Research and Results
We've been developing Poppy and Buddy products for almost a decade so you can rest assured that your kids will love them. In case you need a little more convincing we've asked research professionals, parents, and teachers for their unbiased opinions over the years. Below is a snapshot of our research and the overwhelmingly positive results it's produced.
We're always developing and refining our language learning tools so your children get the most effective, engaging, and innovative educational resources on the market, and we're proud to have research supporting our work's positive impact.
2018
We were so confident in Poppy and Buddy’s effectiveness, we asked Auckland University’s Early Learning Lab (ELLA) to put it to the test. Their team of independent researchers formally studied a Beta version of our app using a sample of 4-year-old children.
After six weeks, the results showed a 40% average improvement in the children’s second language comprehension and a 20% average improvement in their first language comprehension.
Insights from the Experimenters
"As observant researchers, we found that on the whole, children enthusiastically engaged with the app in ways which often aided second language learning. The storybook format of the app developed and held the children’s interest in the Poppy and Buddy characters, the vocabulary and the language concepts. Children actively and thoughtfully interacted with the language presented in the books by repeating, identifying and assimilating the vocabulary."
To view the full ELLA report, click here.
2023
Independent families from around NZ tested our books over a six week period. The results speak for themselves:
- 100% of families agreed that Poppy and Buddy books are a fun and effective way for children to learn a second language.
- 100% of families agreed that Poppy and Buddy books are easy to use.
- 90% of families would recommend Poppy and Buddy books to friends/family.
- 60% of children started using words from the second language within 6 weeks.
Here's what some of the parents had to say:
"My son really enjoyed these books and I have found that he is more responsive to instructions when given in Māori"
"My two girls (aged two and four) absolutely LOVED these books! We have a lot of books in our house that they can choose from but I can honestly say they chose the Poppy & Buddy books every night for a month from the day that we got them, a big hit in our household!"
"Thank you very much they were a huge hit and such a great resource"
2024
Select pre-schools from around New Zealand were invited to use our XL books at mat time. Teachers quickly discovered how effortless sharing a second language with their tamariki could be.
“The larger books were a hit! Tamariki were super engaged, tracking the pages and sharing observations and items of interest. The colour-coded words and the step-by-step introduction pages at the start of each book are impressive features. We find the Poppy and Buddy books a great resource for children’s language learning and for their literacy skills in general.”
Jacqueline Harding – Head Teacher, Arrowtown Preschool
"We have been using the stories with our Tamariki at hui times and they are loving them. We have decided to create a space with headphones so they can also independently choose to listen to them throughout the day. The books are repetitive which is great and easy for the children and teachers, interactive, and our children are speaking both languages and identifying the pictures to the words. We have been using them in our 2-year-old room and 3 and 4 year old room and the children are asking for them which is always a great sign."
Jo Biggs - Head Teacher, Biggles @ The Mount (Tauranga)