- Developed by WGI and GE, the app teaches letters and words by presenting them on the screen, pronouncing them, and then inviting users to say the letters and words out loud.
Dubai: A new app-based education platform – Lyra, developed by WGI Worldwide Company and GE, aims to make literacy skills more accessible to adults and children.
The app’s 26 modules are based on the evidence-based synthetic phonics approach to literacy and build on the foundation of WGI’s six years of in-person education.
“We realised that while there will never be enough teachers, there are enough mobile devices, and they are already in the hands of people who can benefit from literacy training, Chance Wilson, WGI Chairman, CEO and Founder, said.
“We worked quickly to bring on new teachers and set up programs in new communities, we wanted to do more, given the urgent need.”
Looking at the impact, Nabil Habayeb, President and CEO of GE Global, said the app has the potential to make around the world.
“With so many people isolated and in need of developing new skills, Lyra can help meet a critical demand in underserved communities that have little or no access to literacy resources – a situation made even more dire in the wake of Covid-19.”
The Lyra app features an engaging space-themed interface and user experience. The theme reflects the name of the app – Lyra, which is the brightest constellation in the night sky. The app teaches letters and words by presenting them on the screen, pronouncing them, and then inviting users to say the letters and words out loud.
Powerful voice recognition technology then analyses the response. The app also uses the phone’s touch screen to prompt learners to write the letters or words they are studying, then analyses the results to tell them whether or not the writing is correct.