Popcorn Founder
Only 9 of 10 spots left$25one-time
- 2 reading sessions with Capri
- 3 free months of the app at launch
- Then 50% off for life
- First name on the Founders Wall
After checkout, you will get an email to book your session dates.
Created by Capri, age 12
We help girls K–3rd feel confident reading out loud.
Reading out loud can feel scary when you're still finding your confidence. Popcorn Reading gives girls a safe, encouraging place to practice, build fluency, and find their reading voice.
Created by Capri after turning her own reading struggles into a mission to help younger girls.
Help Capri reach her $1,000 app-building goal
$25 raised of $1,000 · 1 Founding Family so far
🔊 short a
f · l · a · t
A reading buddy built for practice
She doesn't just listen. She reads.
Popcorn Reading guides her from sounding out new words to reading the story confidently on her own.
- 01
Learn key words
Sound them out before the story.
- 02
Listen
Hear the story read aloud.
- 03
Read 3 times
Build confidence with every read.
- 04
Celebrate progress
Earn XP while grown-ups see improvement.
Meet Capri
"I used to be scared to read out loud, too."
Capri
Age 12 · Founder ♡
When I was in 2nd and 3rd grade, I got really nervous when it was my turn to read in class. I worried I would mess up a word in front of everyone.
Then I started reading more, and everything changed. I became a stronger student and a much more confident reader.
I started Popcorn Reading because I want younger girls to feel that confidence sooner.
See how Popcorn Reading started ↓"I want girls to have a safe place to practice where it's okay to get stuck."
How it started
Before there was an app, there were real reading buddies.
Capri started Popcorn Reading by creating safe, encouraging places for younger girls to practice reading out loud. What began at school soon became one-on-one reading sessions, and the idea for the app grew from there.
01The school reading buddy program
Capri organized an after-school program pairing junior high girls with younger readers. They took turns reading, sounded out tricky words together, and practiced without the pressure of reading in front of the whole class.
02One-on-one summer reading
Then Capri began working one-on-one with younger girls, practicing reading aloud, sounding out words and tracking their progress.
- 03
Now, the app
Capri could only sit with so many girls herself. So she began imagining a reading buddy that could be there whenever a girl wanted to practice.
The goal isn't to replace reading with a real person. It's to give girls another safe place to practice.
Your reading buddy
The same encouragement, whenever she wants to practice.
Popcorn Reading is designed to recreate the supportive feeling of practicing with a patient reading buddy, without the pressure of a classroom watching.
- Knows her name
- Takes turns like real popcorn reading
- Listens while she reads out loud
- Helps her sound out words when she gets stuck
- Lets her practice the same story more than once
- Shows grown-ups how her reading is improving
Built with kids in mind: A grown-up sets up the account, and Popcorn Reading is designed as a practice tool for girls in K–3rd grade.
Inside the app
From "I'm stuck" to "I did it!"
Each story takes her through a simple reading routine designed to help her practice new words, read out loud and see her progress.
1. Learn the tricky words first
Before she reads the story, she practices five key words by hearing the sounds, blending them together and saying the word herself.
Less guessing when it's time to read.
2. Listen and follow along
Her reading buddy reads first while the words highlight on screen, helping her connect what she sees with what she hears.
3. Read it out loud
Now it's her turn. Popcorn Reading listens as she reads and gives gentle help when she gets stuck. She reads the story three times so she can feel herself getting stronger.
4. See the win
At the end, she celebrates her progress, earns XP and sees how her reading changed from Read 1 to Read 3.
For grown-ups
And grown-ups can see the progress too.
See stories completed, reading accuracy, words per minute, streaks and words that may need a little more practice together.
- Accuracy
- Words per minute
- Words to practice
Help Capri build the app
$25 raised of $1,000 · 1 Founding Family so far
Popcorn Founders
Become a Popcorn Founder
Help Capri build it. Founders fund the app, and until it launches your daughter reads 1:1 with Capri: 30 minutes per session, on Zoom (no parent needed) or in person in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, CA.
Founding Family
Only 6 spots$50one-time
- 4 reading sessions
- 6 free months at launch
- Then 50% off for life
- Sisters can share a session
Founding Champion
Only 3 spots$100one-time
- 8 reading sessions
- 12 free months at launch
- Then 50% off for life
- Help name a story in the app
Gift a Founder spot to a young reader
Know a little girl who is learning to read? Give her 2 reading sessions with Capri and early access to the app. Perfect for birthdays, holidays, or a niece, granddaughter or friend.
After checkout, email capridirocco@gmail.com with her first name and age, and we will send you a printable gift card to give her.
FAQ
A few helpful answers
Is the app ready?
Not yet. Founders get early access at our soft launch, plus reading sessions with Capri until then.
What happens after I pay?
You will get an email to book your session dates with Capri, on Zoom or in person in Costa Mesa or Newport Beach, CA.
Can we meet in person?
Yes, in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, CA. Everyone else meets Capri on Zoom.
Do I need to be on the Zoom?
No. Your daughter can read with Capri on her own.
How long is a session?
30 minutes of reading.
Can I give this as a gift?
Yes. Choose Gift a Founder spot, then email us her first name and age and we will send a printable gift card.
How much will the app cost after launch?
$7.99 a month or $59 a year. Founders get free months first (3, 6 or 12 depending on tier), then 50% off for life: $3.99 a month or $29 a year.
How many Founder spots are there?
10 Popcorn Founders, 6 Founding Families and 3 Founding Champions.
How do I reach you?
Email capridirocco@gmail.com.
Help a little girl find her reading voice.
Become a Founder · $25One-time · 2 reading sessions with Capri · 3 free months at launch