Kibeam Wand Reading System for Improvement of Children's Reading and Language

During Phase I in 2023, the Kibeam Learning, Inc. (previously known as Kinoo, Inc.) project team developed a novel prototype including a handheld wand and an embedded camera that uses natural language processing (NLP) to scan and read children's books aloud, and an artificial intelligence (AI) engine to reinforce literacy development through personalized activities to augment the words and pictures in the books. At the end of Phase I, a pilot study with 21 children ages 3 to 7 and a parent in a home setting demonstrated that the prototype functioned as intended when used by children, that children were engaged during sessions, and that parents reported increases in their children's enthusiasm and comprehension for reading after using the prototype.

In Phase II of the project, the team will fully develop the product, including upgrading the prototype's hardware casing to be ready for commercial use at scale; fully populating the AI models to increase accuracy for provided personalized feedback; adding new books to use with the wand; and creating parent and educator guides to support delivery in school and home settings. After development concludes, a pilot study will test the feasibility, usability, fidelity of implementation, and the promise of the product for improving literacy. The team will collect data from 300 students from 20 grade 1 classes, with half randomly assigned to use the product over a 6-month period and the other half to use business-as-usual activities. Researchers will compare pre-and-post scores using the DIBELS reading assessment with subtests including Letter Naming Fluency, Phonemic Segmenting, Fluency, Nonsense Word Fluency, Word Reading Fluency, and Oral Reading Fluency. Researchers will gather cost information tracking implementation and annual management costs relative to competition.