Klinkende Klanke

The brief

Early-literacy apps are overwhelmingly English. Afrikaans-speaking Grade 1 learners, and the teachers supporting them, had few good options that teach letters the way they’re taught in the classroom.

What I did

Product & learning design. I studied early-literacy teaching methods, designed the learning progression, and wrote UX copy pitched at five- and six-year-olds.

Engineering. I built the app in React Native, including a custom SVG letter-tracing system, an audio engine, and lightweight local storage so everything works offline.

The hard parts

• Teaching letter formation on a touchscreen, including stroke order, without frustrating small hands.
• Designing for children who can’t read yet, so the interface has to lead with audio.
• Keeping it fast on the low-end devices common in schools.

Approach

A multi-step tracing validator, audio-first UI, songs built into the lessons, small rewarding micro-interactions, and a deliberately lightweight architecture with local caching. There are no accounts, nothing is collected from children, and there’s a parental gate on every external link.