Subtitles, a simple switch to confident reading in children

When children watch TV with subtitles on, they connect what they hear to what they see on screen. Global research proves subtitles are one of the simplest and most effective tools to help kids pick up new words, understand stories better and grow into more proficient readers.

Read Along Hour
on | 5-6pm

Together with our friends at Akili TV, we’re inviting Kenyan families to see what a difference subtitles can make. Every weekday from 5pm to 6pm on Akili TV, cartoons will air with special literacy-grade subtitles designed to support reading. If your child watches even 30 minutes of our subtitled cartoons during this hour every day, by the end of the year they’ll have read the equivalent of 160 books!

Making the most
of the Read Along Hour

1

Treat it like a daily ritual

Set a reminder or let your caregiver know about the Read Along Hour at 5pm on Akili TV. Make it something your child can look forward to. A favourite spot on the couch or a snack on standby. We won’t call it bribing 🤭.

 2

Read together and talk it through

At the start of each episode, you’ll see the total number of words, tricky spellings, and three advanced words. Take a moment to help your child sound out the difficult spellings, and explain what the advanced words mean using everyday examples.

 3

Celebrate the story, not perfection

There’s no test at the end. Ask what they enjoyed, laugh at the funny parts, or try using one of the new words later in the day. The goal is to keep stories fun and something they’ll want to come back to tomorrow.

Switch on regular subtitles everywhere

Reading doesn’t have to stop when the read along hour ends. On most TVs and streaming platforms, you can switch on regular subtitles for children’s profiles, turning everyday screen time into reading time.
Spread the word(s)

Share the power of
subtitles with your circle.

Watch the explainer video

Here’s a short 1 minute video that you can share with others.

Watch the video

Champion reading at home

We’ve created a leaflet with tips encouraging reading at home, in every form. Download, print and share!

Download and share the leaflet

Broadcasters, let’s turn screen time into reading time

At Switch On | Read On, we’re focused on three big shifts...

  1. Raise awareness: show parents and caregivers how captions during screen time can boost literacy, even doubling a child’s chance of becoming a confident reader.
  2. Get broadcasters on board: encourage broadcasters and content providers to have captions on by default for children’s TV.
  3. Influence policy: Lobby for laws that make captions default on children’s TV.
Intrigued? let's talk!