Yondemy, a reading education company, provides a video introducing assigned books to the national youth book review competition
*View in browser* *Yondemy Co., Ltd.*
Press release: June 5, 2024
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Yondemy, a reading education company, provides a video introducing assigned books to the national youth book review competition *We have created videos for all 18 books that will make you want to read the assigned books with introductions by Yondemi instructors and will be published on the official website*
https://www.dokusyokansoubun.jp/books_movie.html
Yondemy Co., Ltd., which operates the online reading education lesson “Yondemy” (Head office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Sasanuma)
Sota) collaborated with the National Association of School Libraries, which hosts the 70th National Youth Book Review Contest, and the Mainichi Shimbun, to provide an introductory video for children that will make them look forward to reading the contest’s books. We would like to inform you that.
We anticipate that the introductory video will be used by school staff and parents across the country who are applying to the 70th
competition. We are confident that this will help children select books for assignments and help them have fun writing book reviews. In the future, we will focus on disseminating information so that videos can be used more widely and effectively.
What is the National Book Review Contest/Recommended Book Introduction Video? The video introducing the assigned books provided by Yondemy is a collaboration with the 70th National Youth Book Review Contest. The competition dates back to 1955 and is sponsored by the National Association of School Libraries and the Mainichi Shimbun. This is a once-a-year large-scale event, as can be seen from the fact that the last contest received approximately 2.65 million entries from elementary, junior high, high schools, and Japanese schools overseas (*1).
This year’s competition, which is the 70th, has a total of 18 books for students ranging from elementary school to high school. Yondemy has created one video introducing the content of each, and the videos are currently available on the competition’s official website (*2).
The introductory video is designed to make even children who are not good at reading want to pick up the assigned books.
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Rather than simply introducing a book, the production is similar to the entertainment video content that children often watch. The content is enjoyable, like a movie trailer, which makes you curious about the content of the book after watching it and makes you want to get it and read it.
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It was created using the knowledge gained from Yondemy’s services such as “Yondemy,” an online class that helps children become addicted to reading. “Book Talk Video”, which is provided to members as a beta version of the introduction video, has received many reviews on social media such as “When teachers introduce books in a fun way, people always want to read them.” has been well received as a video that stimulates children’s desire to read.
*1…Mainichi Shimbun “69th National Youth Book Review Contest: Book Review Contest Award Ceremony for Ishikawa/Suzu 5th graders” There are people who support you in times of suffering.” Morning edition, February 3, 2024.
*2… https://www.dokusyokansoubun.jp/books_movie.html
Background of video provision
Today’s children are “digital natives” who have been surrounded by the Internet since birth, and are part of the “video generation,” where video viewing has become widespread. The popular video sharing service YouTube has a penetration rate of 96.4% among teenagers (*1). 40% of elementary and junior high school students watch videos every day, and the number of students who use YouTube for more than 2 hours a day is increasing every year, from 12% in 2018 to 19% in 2021. 2). Additionally, the amount of time spent watching videos per day tends to increase as students get older from junior high school to high school (*3).
On the other hand, the situation surrounding children’s reading and book reviews has reached a major turning point. It has long been pointed out that children are losing interest in reading, and there is actually data showing that over 70% of elementary school students do not read at least one book a week (*4). Reading time decreases as children get older, with half of high school students spending 0 minutes a day reading (*5). These changes in the situation surrounding children’s reading and book reviews are happening in parallel with the shift in the era to the dominance of videos.
Until now, Yondemy has been developing services with the goal of increasing awareness and disseminating know-how in reading education (particularly reading support for children at the stage beyond reading aloud). Now, in partnership with the National Youth Book Review Contest, we have created content that introduces assigned books using video, which is the most familiar media for children today. In order to encourage children, who are more familiar with videos than text, to read, and to reduce the burden of writing book reviews, it is first necessary to appeal to children about the joy of books through videos. Through introductory videos such as the aforementioned “Book Talk Video,” which utilize the know-how Yondemy has gained through past service operations to get children addicted to reading, children (students) from all over the country participating in the contest are excited to read their assigned books. We will support you to read, enjoy and write your book reviews.
