Reading software based on CU technology draws national attention

My Virtual Tutor, an interactive, educational software program developed at the University of Colorado at Boulder, is drawing national attention, the University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office announced recently.

Mentor InterActive, a software company based on technology that emerged from the CU-Boulder Center for Computational Language and Education Research (CLEAR), developed the software, according to the Technology Transfer Office, which works with CU innovators to usher university-developed technology to market.

"My Virtual Tutor-Reading is a fun, interactive game parents can feel good about," said Brian Kohn, president and chief operating officer of Mentor InterActive.

Kohn said the game is based on a proven, university-developed approach for teaching reading to pre-kindergarten through second grade students, and concentrates on phonics, comprehension, fluency and vocabulary.

"The virtual tutor takes the child through books and encourages them to interact through questions, exercises and quizzes," he said. "The game also encourages creativity."

Recently, both NBC and an ABC affiliate in San Francisco featured the software in reports on the latest interactive software for children and their parents.