Four-year-old reviews app that prepares kids for school

As most kids aged between two and five won't be able to make sense of the words, parental assistance is needed. Zysha with mother Suszy Ferro, as they try the app. Pics/ Sameer Abedi

Do you remember your first day of school? We don't, and we can bet you don't either, but we do remember the stories we've heard about it. From there on, the best part about going to school was school itself. Clearly, the worst was having to get ready for a class at seven or eight in the morning. And so we decided that adult-ing would be easier. So, when we come across Ready for Big School (RFBS), New Zealand's first storyboard gaming app for kids aged two to five, it's an instant flashback to our school days. RFBS was created by Abel Tutagalevao, founder of CulturalHubb, an organisation that specialises in cultural resource products. The app was launched in January on iOS and Android devices, and is now available for India's children as well. Showcasing real-life settings of home and school,the app launched in January on Android and iOS devices, and is now available in India as well. We invite four-year-old Zysha Ferro from Borivali to tell us if the app got her excited for school.

One of the initial scenes in the game

A relatable interface
After downloading RFBS, the user is asked to enter their name. Then there are options to choose from two teddy bear-faced characters - one is the player and the other is the parent. You can opt for either of them to be male or female. On the settings menu, you can also choose if you want to switch on the sound and narration, and language options include English and Mandarin. The first frame in the game is of an alarm clock going off, and the narrator wishes you a loud 'Good morning!' An arrow at the bottom of the screen displays instructions. For instance, one has to tap the clock to turn it off, click on the arrow, and the next scene appears. The user then has to tidy their bed and proceed to the next setting.

Zysha is a junior KG student at Don Bosco School in Borivali, and for her, the app is appealing because it feels like a game. "The app reminded me of Boowa and Kwala, a cartoon that has similar activities," she says, adding that she spent about 45 minutes on RFBS. "I enjoyed brushing my teeth, brushing my hair and getting ready for school. I liked clearing the room and keeping things in place. I also liked playing 'eye spy' with my mummy while going to school because that's what we do every day when I go to school," she tells us. The only drawback was that Zysha couldn't identify when to 'tap' or 'drag' and had to seek her mum's assistance.

Report card

Zysha's mum, Suszy, 39, shares that RFBS's drawback lies in the fact that most two to four-year-olds can't read words. "So, they need a parent to help operate the app. Most of the teacher's instructions in it also are in the written form which the child cannot comprehend," she explains.

The character of the parent (left) and the player (right)

However, she also adds that RFBS is in tune with the school curriculum, as it helps children imbibe skills such as colour identification and values like politeness and sharing. "Activities like getting ready for school and clearing the room inculcate good habits. It also records the name of the child [in the narration], and this excites them," she says, concluding that it does make the child excited for school - it certainly has had that effect on Zysha.

LOG ON TO Ready for Big School on App Store or Play Store
COST Rs 240

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates