Table of Contents

Overview

A simple, kid-friendly web app to help 5-year-old TK students learn to recognize their name, family/friends names, and the alphabet through interactive exercises.

Core Features

1. Parent Setup (One-Time Configuration)

Purpose: Input all the names that will be used in the exercises

Interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Welcome! Let's Get Started             │
│                                          │
│  Child's Name:  [__________]            │
│                                          │
│  Family & Friends Names:                │
│  1. [__________]  [+ Add Photo]         │
│  2. [__________]  [+ Add Photo]         │
│  3. [__________]  [+ Add Photo]         │
│     [+ Add Another Name]                │
│                                          │
│  [Save & Continue]                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Data Storage: Browser localStorage or simple backend database

  • Child’s name (primary)
  • Array of family/friend names with optional photos
  • Progress tracking data

2. Main Dashboard (Parent View)

Purpose: Track progress and select activities

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  [Child's Name]'s Learning Journey      │
│                                          │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ Phase 1: My Name         ⭐⭐⭐⭐│   │
│  │ ○○○○●●●● (5/8 activities)      │   │
│  │ [Continue]                       │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                          │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ Phase 2: Family Names    ⭐⭐○○│   │
│  │ ○○●●●●●● (2/8 activities)      │   │
│  │ [Start]                          │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                          │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ Phase 3: All Letters     ○○○○│   │
│  │ ○○○○○○○○ (0/26 letters)        │   │
│  │ [Locked]                         │   │
│  └─────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                          │
│  [⚙️ Settings] [📊 Progress Report]    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

3. Kid Mode (Activity Interface)

Purpose: Child-friendly interface for doing activities

Design Principles:

  • Large, colorful buttons (minimum 80x80px touch targets)
  • Simple, single-action screens
  • Immediate visual/audio feedback
  • No text navigation (use icons + voice)
  • Forgiving interactions (no punishment for mistakes)

Phase 1 Activities: My Name Recognition

Activity 1: “Find Your Name!”

Objective: Recognize own name among other names

Interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🔊 "Find your name!"                    │
│                                          │
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐            │
│  │          │  │          │            │
│  │  ALEX    │  │  EMMA    │            │
│  │          │  │          │            │
│  └──────────┘  └──────────┘            │
│                                          │
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐            │
│  │          │  │          │            │
│  │  NOAH    │  │  [NAME]  │  ✨        │
│  │          │  │          │            │
│  └──────────┘  └──────────┘            │
│                                          │
│              ⭐⭐⭐                       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Behavior:

  • Shows child’s name + 3 random names
  • When correct name is tapped: ✅ animation, celebration sounds, confetti
  • Voice says: “Yes! That’s your name, [Name]!”
  • Advances to next round with different random names
  • Complete 5 successful identifications to finish activity

Activity 2: “Trace Your Name”

Objective: Learn the shape and letters of own name

Interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🔊 "Trace the letters of your name!"    │
│                                          │
│     ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐           │
│     │ A │ │ L │ │ E │ │ X │           │
│     └───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘           │
│  (dotted outline for tracing)           │
│                                          │
│  ╔═══════════════════════════════╗      │
│  ║  A  L  E  X                   ║      │
│  ║  (large dotted letters)       ║      │
│  ║                                ║      │
│  ╚═══════════════════════════════╝      │
│                                          │
│  [🎨 Drawing Area - touch/mouse trace]  │
│                                          │
│  [Clear] [Next Letter]                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Technical Implementation:

  • Canvas-based drawing with touch/mouse support
  • Detect when child traces over dotted letters (collision detection)
  • Provide haptic feedback (vibration on mobile)
  • Voice says each letter as it’s traced: “A… L… E… X”
  • Sparkle effect follows finger/cursor

Activity 3: “Build Your Name”

