Everyone has the same favorite word.
Our names.
Whenever we hear our names or see a picture of ourselves, our brains are hardwired to perk up and pay attention.
That’s why kids love personalized stories so much.
They get to see themselves as the star of the show, learning skills throughout the story and triumphing at the end.
At Whimisfull, we’ve taken this idea to the next level with our personalized read-along video books. We created a one-of-a-kind experience where kids get to see an animated version of themselves in their very own story.
And we’ve gotten some awesome feedback from parents on how it’s benefiting their kids – and it’s backed by what the experts in children’s literacy are saying.
Greater inclusivity and representation
Historically, it’s been tough to find children’s stories featuring diverse characters.
This can lead to feelings of inferiority and exclusion if your kids don’t see themselves represented in Media.
But when a kid reads a story about someone who looks like them, they see themselves as a valued member of society.
With Whimisfull, we make your kids into the star of the show.
Whatever their race, gender, or background – we can create an avatar that represents them.
Fictional stories mirror reality. So, when your kids feature as the main character, it establishes them as an important person worthy of their own story.
This leads to a greater feeling of agency and capability in the real world.
Empowering and Motivating
When your kids are the hero of a story, they get to see themselves doing some pretty incredible things – exploring new places, helping others, learning valuable life lessons, and discovering new abilities like scuba diving or space flight.
All of this awesome stuff helps kids to form a positive perception of themselves. And that impacts their confidence and empowers them to be a force for good.
Stories are a safe space for kids to experience new things and see an idealized version of themselves.
When they see their characters overcoming obstacles and making an impact on the world, it motivates them to do the same in their real lives.
Improved literacy.
An article in the Journal of Educational Psychology states “that personalized elements can increase children’s learning motivation, engagement, and aspiration.”
Why?
Because kids connect to characters they can identify with.
And when they are the character, their engagement skyrockets.
Engagement is a key factor in effective education and learning new skills like reading.
One study found that personalized stories improved comprehension scores by 40% in fourth-grade kids who were previously considered poor readers.
When kids are more engaged and have a personal interest in the story, it helps them to create deeper neural connections and improve their comprehension skills.
It also fosters a love of reading. The more fun, meaning and excitement your kids have when they read, the more they’ll want to do it, which can lead to healthy screen time.
