On June 2, TV4 drew attention to the growing problem of children and young people's declining reading skills - a development that is confirmed by measurement after measurement. But amidst all this, there are glimmers of light. One of them we find 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 segment afterwards below (1.5 min).
"We see great development in reading speed in both classes that have trained with Imvi"
Johanna Clarin Roda, Teacher at the Hästens Free School
From idea to reality – the teacher's initiative
It all started when Johanna Clarin Roda, the initiator and first grade classroom teacher, noticed how special educators on social media were praising Imvi Labs VR. She contacted her principal and quickly got the green light.
We started by testing the VR training with students with reading difficulties in grades 4 and 5, to give them better opportunities before they move on from school, Johanna says in the feature.
The results were not long in coming – and during the autumn semester, Hästens became a pilot school where the entire third grade trained as a whole class for the national exams. During the spring semester, it was the turn of the first grade to try Imvi Labs training.
What happens when you practice mindfulness?
The VR training from Imvi Labs is based on improving synapse – that is, how our eyes work together. When synapse is improved, it becomes easier to focus, keep your eyes on the right line, and read faster.
We have seen good results in both reading tests and comprehension tests. Students in grade 3 say that the lines no longer jump, that they can concentrate better and we see a clear development in reading speed, says Johanna.
Students' own words
“It's good, you kind of concentrate more when you read and you find the lines you're reading on.”“I have started to read much faster and I concentrate better.”“It's like two screens, but when you look at it in this (VR headset), it becomes one screen.”
A pedagogical boost in the classroom
Another teacher interviewed tells 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 really exciting and fun. The training was always planned and linked to educational themes, such as Bokstavslandet or NO/SO topics we have been working on.
The results were not long in coming:
Initially, the recommended training was four days a week, but my students wanted to train more – and we saw clear differences. For example, one student increased his reading speed by 300%. That says a lot.
Summary
The report from TV4 shows how VR technology can be a powerful tool in the fight against reduced 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 schools and are interested in Imvi? Click here to book a meeting with us and we will tell you more.
Are you a private individual and want to start training with Imvi? Click here to buy Imvis starter package for 2000 SEK (incl. VR headset and training program)