Objective: Arrange letters in correct order

Interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🔊 "Build your name! Drag the letters!" │
│                                          │
│  Your Name:                              │
│  ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐              │
│  │   │ │   │ │   │ │   │              │
│  └───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘              │
│  (empty slots)                           │
│                                          │
│  Available Letters:                      │
│  ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐        │
│  │ X │ │ M │ │ A │ │ L │ │ E │        │
│  └───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘        │
│  (draggable letters + decoy letters)     │
│                                          │
│  [Check] [Reset]                        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Behavior:

  • Drag-and-drop letters into slots
  • Snap to position when close
  • Check button validates order
  • Correct: celebration! Incorrect: gentle shake, “Try again!”
  • Start with just correct letters, then add 1-2 decoy letters

Activity 4: “First Letter Detective”

Objective: Focus on first letter of name

Interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🔊 "Your name starts with the letter A!"│
│                                          │
│  ┌──────────────────┐                   │
│  │                  │                   │
│  │        A         │  🔍              │
│  │  (big letter)    │                   │
│  └──────────────────┘                   │
│                                          │
│  Find the letter A:                      │
│                                          │
│  ┌────┐ ┌────┐ ┌────┐ ┌────┐           │
│  │ M  │ │ A  │ │ X  │ │ E  │           │
│  └────┘ └────┘ └────┘ └────┘           │
│                                          │
│  ┌────┐ ┌────┐ ┌────┐ ┌────┐           │
│  │ A  │ │ T  │ │ B  │ │ A  │           │
│  └────┘ └────┘ └────┘ └────┘           │
│                                          │
│  Found: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Behavior:

  • Highlight first letter of child’s name
  • Find all instances of that letter on screen
  • Each correct tap: ✅ animation, counter increments
  • Voice reinforcement: “Yes! That’s the letter A!”
  • 3 rounds with different letter arrangements

Phase 2 Activities: Family & Friends Names

Activity 5: “Match Names to Photos”

Objective: Associate names with people

Interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🔊 "Match the name to the person!"      │
│                                          │
│  ┌──────────┐                           │
│  │  📷      │                           │
│  │  (Mom's  │                           │
│  │   photo) │                           │
│  └──────────┘                           │
│                                          │
│  Which name?                             │
│  ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐             │
│  │   MOM    │ │   DAD    │             │
│  └──────────┘ └──────────┘             │
│                                          │
│  ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐             │
│  │   EMMA   │ │   NOAH   │             │
│  └──────────┘ └──────────┘             │
│                                          │
│              ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Behavior:

  • Show one photo, 4 name choices
  • Correct match: celebration + voice says name
  • Cycle through all family/friend photos
  • Randomize name positions each round

Activity 6: “Letter Detective - Names Edition”

Objective: Find shared letters between names

Interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🔊 "Find the letter A in these names!"  │
│                                          │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │  A L E X                        │    │
│  │  (highlight A's when found)     │    │
│  └─────────────────────────────────┘    │
│                                          │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │  M O M                          │    │
│  │                                  │    │
│  └─────────────────────────────────┘    │
│                                          │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │  D A D                          │    │
│  │  (highlight A's when found)     │    │
│  └─────────────────────────────────┘    │
│                                          │
│  Found: 🔍🔍○○ (2/4)                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Behavior:

  • Display 3-4 names from family/friends list
  • Tap letters to highlight them
  • Voice says letter when tapped
  • Find all instances of target letter
  • Progress through different target letters

Activity 7: “Name Memory Game”

Objective: Strengthen name recognition

Interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🔊 "Match the pairs!"                   │
│                                          │
│  ┌────┐ ┌────┐ ┌────┐ ┌────┐           │
│  │ ?  │ │ ?  │ │ ?  │ │ ?  │           │
│  └────┘ └────┘ └────┘ └────┘           │
│                                          │
│  ┌────┐ ┌────┐ ┌────┐ ┌────┐           │
│  │ ?  │ │ ?  │ │ ?  │ │ ?  │           │
│  └────┘ └────┘ └────┘ └────┘           │
│                                          │
│  Matches: ⭐⭐○○                        │
│  Turns: 12                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Cards:

