Teacher Shortage? Here’s One Way Around It

After seeing the teacher shortage first hand in China, Jessie Sullivan and Isla Iago launched an innovative new start-up that teaches children how to read and write through YouTube – without the need for adult expertise or attention. Since the release in July, the start-up called See Say Write is already being used by schools, homes, and children’s charities in seven different countries.

They realised that English experts are not available to everyone, that’s why they created the YouTube-video-lesson and paper-workbook combination. Children watch the videos and complete the workbooks simultaneously, learning to read and write wherever they are. With English now the world’s language, Jessie and Isla – the founders of See Say Write – are on a mission to make literacy accessible and affordable for all.

The idea came to British teachers Jessie Sullivan and Isla Iago during their time in China. On the weekends they volunteered for an educational charity which helped the children of internal migrants who didn’t have access to the state schooling system. Seeing volunteer teachers struggle to give lessons with limited English, they decided to create a program that could be scaled to meet the needs of thousands of children.

Now in the UAE and set to work as the Phonics Lead in a local state school, Jessie has formalised See Say Write and is sharing it with the world. Using simple paper workbooks, parents are now converting their kid’s YouTube time into essential English learning. One primary school in the UAE has bought 1,500 workbooks and is ready to start using the program in August, with more to follow.

Their official website, ww.seesaywrite.com, contains more information for teachers and parents.

Jessie says her “[Our] mission is to empower parents, teachers and charity workers, enabling children to communicate with the world and realize their full potential”

Jessie is also keen to hear from registered charities to offer the workbooks at cost-price.