Designing Joyful Literacy Solutions That Empower Every Child

Introduction

Today in the United States, only one-third of students read at grade level due to systemic inequities. Our kids deserve better.

That's why we've partnered with Magpie to develop research-based, identity-affirming digital literacy tools for Pre-K through 8th grade. These tools are designed to leverage each student's unique strengths and ensure that every child masters the foundational reading skills necessary to become a strong, confident reader.

Scalable Design for Diverse Learners

Children's preferences for engagement evolve as they grow, and designing for such a broad age range means building a flexible system. Our design system can evolve to accommodate a range of visual styles and interactive experiences to meet students where they are, from kindergarten through 8th grade.

Supporting All Students K-8: A Difficult Journey That's Worth It

The vision is simple: combine the best of literacy research with engaging, game-based interactions to create a reading solution that genuinely and measurably improves literacy outcomes for all children, regardless of their access to education.

Far too few reading tools reflect modern educational research or affirm the identities of students from historically marginalized communities. By focusing on uniqueness and affirmation, our partnership with Magpie aims to shift the national narrative on reading growth.

Leveraging expertise in user research, inclusive design, and game-based learning, we've collaborated with educators and child development specialists to ensure that our tools are not only effective but also fun and affirming.

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Allan and Charlie can do it all and working with them is always a joy. I very much appreciate their values and dedication to doing work that’s meaningful. They want to do good work that does the right thing. We push each other, and they know when to get down to business while still keeping the pace focused and the mood enjoyable. I’d work with them again in a heartbeat.
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— Michael Handelman
Game Designer, Magpie Literacy

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The Challenge of Decoding

Research tells us that reading comprehension can't flourish until a student crosses what's known as the "decoding threshold." If children struggle to decode words fluently, they can't access meaning, which impedes their reading growth. Our work focuses on helping students reach and exceed this threshold, providing them with a foundation for lifelong literacy.

The First Step

Our first collaboration with Magpie is a prototype for a foundational reading solution designed specifically for kindergarteners. It teaches essential skills like phonemic awareness, sound-spelling correspondences, and letter formation across the full English alphabet. This integrated instructional sequence offers young learners a structured pathway to build confidence in decoding.

Expressive, Engaging Learning Experiences

We know that the key to successful literacy tools is engagement—students learn best when they're actively enjoying the experience. To ensure this, we worked with experts in early literacy, learning science, and game design to create a solution that is as enjoyable as it is educational.

Our prototype includes highly engaging activities featuring live-action videos of mouth movements to connect letters, sounds, and pronunciation. Quirky characters, thoughtfully designed to boost children's confidence, provide an environment that’s welcoming and non-intimidating. And every word and illustration was carefully chosen to ensure clarity and relevance for children from any background.

Community-Focused Research and Design

Our goal is to raise the literacy bar for every student, and that starts with inclusivity. We took an inclusive approach to our research, co-designing the solution alongside students and communities that have been historically underrepresented in education.

Continuous testing with these communities allowed us to refine every aspect of the application. Together with Magpie's researchers, we developed a set of design principles that put the needs of students, families, and educators at the forefront. This  included prioritizing student engagement through a balance of fun and efficacy, minimizing teacher workload, and using research-backed strategies that truly resonate with kids.

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