Bedtime stories are actually better heard than seen

The culture of storytelling is fading away in this world of technology. And Anil Prakash Chirravuri, a operations consultant, has been pondering about how to regenerate it. He has come up with Jo Laali, a story-telling app for kids aged 3-11 years.

Using it, children get to hear testimonies from the Panchatantra, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Jataka Tales, and even Chandamama, retold in normal, everyday Telugu.

There’s only an audio release of the app, which can be available on both Android and IOS play retailers.

“The thought of having only audio tracks in the app is to allow kids create their own mental pictures of what they’re hearing. I believe the video recording sequences which accompany sound stories usually do not give no cost rein to imagination,” says Anil.

“Neural research implies that when parents and caregivers interact verbally with children - which include reading to them - kids learn a great deal more than we ever thought likely,” says G. Reid Lyon, Ph.D., chief of the kid creation and behaviour branch of the National Institute of Kid Health and Human Advancement in Bethesda, MD, USA.

Anil remembers the bed-time stories he was first told, and the stories he himself told his individual children. But now, this time of parent-child bonding is being replaced by electronic gizmos.

“Stories play an essential role in the world of kids. They help children understand the patterns of life, about good and evil, about courtesy and good behaviour. They inspire and gas imagination, which is effective for a child’s advancement. Also, stories advised in the mother-tongue will help them to maintain touch with their culture and this will be passed on to approaching generations,” he says.

The reports that are offered on the iphone app are episodes from the epics and also moral and funny tales. Care has been taken up to prevent violent narratives, as the influence of such stories will last an eternity, Anil feels. The testimonies are also chosen with a observe to help hone the terminology and thinking skills of children. 

Jo Laali could have approximately 150 stories, and six new types will be added every month to the collection. Srikrishna, a prominent singer from Tollywood, RJ Kajal, and a few other artistes will get narrating the reports, using words and expressions that kids can simply understand. Synonyms receive for words that small children might get hard to follow.