Worldreader’s BookSmart Parent Package for Capacity Building

Worldreader's BookSmart Parent Package for Capacity Building

To strengthen reading habits among children aged 9 to 12, I led the development of a capacity-building package for parents using the Booksmart app, a digital library designed for home use. While Booksmart offered a wealth of child-friendly books, the real challenge wasn’t just teaching parents how to use the app, it was encouraging them to see the value of reading with their children, despite busy schedules or limited literacy confidence.

Many parents didn’t view themselves as their child’s “first teacher” or didn’t realize how much influence shared reading time could have. This project focused on inspiring behavior change, helping parents recognize the emotional and educational value of reading together, and showing them simple, doable ways to make time for it, even when busy. The final training package, developed in partnership with UK-based design firm Makematic, included 2D animated videos and infographics used across Worldreader’s regions (US, Kenya, Ghana, Peru, and India).

Role: Instructional Design Manager & Project Lead

Partner: Makematic (UK)

Audience: Parents of children aged 9–12

🔍 Needs Analysis
🧾 Script Writing
🎬 Production & Delivery
🎯 Outcome

🔍 Needs Analysis

Worked with internal teams and regional partners to identify the core challenge: most parents needed support not just in using the app, but in understanding their role in their child’s reading journey.
Identified key barriers: limited time, low confidence, and lack of awareness about the impact of reading together.
Defined the learning goal: help parents recognize that they are their child’s first and most influential teacher, and provide practical steps to support reading at home.
Framed the project around changing perceptions and building confidence, not just technical training.

🧾 Script Writing & Content Development

As the instructional design lead, I was responsible for developing all the core content used in the videos and infographics. My process was structured yet flexible, allowing for frequent feedback and iteration across teams and partners.

Began by drafting the scripts for each animated video, using insights from the needs analysis to ensure the messaging was clear, supportive, and aligned with the learning objectives.
Scripts focused on helping parents understand why shared reading matters, how they could make time for it, and how to use the Booksmart app as a practical tool.
Facilitated internal feedback sessions with the core team to refine each script, ensuring tone, clarity, and instructional intent were strong before moving forward.
Once finalized, scripts were shared with Makematic, who used them to create detailed visual storyboards for each video.

In parallel:

Developed the full content for the infographics, making sure each one distilled a key message or behavior into a parent-friendly, visual format.
Provided Makematic with brand guidelines to maintain consistency across all visual outputs, including tone, style, and use of messaging.

This process was highly iterative. I coordinated multiple rounds of feedback and review with regional representatives, ensuring each piece of content was accurate, culturally relevant, and consistent across countries. Only after this multi-step review was the content approved for production.

🎬 Production & Delivery

After scripts and content were approved, I worked closely with Makematic during the animation and design phase. Once they delivered the initial versions of the animated videos and infographics, my team took full responsibility for review, localization, and final delivery.

Reviewed and approved visual storyboards prior to production, ensuring alignment with the scripts and learning goals.
Conducted thorough reviews of the developed videos upon delivery, identifying areas where additional edits were needed for pacing, clarity, or instructional accuracy—even after storyboard approval.
Organized regional review sessions with teams from Kenya, Ghana, Peru, and India to assess visuals and language fit across contexts.
Managed the translation of scripts into regional languages, collaborating with local teams to maintain accuracy and cultural appropriateness.
Led the full voiceover recording process, including sourcing regional voice talent and overseeing direction and quality.
Handled the integration of all localized voiceovers internally, finalizing video edits to ensure consistency and smooth delivery across versions.
Performed final quality assurance checks on all videos and infographics before rollout.

This stage involved continuous iteration, cross-regional coordination, and a strong focus on maintaining both instructional quality and cultural relevance across all deliverables.

🎯 Outcome

The final capacity-building package delivered a standardized, culturally adaptable training solution for parents across multiple countries. The combination of 2D animated videos and infographics, developed in partnership with Makematic, helped shift how parents viewed their role in their child’s reading journey, moving from passive support to active engagement.

The project successfully:

Provided parents with practical, relatable guidance on shared reading and using the Booksmart app.
Built a sense of ownership and alignment across regional teams, thanks to the collaborative and iterative feedback process.
Delivered a set of high-quality, ready-to-use materials that are now part of Worldreader’s parent engagement strategy.

By leading both the instructional design and cross-regional coordination, I ensured that the final product met its learning goals, respected local contexts, and was ready for implementation at scale.