On June 2, TV4 highlighted the growing problem of deteriorating reading ability among children and young people – a development confirmed by measurement after measurement. But amidst all of this, there are bright spots. One of them can be found in Farsta, at Hästens Friskola, where students are now practicing reading with the help of Imvi Labs' VR technology.
We at Imvi Labs couldn't be prouder. Watch the report below (1.5 min).
”We see great development in reading speed in both classes that have trained with Imvi.”
Johanna Clarin Roda, Teacher at Friskolan Hästens
From Idea to Reality – The Teacher's Initiative
It all started when teacher Johanna Clarin Roda, initiator and class teacher for first grade, noticed how special education teachers on social media praised Imvi Labs VR. She contacted her principal and quickly got the green light.
We started by testing VR training with students with reading difficulties in grades 4 and 5, to give them better conditions before they move on from school, Johanna explains in the report.
The results were immediate – and during the autumn term, Hästens became a pilot school where the entire third grade trained as a whole class in preparation for the national tests. During the spring term, it was the first grade's turn to try Imvi Labs' training.
What happens when you train binocular vision?
VR training from Imvi Labs is based on improving binocular vision – that is, how our eyes work together. When binocular vision improves, it becomes easier to focus, keep your eyes on the correct line, and read faster.
We have seen good results in both reading tests and binocular vision tests. Students in third grade say that the lines no longer jump, that they can concentrate better, and we see a clear development in reading speed, says Johanna.
The Students' Own Words
"It's good, you sort of concentrate more when you read and you find the lines you're reading.""I've started reading much faster and I concentrate more.""It's like two screens but when you look in this (VR headset) it becomes one screen."
A Pedagogical Boost in the Classroom
Another teacher interviewed explains how easy it was to get started:
In the morning, we usually have silent reading, but instead, we used that time for VR training. The students found it very exciting and fun. The training was always planned and linked to pedagogical themes, such as 'Bokstavslandet' (Letter Land) or science/social studies subjects we had worked on.
The results were immediate:
Initially, training was recommended four days a week, but my students wanted to train more – and we saw clear differences. One student, for example, increased their reading speed by 300%. That says a lot.
Summary
The TV4 report shows how VR technology can be a powerful tool in the fight against declining reading ability. For Hästens Friskola, Imvi Labs has already made a big difference – and more schools are now following the development with great interest.
Do you work in a school and are interested in Imvi? Click here to book a meeting with us to learn more.
Are you a private individual and want to start training with Imvi? Click here to purchase Imvi's starter kit for 2000 SEK (incl. VR headset and training program)
