Duolingo transformed our phones into language-learning devices. Now, with Duolingo ABC, the company is tackling a fresh challenge: childhood literacy. The new app is like an interactive Sesame Street segment that teaches kids the basics of reading with fun and simple lessons. “By taking everything we know about how people learn—and especially what we know about how to keep learners motivated with gamification—we believe we can help make a dent in global illiteracy rates,” says Laura Shih, the company’s senior product manager. —Matthew Gault
More Must-Read Stories From TIME
- Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Undoing Constitutional Right to Abortion
- What the Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision Means for Your State
- The Failure of the Feminist Industrial Complex
- The Fight Over Abortion Has Only Just Begun
- Column: How Stereotypes Shape the Language People Use
- Everything We Know About Beyoncé's New Album, Renaissance
- Homes Made from Straw or Fungi Can Now Get You a Cheaper Mortgage in the Netherlands
- Going on Vacation This Summer? Welcome to the 'Revenge Travel' Economy