Smart Read

Smart Read: Solving the Global Reading Literacy Crisis with Innovative EdTech

According to the 2021 PIRLS report, 81% of South African Grade 4 learners struggle with reading comprehension, unable to grasp meaning from texts. In the United States, results from NAEP study of 2019 show that only 35 percent of 4th-graders & 34 percent of 8th-graders were classified as proficient readers. More than 50 other countries face challenges with early-grade reading comprehension.

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Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Updated December 2025

Web presence

2023

Established

1

Countries

Students early

Target group

Our goal is to solve the global literacy crisis and transform education systems by creating data driven education systems guided by accurate data.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

I have always had a hunger for solving problems
My mother is a foundation phase (Gr 1 - 3) teacher who faced challenges in helping young learners grasp reading with meaning. She inspired me to solve problems in education.
I started with the idea of an AI dictionary for learners.
I Quit my job, used up my life savings to bootstrap the company, and embarked on the journey of building the product. I did research by engaging with education officials, spoke to users, focused on the problems & built a unique digitized curriculum for foundation phase daily learning.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

Smart Read is an Offline EdTech Mobile App (android/iO.S) that functions as a digitalized curriculum on a tablet device and is built for foundation phase learners (Grade 1-3).
Smart Read is used to learn the English First Additional Language curriculum along with IsiXhosa HL & with support for other languages (any language can be adapted), running on tablets, during daily learning (Mon - Fri). Smart Read follows the (CAPS) curriculum consistently.
Smart Read is a first of its kind product that introduces the curriculum to learners using images, sound, story-telling and games. The product offers data analytics dashboards that enable teachers to detect reading comprehension challenges faced by individual learners in real-time, enabling quicker intervention.

How has it been spreading?

I physically bring tablet devices and charging infrastructure to schools. I piloted the product at a disadvantaged school in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa for 6 months (from April 2024 until September 2024). We distributed 87 tablets to 2 classrooms; a grade 1 class and grade 3 class. Our model requires buy-in and financial investment from Education departments in South Africa.

How have you modified or added to your innovation?

No.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

You can contact the founder directly at: vuyo.tutu@edufluencetech.com. We can provide you with a license key that will enable you to try out the product.

Implementation steps

Product Implementation

The app is purporse built for students and teachers in Grade 1 , 2 and 3. Students are given tablet devices pre-loaded with Smart Read Curriculum aligned learning software. Users use the software to learn their entire language lesson from Monday to Friday. Teachers guide the lesson using their own devices, while students follow along on their own tablets. Once learners are done with the lesson, their tablets are collected by an Edufluence Technologies employee and taken to the storage room.