I am incredibly proud to announce that Dr. Timothy Rasinski has officially joined Storypie as our first advisor.
If you have spent any time in the literacy space, you know that Dr. Rasinski is a veteran and a true titan in the field. He is a Professor Emeritus of Literacy Education at Kent State University and consistently ranks among the top 2 percent of most-cited scientists in the world. He has been inducted into the International Reading Hall of Fame and has authored curriculum used by thousands of teachers. But we did not ask him to join us just for his accolades. We asked him to join because he shares our absolute obsession with what actually works for children.
Why outcomes matter more than screen time
When we built Storypie, we had a very clear line in the sand. We did not want to create another piece of flashy educational technology designed simply to maximize screen time. Let us look honestly at the current landscape. Reading scores are hovering at historic lows, teachers are burning out, and children are overwhelmed by digital noise. In that environment, the only metric that matters is real educational outcomes. Are we actually helping a child build vocabulary? Are we improving their comprehension? Are we helping them find a genuine comfort with language?
We deliberately chose an audio-first approach because the research is clear. Flashing screens overwhelm a child’s cognitive load. Listening, on the other hand, forces active meaning construction. This is why our platform includes Lexile-aligned tracks, multilingual support, and gentle retrieval quizzes that reinforce learning without the stress of a traditional test.
Where Dr. Rasinski’s research meets our mission
This is exactly where our work intersects with Dr. Rasinski’s lifelong research. His core expertise centers on reading fluency, word study, and supporting readers who struggle. In his work, fluency is not just about how fast a child can decode words. True fluency relies heavily on prosody, which is the natural rhythm, inflection, and human expression of speech.
Audio-first media is uniquely suited to teach prosody. When children listen to our narrated stories, they are not just passively absorbing a plot. They are learning the cadence of language. They learn where to pause, how to emphasize a phrase, and how sound carries meaning. By removing the visual distractions of a screen, we give young learners the mental space to focus entirely on vocabulary acquisition and auditory tracking.
Accountability to the science
As we expand our offerings for schools, districts, and families, we need to stay accountable. Dr. Rasinski’s guidance will ensure that every new curriculum tool and library addition remains strictly grounded in proven reading science.
We have always promised to grow Storypie the right way. That means focusing on compounding, human progress rather than marketing fluff. Bringing Dr. Rasinski onto our team is a direct investment in that promise. We are entirely focused on what matters: real outcomes for children, genuine support for educators, and content that respects a child’s development.
Welcome to Storypie, Dr. Rasinski. We are ready to get to work.