  • Pairs: Photo + Name card
  • Flip cards by tapping
  • Match photo to corresponding name
  • 4 pairs (8 cards total)

Phase 3 Activities: Full Alphabet

Activity 8: “Letter Introduction”

Objective: Learn new letters one at a time

Interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🔊 "This is the letter A!"              │
│  🔊 "A says 'ah'"                        │
│                                          │
│  ┌──────────────────────────┐           │
│  │                          │           │
│  │           A              │           │
│  │      (animated)          │           │
│  │                          │           │
│  └──────────────────────────┘           │
│                                          │
│  ┌──────────────────────────┐           │
│  │  🍎 Apple                │           │
│  │  (picture + word)        │           │
│  └──────────────────────────┘           │
│                                          │
│  [👂 Hear Again]  [✏️ Practice]         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Behavior:

  • Large animated letter appears
  • Voice says letter name and sound
  • Show object that starts with letter
  • Tap letter to hear it again
  • “Practice” button goes to tracing activity

Activity 9: “Letter Tracing”

Objective: Learn letter formation

Interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🔊 "Trace the letter A!"                │
│                                          │
│  ╔═══════════════════════════════╗      │
│  ║                                ║      │
│  ║         A                      ║      │
│  ║    (dotted outline)            ║      │
│  ║    (shows stroke order)        ║      │
│  ║                                ║      │
│  ║                                ║      │
│  ╚═══════════════════════════════╝      │
│                                          │
│  [Clear] [Next Letter] [Done! ✅]       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Features:

  • Canvas drawing area
  • Animated stroke order guide (shows how to draw)
  • Sparkle trail follows finger
  • Voice encouragement: “Great job!”
  • Option to trace 3-5 times per letter

Activity 10: “Letter Hunt”

Objective: Identify specific letters quickly

Interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Find the letter: [A]  ⏱️ 0:15          │
│                                          │
│  ┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐       │
│  │ M ││ A ││ T ││ B ││ E ││ X │       │
│  └───┘└───┘└───┘└───┘└───┘└───┘       │
│                                          │
│  ┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐       │
│  │ A ││ L ││ P ││ R ││ S ││ N │       │
│  └───┘└───┘└───┘└───┘└───┘└───┘       │
│                                          │
│  ┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐       │
│  │ O ││ F ││ A ││ K ││ D ││ G │       │
│  └───┘└───┘└───┘└───┘└───┘└───┘       │
│                                          │
│  Found: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Behavior:

  • Find all instances of target letter
  • Timer adds game element (optional, can disable)
  • Correct tap: letter highlights, celebration sound
  • Voice says letter when found
  • Progress to next letter when all found

Activity 11: “Alphabet Song”

Objective: Learn letter order through music

Interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🎵 Alphabet Song 🎵                    │
│                                          │
│  ┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐                │
│  │A││B││C││D││E││F││G│                │
│  └─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘                │
│   ✨(letters light up as sung)          │
│                                          │
│  ┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐                │
│  │H││I││J││K││L││M││N│                │
│  └─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘                │
│                                          │
│  ┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐                │
│  │O││P││Q││R││S││T││U│                │
│  └─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘                │
│                                          │
│  ┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐┌─┐                          │
│  │V││W││X││Y││Z│                       │
│  └─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘└─┘                       │
│                                          │
│  [▶️ Play] [⏸️ Pause]                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Features:

  • Letters highlight in sync with song
  • Tap letters to hear individual sounds
  • Multiple song versions (traditional, phonics-based)
  • Animated visuals keep attention

Activity 12: “Build Simple Words”

Objective: Apply letter knowledge (advanced)

Interface:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  🔊 "Build the word CAT!"                │
│                                          │
│  ┌──────────────────┐                   │
│  │   🐱 (cat pic)   │                   │
│  └──────────────────┘                   │
│                                          │
│  ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐                     │
│  │   │ │   │ │   │                     │
│  └───┘ └───┘ └───┘                     │
│  (empty slots)                           │
│                                          │
│  ┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐┌───┐             │
│  │ C ││ M ││ A ││ T ││ R │             │
│  └───┘└───┘└───┘└───┘└───┘             │
│  (available letters)                     │
│                                          │
│  [Check] [Hear Word 🔊]                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Word List: Simple CVC words (cat, dog, hat, sun, etc.)