*1…Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications “FY2020 Survey Report on Information and Communication Media Usage Time and Information Behavior -Summary-”
https://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000887659.pdf
*2…Mobile Society Research Institute “[Children] 20% of elementary school students spend more than 2 hours a day on YouTube and TV programs – Looking at the combined time spent by parents and children watching videos”
https://www.moba-ken.jp/project/children/kodomo20221128.html *3…Benesse “Are you concerned about the amount of time you spend watching games and videos? Surprising trends revealed in a survey” https://benesse.jp/kosodate/202110/20211023-1.html
*4…Gakken Educational Research Institute, Kodansha “Survey on children’s reading status”
*5…Benesse Educational Research Institute “Regarding the actual state of children’s reading activities”
https://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/shingi/chousa/shougai/040/shiryo/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2017/09/21/1395532_001_1.pdf
*Comments from the competition organizer regarding the assigned book introduction video*
May 27, 2024
National Association of School Libraries, Public Interest Incorporated Association
Mainichi Shimbun
As the organizer of the national youth book review competition, I always want as many children as possible to read assigned books. During this time, we learned about Yondemi’s activities that introduce the fun and special features of books using videos that are easy for children to relate to, and we asked them to create a video introducing assigned books.
In the video introducing the 18 assigned books, the two Yondemi instructors expressively engage in dialogue, and the children who watch the video wonder “why” and are inspired to pick up the book and read it. It has been.
I also thought it was effective that it included comments from people involved in the production of the book, such as the author and translator.
I felt this was a novel way to introduce assigned books. I hope that Yondemy will continue to convey to children the diverse appeal of various books and the real pleasure of reading.
* Company Profile*
Company name: Yondemy Co., Ltd.
Representative: Representative Director Souta Sasanuma
Establishment date: April 13, 2020
Address: 1F, Tokyo Tatemono Yaesu Sakuradori Building, 1-5-20 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0028
Business content: Development and operation of “Yondemi”, an online learning service for reading education, etc.
URL: https://lp.yondemy.com/
*Business details*
– “Yondemi” online lessons that get kids addicted to reading – Completely free LINE consultation service for parents “Tell me! Yondemi” – “Home Reading Mikata Radio” is a podcast program that updates the “perspective” of education through reading education and becomes an “ally” for reading at home.
– “Mikata Plaza for Home Reading”, a community for parents who deepen their reading experience at home
* “Yondemi” *
“Yondemi” is an AI
With the support of Mr. Yongdemi and an app that can be enjoyed like a game, it is an online lesson that will help children get addicted to reading. It is mainly used by elementary school students on a monthly flat rate basis. Features include: 1. Book selection based on each child’s preference and level using AI, 2. Habit-building support based on mini-lessons that teach how to enjoy books in just 3 minutes a day, 3. Adventures with characters and badges. Gamification such as leveling up. By supporting reading at home, we are helping children grow up so that they can read “enjoyably, a lot, and in a wide variety of ways.”
“Yondemy” service site
* “Tell me! Yondemi” *
“Teach! Yondemi” is a completely free service that allows parents to directly consult with Yondemi instructors via LINE chat without having to register as a member. It is provided on Yondemi Online’s official LINE account, and in addition to accepting consultations after adding friends, information on reading education know-how and tips that can be easily practiced at home, and information on limited workshops and seminars that can be attended for free. You can receive
“Tell me! Yondemy” service site * “Mikata Radio for Home Reading” *
“Mikata Radio for Home Reading” is a podcast program that updates the “perspective” of education through reading education, and also allows parents to share stories about reading at home with each other, becoming “allies” in reading at home. Apple
Podcast Ranking: #1 in both the parenting category and the entire “Kids/Family” category, which includes the parenting category. “Mikata Radio for Home Reading” special site
* “Mikata Square for Home Reading” *
“Home Reading Mikata Plaza” is a space where parents who are reading at home can deepen their understanding of reading education by sharing their experiences, concerns, and tips for solving them. At events for parents that are completely free to participate, you can learn about other families’ real-life reading situations at home through roundtable discussions and lightning talks, and in community-only LINE open chats, parents can introduce and share recommended books with each other. Through exchanges, you can share your daily concerns and tips for raising children.
“Mikata Plaza for Home Reading” special site
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