WIREDGOV

The National Read-Aloud Challenge was created by Fonetti to minimise the lost learning which can happen over the summer holidays. The challenge involves the use of the Award-Winning Fonetti app, an easy to use, supervision free, interactive tool which provides a wide range of engaging stories and factual books for children ages 5-15.

Benefits of the challenge

This initiative aims to help children achieve several milestones by encouraging them to read aloud as much as possible. By participating in the challenge, children can:

• Boost reading confidence
• Enhance speech and comprehension skills
• Increase vocabulary
• Earn rewards and incentives

Children participating in the challenge will have free access to the Fonetti in-app library for the entire challenge period. By hitting various milestones throughout, they will also have the opportunity to achieve certificates signed by brand ambassador Clare Balding CBE, appear on the National Read-Aloud Challenge online leaderboard, and be in with a chance of winning a range of fantastic prizes, including some provided by us, YPO.

Research shows that 74% of children who use the Fonetti app regularly have seen a significant improvement in their reading.

Supporting the initiative

We’re excited to be joining forces with Fonetti to help champion their National Read-Aloud Challenge. Together, we aim to spark a passion for reading in young minds and empower the next generation with lifelong literacy skills.

Martin Armytage, Head of Education Business at YPO said:

"We're proud to be partnering with the 2024 National Read-Aloud Challenge to help support the mission of combating summer reading regression. For five decades we’ve been providing better value to schools, and we understand the importance of supporting children's love of reading year-round. Through Fonetti's expertise in educational resources and our passion for making a positive impact on children's lives, we're confident that together we can enhance children's love for reading, their confidence and overall development."

Kim Antoniou, Founder/CEO Auris Tech/Fonetti said:

"Building on the success of last year's inaugural National Read-Aloud Challenge, we are thrilled to announce our further commitment to combat summer reading regression by making this an annual event. The positive feedback from children, parents and teachers, along with the impact data, shows us that when a child is intrinsically motivated to read during a period not typically associated with reading improvement, something truly effective is at play."

Schools can register for free and participate in this challenge where pupils, working together as a team, aim to read as many books as they can. By doing so, each school stands a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to London for an awards ceremony at Amazon HQ! This event, hosted by Clare Balding CBE, extends an invitation to two teachers and two top-performing pupils from your school to join in the celebration.

How to sign-up

You can join the challenge in just a few simple steps (as a parent or school):

1. Sign up here and register your child or class to participate in the challenge – keep an eye out for your welcome email.
2. Download the Fonetti app on your iPad or Android tablet, or visit app.fonetti.com.
3. Log in to Fonetti with your email ID and password to get started!