Children’s Literacy Month:
September is Children’s Literacy Month. It’s a time to encourage the young children in your life to go to the library, find a good book, and explore new worlds. Getting books in the hands of kids, can help engage these young readers in learning new things and help them see how school, community, and the world beyond are connected. This is also one way that parents, educators, and other caring adults join forces to meet the needs of the child.
This month we decided to put the spotlight on two professionals that not only raise awareness for this cause, but also have contributed to it with their children-inspired products.
Highlighted Professionals
Aaron Neuenschwander
CEO, Readeo
Aaron Neuenschwander is the CEO of Readeo, an online platform helping families stay connected by combining video chat with children’s books. Prior to Readeo, Aaron was Head of Partnerships at Lambda School – an online tech academy that teaches people how to code and is free of charge until the student lands a job. Aaron has experience building and scaling startups, having cofounded Collabor8 app, Lynx in Bio, and Flow Sports. Aaron lives in Draper, Utah with his wife and daughter and enjoys skiing, taking photos in faraway places, and giving back to those in need.
Readeo’s mission is to empower families to meaningfully connect through technology. With that in mind, they’ve developed a patented platform to enable loved ones to connect with children via BookChats. BookChats combine the best children’s books with video chat to enable longer and better interactions with kids – whether in the same room or thousands of miles apart. Interactions on Readeo average 10 minutes longer than on FaceTime or Zoom.
Readeo’s combination of video chat and quality children’s books makes it possible to share story time whether you’re in the same room or thousands of miles away. Based in Chicago, Illinois, Readeo.com is a unique way of connecting with the people you love—whether they live near or far away. Publishers include Simon & Schuster, Candlewick Press, Chronicle Books, Blue Apple Books, Charlesbridge, Barefoot, Abram, and Clavis.
Colleen LeMaire
Author, The I HAVE Series
Colleen LeMaire is a seasoned content creator and self-published children’s book author. After seeing an abundance of resources for the adults going through lifestyle transitions, and a lack of content for kids, Colleen launched a first of its kind children’s book series to help little ones understand, accept and appreciate modern family concepts.
The I HAVE Series originated in 2014 when she saw her own stepdaughter struggle with understanding her lifestyle, and saw adults in her life struggle to answer questions in a healthy, age-appropriate way. The children’s book series has received recognition around the world, and has been a tremendous tool for parents and children. Starting with the topic of “divorce” and “stepparents” has eventually led to additional children’s books about modern family concepts and hard-to-explain topics, including same-sex and LGBTQ parents, siblings with special needs, death of a loved one and even the recent COVID-19 pandemic.