LONG BEACH, Calif., June 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Readability Tutor, an AI-powered reading and comprehension app designed for readers K-5, recently named Virginia Wallace as the winner of its Aspiring Writers Scholarship competition. As the sole winner of this competition, Virginia will receive a $1,000 scholarship and have her story illustrated and published exclusively on the Readability app.
Readability is an award-winning reading app designed to help struggling readers improve their decoding, fluency and reading and comprehension skills using guided oral reading. The app listens to a child read aloud, prompts, assesses, corrects and encourages a child as they learn to read. Mastering these skills at an early age can set children up for a lifetime of academic and professional success.
Part of Readability’s mission is to help children develop a love for reading, which may inspire them to grow up and become writers in the future. This scholarship competition was established to support and encourage aspiring writers to continue following their dreams and pursuing their passions.
The Aspiring Writers Scholarship competition began last year and was open to all students currently enrolled at an accredited college or university. Students must have had a 3.0 GPA or higher in order to qualify for the scholarship. To apply, students were asked to submit an original 750-word children’s story that was fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. All applicants were also asked to briefly explain why they should be selected for the scholarship.
The winning submission, written by Virginia Wallace, was a children’s poem entitled “The Magic is Working.” The poem, which is written as a series of rhyming couplets, centers around an old, wise wizard who was known for helping people reach their goals. In the story, an aspiring baker, artist, and athlete all traveled to the wizard to seek his help in turning their dreams into a reality.
The wizard gave each of the three characters similar advice. The baker was told to start baking, the artist was told to start painting, and the athlete was told to start practicing. According to the wizard, the magic would start to kick in if they followed this simple advice.
To their surprise, the baker, artist, and athlete all found success in their respective fields. They quickly realized that the wizard didn’t actually have magical powers, it was encouragement all along—they were able to make their dreams come true through effort, work, and time.
Virginia’s work demonstrates how children’s story writers can entertain while also communicating valuable life lessons to their young readers. Her story teaches children about the value of hard work. It helps children understand that they don’t need a magic potion or wand to reach their goals. All they need is dedication and drive to succeed.
As part of the scholarship prize, Readability brought Virginia’s story to life with colorful illustrations depicting the wizard, baker, and artist.
Now, kids using Readability will be able to visualize the fantastical world that Virginia has created while they read along and learn this important life lesson.
For media inquiries or more information about Readability or the Aspiring Writers Scholarship competition, please contact Ameeta Jain (888) 850-3997, [email protected]
SOURCE Readability Tutor
