Small Startup To Give Dyslexic Children Equal Chance In Education
A small team from Slovenia claims to be developing a tool that helps children overcome problems associated with dyslexia. Kobi helps eliminate motivation and self-esteem issues resulting from reading difficulties, giving children a stress-free reading experience. The mobile application is currently in beta testing stage and showing positive results. The team is determined to give all children with reading problems an equal chance in education.
Studies show, children with reading difficulties, such as dyslexia, often suffer from low self-esteem issues. This leads to loss of motivation and poor performance in school. Recently, reports have surfaced, that this could be a result of the school system, which is set up to make dyslexic people feel like failures.
But a new dawn for children with reading difficulties might be right around the corner, according to Ursula Lavrenčič, the leading force behind project Kobi. »We are determined to give children with reading difficulties an equal chance in education,« says Ursula, who got the idea while searching for solutions for her dyslexic daughter. »Kobi is something I wish I had when I learned my daughter was dyslexic.«
Ursula learned about her daughter’s condition three years ago. »At first, I expected support, of course, I did. But I quickly learned that I was alone in this. Should the system do more for dyslexic children? Of course, it should. But we cannot expect it to change on its own. We parents have to stand together and fight for our children’s rights,« says Ursula, whose knowledge of design thinking processes have come in very handy when she learned about her daughter’s disability.
»My profession as a design thinker allowed me to use those processes to tackle the issues methodically. It is also what we are going to use to try to improve the educational systems in the future,« says Ursula, who is working closely with institutions and communities, trying to provide better education for children with reading difficulties.
Kobi is her latest and so far biggest attempt at giving dyslexic children equal rights in schools.
The mobile application is based on her own method and is currently in beta testing stage, having completed the alpha stage with flying colours. The tests have been conducted in a closed group and a staggering 94.74% of participants showed significant improvements when using Kobi. Children’s reading was faster, more accurate and they had a better understanding of what they read.
The main ‘culprit’ for the improvement is motivation, says Ursula. »Kobi provides a stress-free reading environment. This helps the child read easier, which, in turn, increases the child’s self-confidence and motivates him to read more.«
And when can parents with dyslexic children expect Kobi to be released? »We still have some finishing touches to add to the app, but we are working hard to launch Kobi for both English and Spanish languages at the beginning of next year. We will keep users updated on the progress via our website and our newsletter,« Ursula explains.
With the Kobi launch expected in late January 2019, the dyslexic parents’ struggle to be heard really could come to an end.
Andrej Persolja is a VR artist and a co-founder of Creative Solutions. Creative Solutions partners with creative agencies to help their clients raise the presentation of their products to the next level. Contact: andrej.persolja@creativesolutions.si
