1,500 monthly.
Through Booksmart, she has seen her children develop a genuine love for reading, improving their confidence and self-esteem.
“The app has greatly helped cultivate a reading culture. Even with just one gadget available, my children take turns reading every day,” Sarah notes.
A tech-driven literacy revolution
The Booksmart app is part of a literacy initiative by Worldreader, a US-based EdTech non-profit, aimed at improving reading levels among children globally.
Designed for children aged three to 12, the app provides access to thousands of age-appropriate books and reading materials.
Worldreader’s Director of Partnerships, Olivia Kimani, describes the platform as a powerful equalizer, especially for families previously struggling to access reading resources.
“You don’t have to be rich or struggle to buy books. Booksmart offers free access to all genres of books in a straightforward and simplified manner,” she explains.
The app, accessible even on feature phones, boasts nearly 3,000 books in multiple languages, including Swahili, English, French, and Spanish.
“Books are curated based on cultural relevance, age, and environmental background, ensuring they resonate with the readers,” Olivia adds.
User-friendly and accessible
Getting started with Booksmart is simple: users download the app, register with basic details, and set up individual accounts for each child. The registration process ensures that each child’s account is tailored by age and gender, unlocking only relevant materials.
Once launched, the app presents a diverse range of categories, such as Science, Math and Arts, Preschool Fun, Tales and Adventures, Sports and Health, and Learning to Read. The personalised approach helps children navigate the extensive library effortlessly.
Impact and adoption
The app's uptake, Olivia says, has been remarkable. In the past year, over 3,000 families used Booksmart to read together, and more than 50 children completed 25 books in just a month. Impressively, four young readers managed to finish over 1,000 books each.
Parents are already seeing the benefits from fostering a love for reading to enhancing literacy skills. “It’s inspiring to see the enthusiasm children have for reading, which wasn’t as pronounced before,” observes Olivia.
Room for growth
While Booksmart is making significant strides, Olivia says parents have shared feedback for improvement. Many have suggested introducing a download feature for offline access and expanding the reading material to cater to children older than 12.
For now Olivias is happy that Booksmart is playing a role is bridging the gap between accessibility and affordability, setting the stage for a generation of avid readers.
“It’s not just about literacy—it’s about instilling a lifelong passion for learning,” Olivia concludes.
