Open-Source Early-Reading App Offers Phonics Help and AI Book Import
Open-source early-reading app offers tap-to-sound phonics and MCP-based import of owned books via AI chatbots.
The app was built for the developer's 6-year-old daughter, who had moved through basic phonics with Teach Your Monster to Read but found the repetition difficult, according to the Show HN post. The developer wanted to give her stories to read while still providing help sounding out words, and wanted her to have the experience of sitting and reading by herself.
The reader lets a child click on words and hear the phonemes sounded out. The first story was written by the developer's 12-year-old son and ends on a cliffhanger; the post says he is working on the next section and that more chapters and stories will be released soon.
The MCP connection allows users to connect Claude, ChatGPT or Grok, provide a PDF of a book they like or a set of scans made quickly with a phone camera, and have the AI import the book into the app. The post says imported books are private to the user's account and intended for the user's own child, if the user owns the book.
The reader is free to use on its website and is open source for users who want to modify it or create their own version. The stories included with the app are under Creative Commons, according to the post.