- Developed with Early Years specialist, Little Oxford offers unique learning through play experience to ease transition to Primary School
- Educational app created with Inception XR harnesses latest AR and VR technology to create an engaging learning experience for children and parents
- One of the few pre-school apps with activities which support the seven key areas of Foundation Stage and Oxford International Early Years Curriculum
Oxford, 15th February 2024 – Award-winning children’s publisher, Oxford University Press has today announced the launch of Little Oxford: a pioneering new app for 3-5-year-olds that supports early years education at home. Created in collaboration with leading EdTech developer, Inception XR, it uses the latest augmented and virtual reality technology to create fun learning experiences for pre-schoolers and their parents or carers.
Developed with an Early Years specialist, and aligned with the UK and international curricula, Little Oxford draws on Oxford University Press’ unparalleled expertise in education publishing. Little Oxford is one of the few apps to provide activities to guide children through all the seven key areas of Foundation Stage and Oxford International Early Years Curriculum: communication and language; literacy; mathematics; physical development; personal, social and emotional development; understanding the world; and expressive arts and design.
Helen Freeman, Director Early Childhood & Home Education at Oxford University Press, said: “With almost half of teachers reporting that children don’t have the essential skills to be ready for school (Nursery World 2023), more support needs to be available to help parents and carers prepare children for a school environment. We’re delighted to be launching the Little Oxford app which will provide a safe, fun and educational digital learning experience that equips parents with the tools to prepare young children for school, where we know digital literacy is becoming more important than ever.”
The Little Oxford app offers a collaborative user experience for children and their carers, enabling them to learn through play. New concepts, such as letters, shapes and sounds are introduced, linked to Oxford University Press’ Progress With Oxford series of books. Additionally, Oxford’s free parent platform Oxford Owl has information on recommended screentime use as well as a host of complimentary offline activities for children to do with their parents or carers. Little Oxford is uniquely designed to support 3-5-year-olds in becoming confident learners, while developing their digital literacy in a safe and educational virtual environment.
Benny Arbel, founder and CEO at Inception XR, added: “We are thrilled to partner with Oxford University Press to bring the Little Oxford app to life. At Inception XR, we believe in the immense potential of augmented and virtual reality to transform education and by joining forces with OUP, we are creating an innovative platform that will help early learners by experiencing the Early Years Foundation Stage framework in a fun, engaging and creative app, developing crucial skills for their early school years.”
Sue Cowley, Early Years specialist who worked on Little Oxford, said: “Little Oxford offers a fun way to get your little learners interacting with stories and starting to build their literacy and numeracy skills. The Little Oxford app gives you a great way to get your little one learning through fun, play based activities – perfect to help them get ready to start school.”
The immersive app has been designed with illustrator David Semple (How it Works, Giraffe in the Bath) and also features much-loved characters that children will recognise from Oxford University Press and Oxford Children’s Books’ portfolio such as The Really Really Really Big Dinosaur, Boris Starts School, This Book is Out of Control, and Little Owl’s Orange Scarf.
Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, a limited version of the Little Oxford app is free to download, with the full app offering currently available with a discounted subscription of £15 for three months or £30 for the year. There are no additional in-app purchase options, ensuring parents can be reassured that young children can enjoy the app safely. Alongside the Little Oxford app, additional activities are available on Oxford Owl for Home, Oxford University Press’ free parent platform to support learning at-home for 3 to 11-year-olds.
