Enhancing Early Childhood Reading Skills Through Immersive AR and Conversational AI

Developing strong reading skills during early childhood is a foundational step toward lifelong academic success. However, traditional methods of teaching reading often fail to address the diverse needs and learning styles of young learners. Emerging technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) and conversational artificial intelligence (ConvAI), offer transformative opportunities to create engaging and adaptive learning experiences. This paper introduces SPARC (system for personalized AR and reading with ConvAI), a prototype application designed to enhance early literacy development. Grounded in interest-driven creator (IDC) theory, SPARC combines AR for immersive visual storytelling and ConvAI for personalized conversational learning. By tailoring content to children's complex interests and developmental needs, SPARC creates a dynamic, interactive reading environment that fosters motivation, comprehension, and sustained engagement. This paper discusses the design methodology, system architecture, implementation details, and anticipated impact of SPARC, offering a new vision for technology-enhanced literacy education.