Slipped onto a pen, a tiny gadget uses speech-to-text to help people learn to write

Using simple technology to tackle a complex issue, Media.Monks and the World Literacy Foundation have unveiled the Literacy Pen, a thumb-sized device that provides a new pathway into reading and writing. The gadget slips onto any regular-sized pen or pencil and features a small digital screen. After speaking a word into a built-in microphone, users will see it appear in caps, allowing them to copy it onto paper letter by letter.

The Literacy Pen is an intuitive on-ramp to literacy. It facilitates independent, self-guided learning by allowing users to copy words with personal meaning and context. While learning to write is a lengthy process, speech-to-text offers the direct benefit of being able to produce a text needed, for example, to promote a business or leave a message. For those hesitant to admit their illiteracy due to stigma, the pen provides a discreet tool for practicing writing skills privately and at their own pace.