Cali Launches Cali Reader

Cali, a provider of interactive books, has launched& Cali Reader, a screen-free physical audiobook to help emerging readers build foundational literacy skills.

Cali Reader combines independent play with the tactile experience of reading a real book. It transforms storybooks into interactive, multisensory read-along experiences. Kids snap a compatible 32-page book into the Reader and press the paper pages to hear the story aloud while following hand-drawn illustrations. Each book features three educator-designed games and word-recognition activities, while loved ones can record up to 60 seconds of their own voices on every page.

"As a parent, I never wanted technology to replace books. I wanted to find a way for technology to make kids more excited to pick one up," said Carinne Meyrignac, founder of Cali. "Cali Reader gives children the independence to explore stories on their own while keeping the experience rooted in something wonderfully simple: holding a book, turning the pages and discovering the joy of reading."

Early research also points to Cali Reader's potential to support developing readers. In a randomized controlled pilot study with 85 first-grade students, children using Cali Reader made significantly greater gains in reading enjoyment, phonics, oral reading fluency, and vocabulary than a control group. On a test of reading fluency, Cali Reader users averaged 93 words read correctly compared with 78 among the control group. Greater use of Cali Reader was associated with stronger vocabulary, listening comprehension, and reading accuracy.

Cali partnered with the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop to idevelop the Cali Reader, with additional support from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health.