Pune Inc: An app to help parents assess children’s development in early years, nurture their potential

“When I returned to India after six years in the US, I was thinking about how to help the country develop better. Children are the future of India. We want to make them stronger and live to their full potential. That became the reason we kept on going when setting up a startup, which became challenging in terms of finance, manpower, time, and other resources,” says Vipul.

Boostmychild is an app that helps parents assess their child’s development in six categories, including physical development, communication and language, arts and creativity, and problem solving, as well as 21 other areas over several years. In ‘physical development’, the app assesses gross and fine motor skills and self care and in ‘communication and language’, the focus is on listening and attention, understanding and interpretation, reading and writing, and speaking and vocabulary of the child.

The app is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) and the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) guidelines. Based on the assessment, customised recommendations, consisting of parenting guidelines and parent-child activities, are sent out weekly throughout the year. An age-specific toolkit, comprising items such as a magnifying glass and crayon ball, is provided for the child’s home activities.

“These recommendations help make the child’s foundation stronger and development all-rounded. A progress tracker helps map the child’s development over the years,” says Vipul. The app is meant for children up to six years old when formative development occurs in a person.

Boostmychild, available on Google Play and App Store for Android and iOS, respectively, has generated more than 2,000 users and Rs 10 lakh in revenue in less than a year. Last week, to complete the loop, the startup launched the School Assessment Module, an advanced form of the app that not only parents but also teachers can use to document their child’s growth and development.

Thus, parents and teachers can see how a child behaves and develops at home and in the social context of a school. Does the child communicate with others, or are they shy? Is the child able to carry out physical activities, such as climbing stairs and solving problems suitable to their age? Over 25 schools are currently using the app.

“Most young parents are too busy to be with their offspring all the time so it is an eyeopener for them when they realise that the little ones have a wealth of talent they did not know about,” says Amrita. Vipul adds that the app can indicate children’s natural skills and inclinations so that parents can encourage an artistic child or support one with a fondness for numbers or sports.

“In sports, India is underrepresented in most games. The app seeks to empower parents and teachers to nurture each child’s potential in the area of the child’s natural ability,” he says.