Atlanta Kindergarten Tries Augmented Reality for Reading, Math

An Atlanta school has adopted augmented reality in its kindergarten classes. Birney Elementary will be teaching with a reading and math curriculum from Alive Studios that uses cards with letters and numbers that "come to life" in 3D form on a computer screen when placed in a particular position on a board.

Augmented reality takes real life — in this case, the cards — and augments it. The reading portion of the program, "Learning alive," for example, uses 26 animated 3D animals, each representing a letter of the alphabet, to teach to Common Core learning standards. The kit, which comes in multiple configurations with or without hardware, includes curriculum for a full school year.

"The kids love, love, love all the features — and so do the teachers!" said kindergarten teacher Christy Hackney in a press release. "Teaching sight words with this program is super easy, and the kids don't even realize how much they're learning!"

Other schools that have worked with the Alive Studios products include J.E. Moss Elementary School in Antioch, TN; Lorena Falasco Elementary School in Los Banos, CA; and Audubon Park Elementary School in Orange County, FL.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • AI toolbox containing a wrench, document icon, gears, and a network symbol

    Common Sense Media Releases Free AI Toolkit, AI Readiness & Implementation Guides

    Common Sense Media has developed an AI Toolkit for School Districts, available to educators free of charge, that provides guidelines and resources for implementing AI in education.

  • educators seated at a table with a laptop and tablet, against a backdrop of muted geometric shapes

    HMH Forms Educator Council to Inform AI Tool Development

    Adaptive learning company HMH has established an AI Educator Council that brings together teachers, instructional coaches and leaders from school district across the country to help shape its AI solutions.

  • stylized illustration of a desktop, laptop, tablet, and smartphone all displaying an orange AI icon

    Survey: AI Shifting from Cloud to PCs

    A recent Intel-commissioned report identifies a significant shift in AI adoption, moving away from the cloud and closer to the user. Businesses are increasingly turning to the specialized hardware of AI PCs, the survey found, recognizing their potential not just for productivity gains, but for revolutionizing IT efficiency, fortifying data security, and delivering a compelling return on investment by bringing AI capabilities directly to the edge.

  • AI-powered individual working calmly on one side and a burnt-out person slumped over a laptop on the other

    AI's Productivity Gains Come at a Cost

    A recent academic study found that as companies adopt AI tools, they're not just streamlining workflows — they're piling on new demands. Researchers determined that "AI technostress" is driving burnout and disrupting personal lives, even as organizations hail productivity gains.