  • Picture hint shown
  • Audio plays word
  • Drag letters to build word
  • Unlocks after significant alphabet mastery

Technical Design

Tech Stack

Frontend:

  • React or Vue.js for component-based UI
  • HTML5 Canvas for drawing/tracing activities
  • Web Audio API for sounds and voice
  • CSS Animations for visual feedback
  • Drag-and-Drop API or react-dnd for interactive elements

Backend (Optional - Simple Version):

  • localStorage for browser-based storage (no account needed)
  • OR Firebase / Supabase for cloud sync across devices

Backend (Full Version):

  • Node.js + Express for API
  • PostgreSQL or MongoDB for user data
  • AWS S3 or Cloudinary for photo storage

PWA Features:

  • Installable web app (works offline)
  • Mobile-responsive (phone/tablet optimized)
  • Touch and mouse input support

Data Structure

// User Profile
{
  childName: "Alex",
  familyNames: [
    { name: "Mom", photo: "url_or_base64" },
    { name: "Dad", photo: "url_or_base64" },
    { name: "Emma", photo: "url_or_base64" },
    { name: "Noah", photo: "url_or_base64" }
  ],


  // Progress tracking
  progress: {
    phase1: {
      activity1: { completed: true, stars: 5, lastPlayed: "2025-01-15" },
      activity2: { completed: true, stars: 4, lastPlayed: "2025-01-16" },
      activity3: { completed: false, stars: 0 },
      activity4: { completed: false, stars: 0 }
    },
    phase2: {
      activity5: { completed: false, stars: 0 },
      // ...
    },
    phase3: {
      lettersLearned: ["A", "L", "E", "X", "M", "O"], // 6/26
      letterScores: {
        "A": { recognitionSpeed: 2.1, accuracy: 0.95 },
        "L": { recognitionSpeed: 3.5, accuracy: 0.85 }
      }
    }
  },


  settings: {
    soundEnabled: true,
    voiceEnabled: true,
    timerEnabled: false,
    difficultyLevel: "beginner" // beginner, intermediate, advanced
  }
}

Kid-Friendly Design Guidelines

Visual Design

✅ Large elements: Minimum 80x80px tap targets ✅ High contrast: Bright colors on light backgrounds ✅ Clear fonts: Rounded, sans-serif fonts (Comic Sans-style) ✅ Big text: Minimum 32px for letters, 24px for words ✅ Spacious layout: Plenty of whitespace between elements ✅ Consistent positioning: Buttons in same places across activities

Interaction Design

✅ Single action per screen: One main task at a time ✅ Immediate feedback: Visual + audio response to all actions ✅ Forgiving input: Large hit areas, no penalties for mistakes ✅ Clear success states: Celebration animations for correct answers ✅ Gentle failure: Encouraging messages, no red X’s or buzzer sounds ✅ Simple gestures: Tap and drag only (no pinch, rotate, etc.)

Audio Design

✅ Voice narration: Clear instructions for every activity ✅ Letter sounds: Both letter name (“A”) and phonetic sound (“ah”) ✅ Positive feedback: Encouraging phrases (“Great job!”, “You did it!”) ✅ Sound effects: Pleasant chimes for success, gentle sounds for errors ✅ Mute option: Easy toggle for parent control

Accessibility

✅ Voice instructions: For pre-readers ✅ High contrast mode: For visual impairments ✅ Adjustable speed: Slow down animations if needed ✅ Keyboard navigation: Arrow keys for non-touch devices ✅ Screen reader support: ARIA labels for all elements

Parent Dashboard Features

Progress Report

Weekly Progress Report


📊 This Week:
- Activities completed: 5
- Time spent: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Letters learned: A, L, E, X, M, O (6 new!)
- Accuracy: 92%


📈 Strengths:
- Excellent name recognition (100%)
- Quick letter identification for A, L, E


⚠️ Needs Practice:
- Letter M (slower recognition)
- Tracing activity (needs more time)


🎯 Suggested Focus:
- Spend more time on letter M
- Practice tracing letters 5 minutes daily
- Ready to start Phase 2!


