This “Scandinavian method” helps preschoolers crack the reading code!

Vilde Randgaard & Chloë Tonkin / January 13, 2020

Families have fallen in love with a new digital game that helps their children discover the magic of reading.

A unique learn-to-read game
“It’s not like any other educational app on the market because it looks and feels just like an adventure game,” says mother and teacher Joanne Sains, who has tested out the learn-to-read game Poio by Kahoot! together with her 4-year-old son. 

Poio started off in Norway two years ago, providing a unique and playful approach to reading training that quickly made it the #1 learn-to-read app in Scandinavia. Now, it’s helping English speaking children learn how to read. By putting play first, and the learning being a result of the playing, even preschoolers are benefiting from the game.

“Poio is intuitive and can be accessed even by younger children. The gameplay is fast and very responsive. The learning is incidental and that’s what makes Poio unique,” Joanne says.

By now, her son has started repeating phrases from the game in real life.

“I liked this, as he was making links between what he had learned in the game to actual printed words.” 

Cracked the reading code before starting school 
Maya Neiman also introduced Poio to her preschooler, Ingrid, and explains that it was mostly for the fun of it. At her young age she wasn’t expecting her to learn how to read just yet.

“We had no intention of making her learn how to read yet, but she enjoyed the game so much, and became a lot more interested in letters and words.”

Ingrid continued to play Poio during the summer and autumn, often together with her older sister. Before they knew it, Ingrid was well on her way to becoming a reader.

“She cracked the reading code by playing Poio just after she turned five! She’s not starting school until this autumn, so she’s very well prepared,” says Maja.

The Scandinavian Method
The app is developed together with a committed group of game developers, scientists and educationalists, with it’s most important goal being to give children a positive and fun first impression of education.

In order to achieve this, the immersive game is designed so that children learn through their own exploration and play, triggering their curiosity and motivation to practice without the need for support. 

Children are given a safe environment where they are constantly encouraged to try again and go for new challenges. The game adapts to each child’s level of skill, which provides a steady sense of mastery, keeps the child motivated and builds their confidence.

Poio has helped more than 100,000 children aged 3-8 years crack the reading code through play. Give your child the best possible start to their reading journey!