“A Game-Changer in Kenya” – How BookSmart Is Getting Families Reading
Get Kenya Reading is Worldreader’s bold initiative to help 1 million children under five in Kenya become school-ready by 2030. By combining digital tools, curated stories, and behavior-change support, we’ll empower families to make reading a joyful daily habit, starting at birth and rooted in the home. Because just ten minutes of reading a day can change everything.
We’ve sat down with Sonny Lacey, Product Director, to discuss Worldreader’s approach to harnessing digital reading to spark behavior change. He explains how our reading experience app BookSmart will be key in helping a generation of young dreamers become strong readers by 2030.
Sonny’s 25-year career has spanned military, commercial and non-profit work in North and South America, Africa and Asia. For the past 10 years, he’s worked with childhood literacy application development and book supply chain strengthening in Africa and Central America.
Thank you for joining us! What can you tell us about Get Kenya Reading?
Get Kenya Reading is our response to the fact that in Kenya, 80% of Grade 3 children cannot read a Grade 2-level story (Uwezo Kenya, 2020). Reading is often perceived as boring and irrelevant in today’s competitive, digital landscape, but it’s the very foundation of learning. Only 41% of children aged 0–4 are read to regularly (down from 64% in 2012).
Our solution is BookSmart, Worldreader’s mobile application that features a vast digital library with engaging, culturally relevant content. Within the application, a parent can opt in for daily reading suggestions in what we are calling Reading 365.
Only 41% of children aged 0–4 are read to regularly.
What makes building an effective reading routine so difficult?
Many of the parents of very young children are quite busy, and frankly, starting a new habit can be overwhelming when faced with the everyday pressures of life (and a new life!). Even parents who have access to a library or books in the home may simply not know where to start.
Starting a new habit can be overwhelming when faced with the everyday pressures of life (and a new life!).
Why do you think BookSmart can be a powerful ally for reading families?
One of the greatest things about our app is that each and every person behind it – the team at Worldreader – is passionate about getting children reading. That type of ethic and mission-driven work is absolutely felt by the end user – the reader. While this may seem unseen, it makes its way into the hands of the parents reading to their children.
Second, the app is free! With thousands of fantastic books! That is hard to beat.
What are you most excited about Get Kenya Reading and Reading 365? How does BookSmart power these initiatives?
BookSmart and the way we will engage young families through prompts, notifications and in-app activities like Reading Challenges will be a game-changer in Kenya. The bonus, here, is that within a very short time, we will aim to roll this out on a global scale.
BookSmart just got bigger and bolder, with a new look and exciting features launched in 2024. What can Get Kenya Reading families look forward to in 2025?
We are making the onboarding experience easier and more engaging. We are also ‘listening’ to what users actually need and enjoy in the app through careful analysis of anonymous data. We are bringing in Reading Challenges to keep readers engaged and making the entire experience smoother. We are also laying the groundwork for a family to have their own, personalized librarian, Sprouty! More on that in the months to come…
Thank you for your time, Sonny!
➤ Are you a parent? Download our free app on your device and bond with your kids over stories.
➤ Are you a Reading Champion? By supporting Get Kenya Reading and Worldreader’s work, you’ll power the stories that ignite the imagination of families in over 100 countries and help unlock a world of potential for their children.