[Download PDF Report] [Share via Email]

Settings Panel

  • Sound on/off
  • Voice instructions on/off
  • Timer/speed mode (optional pressure)
  • Difficulty level (beginner/intermediate/advanced)
  • Daily reminder time
  • Add/edit family names
  • Reset progress (with confirmation)

Simple MVP Implementation

Minimal Version (Build in 1-2 days)

Phase 1 Only:

  • Setup screen (input name only)
  • 4 activities from Phase 1
  • localStorage for progress
  • Simple click/tap interactions
  • Basic CSS animations
  • Text-to-speech browser API for voice

Stack: Plain HTML/CSS/JavaScript or simple React app

No Backend Needed: Everything runs in browser

Full Version (Build in 1-2 weeks)

  • All 3 phases with all activities
  • Parent dashboard with analytics
  • Cloud sync (Firebase)
  • Photo upload for family members
  • Advanced animations
  • Professional voice recordings
  • PWA installation
  • Mobile app wrapper (Capacitor)

Development Roadmap

Week 1: Foundation

  • Setup React app with TypeScript
  • Create parent setup flow
  • Build data structure and localStorage
  • Design component library (buttons, cards, etc.)

Week 2: Phase 1 Activities

  • Activity 1: Find Your Name
  • Activity 2: Trace Your Name (canvas implementation)
  • Activity 3: Build Your Name (drag-drop)
  • Activity 4: First Letter Detective

Week 3: Phase 2 Activities

  • Activity 5: Match Names to Photos
  • Activity 6: Letter Detective
  • Activity 7: Name Memory Game
  • Progress tracking system

Week 4: Phase 3 + Polish

  • Activities 8-12 (alphabet activities)
  • Parent dashboard
  • Sound effects and voice
  • Mobile responsive design
  • Testing with kids

Cost Estimate

Free Hosting Options

  • Vercel/Netlify: Free tier for frontend hosting
  • Firebase: Free tier (up to 1GB storage, 10GB/month bandwidth)
  • GitHub Pages: Free static hosting
  • Custom domain: $12/year
  • Professional voice recordings: $100-300 one-time
  • Firebase upgrade (if many users): $25/month
  • Illustration assets: $50-200

Development Cost

  • DIY: Free (your time)
  • Contract developer: $2,000-5,000 for full version
  • Low-code platform (Bubble.io): $25-100/month

Next Steps

Option 1: DIY Development

  1. Set up React app with Create React App or Vite
  2. Start with Phase 1, Activity 1 (simplest)
  3. Test with your son, iterate based on feedback
  4. Gradually add more activities

Option 2: Use Existing Platform

Consider adapting tools like:

  • Canva (for creating visual activities)
  • Google Slides (interactive presentations)
  • Scratch Jr (if teaching basic coding too)
  • PowerPoint with hyperlinks (surprisingly effective!)

Option 3: Hire Developer

  • Post on Upwork/Fiverr
  • Share this design document
  • Budget: $1,500-3,000 for MVP
  • Timeline: 2-3 weeks

Would You Like Me To…

  1. Build a prototype? I can create a simple HTML/CSS/JS version of Activity 1
  2. Create mockups? Generate detailed UI mockups for each screen
  3. Write the React code? Start building the actual application
  4. Make a simpler version? Design a PowerPoint-based version you can use immediately

Let me know which direction you’d like to go!