Bookbot is an app that supports your child as they learn to read. When you subscribe to Bookbot, you can download the app and access a library of specially-written ‘decodable’ books. Here’s the magic bit: Bookbot listens to your child as they read the books, helping them as they go.
Bookbot will guide your child through their reading journey. The first time your child accesses Bookbot, they will be asked to complete a screening exercise. This allows Bookbot to select exactly the right level of books for them to start with - it’s important your little reader gets to experience success at the same as learning. If they struggle with a word, Bookbot will highlight it and allow your child to try again or to get Bookbot read it aloud for them. Bookbot will guide your child in this way through the levels until they become confident, independent readers.
Unlimited access to specially written books
Yes! You can have multiple profiles within a single subscription. There are different subscriptions which allow a single child reading profile or up to three or eight reading profiles. If you are a teacher or you are purchasing the app for your school, you can get in contact with our support team
Subscription to Bookbot varies according to how many little readers are using it. Access starts at $8.33 per month (yearly plan) for one user. You can see the full list of subscriptions here
If you are a teacher and would like your class to access Bookbot please contact us
We have continual running costs such as book writing and illustrating, voice recognition services and app maintenance.
Because we genuinely want to help children to read, we do offer free books for kids
The generosity of people who share our mission helps us to do this.
Visit our Patreon page to find out more and, if you can, to help us develop more free books.
Bookbot is compatible with iPads and iPhones. Android phones and Android tablets will follow soon after. In the future, Bookbot will be released for Windows, Mac and Chromebooks too.
Bookbot picks up most words, but it sometimes needs to think about what was said. After it hears difficult words a couple of times it gets faster at understanding. The most important thing is to speak clearly and avoid background noise.
No, each book has to be prepared for the voice recognition system. Bookbot uses its own library of decodable reading books that are designed to take readers through the reading journey. We are always adding new books - if you have any ideas of the type of book your little reader would like to read with Bookbot, please do let us know
Bookbot works on a monthly or yearly subscription basis. If would like to start your subscription just click here
You should receive an email with download and on-boarding instructions. If you haven’t received an email, please contact us and we will make sure we have your correct email address.
Many scientific studies have proven that explicit systematic phonics instruction is the most effective way to teach children to read. That sounds pretty complicated, but in simple terms:
Teaching phonics means teaching children the sounds made by individual letters or letter groups. So, the letter ‘c’ makes a ‘k’ sound. Once the sounds are learnt, the little reader learns to merge - or blend - the separate sounds to make a word. So, the sounds ‘k’, ‘a’ and ‘t’ make ‘cat’. It’s about teaching children to decode letters into their corresponding sounds.
Teaching explicit phonics means that children are taught directly about the associations between letters and sounds. Alternative approaches expect children to learn that indirectly.
Learning the code is like a journey: you have to start at the beginning. The process starts with simple letter sound rules and then moves on to more complex patterns and rules. It is a methodical, or systemic process.
Decodable books follow the phonics system of learning to read (see What is phonics?)
Our library of decodable books has been created to follow a systematic programme of phonics. The little reader is introduced to letter patterns and sounds and taught to blend them to decode
the words: ‘k’ ‘a’ ‘t’ makes cat - that’s why they’re called decodable books. The books introduce new letters and sounds as they progress through the levels.
Bookbot's library of decodable booksis growing all the time. If you have any ideas for new books that your little reader would like to read with Bookbot, please let us know
This is a really important question: the last thing we want is to discourage our readers
Our solution is to select books that are at just the right level for the child using the app. We do this through the onboarding process which is completed the first time the child uses Bookbot. Through algorithmic correction, books will be easy enough to help with confidence, whilst being hard enough to stimulate growth.
Bookbot is designed for dyslexic readers and those with vision impairments, but will work for anyone learning to read. Everything from design to font to brightness has been optimised to give users with learning difficulties the ideal experience.
Yes it will. We do say that Bookbot might take a little time to get used to your accent but as long as the child reads clearly this really shouldn’t take long.
Bookbot takes readers from about grade 1 of their reading journey right through to them becoming confident independent readers.
