Google Read Along is a new Android app that is geared towards elementary students. There is a reading buddy that will listen to your child read out loud and offer them help if they start to struggle with a word of phrase. To keep kids engaged and monitor their progress, the app challenges them to word games for the chance to win in-app rewards between readings.
Google has made this app very child friendly. The voice data is analyzed in real-time only, and it is not sent on Google’s servers. The app is fully functional without Wifi or data connectivity, so it is easy for kids to use it in all circumstances, whether they have access to the internet or not. Google also claims that this app does not use voice samples from kids to make it appear better.
There are 500 built-in illustrated stories to choose from in each language. Supported languages include; English, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Urdu, Telugu, Marathi, and Tamil.
You can download Google Read Along from Google Play or the Good e-Reader App Store.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.