Why Kids Can Learn 10x Faster Than We Think — Niels Hoven of Mentava (Tim Coaching Session)
In a Nutshell
Mentava is software that lets preschoolers teach themselves to read at their own pace, reaching second-grade level in 3-6 months through optimized phonics curriculum and video-game-style motivation design. The core insight is that when kids can accelerate without waiting for their age group, an entire school day's worth of learning compresses into 15-30 minutes daily. The business charges $500/month, targets first-generation immigrant parents who prioritize education, and positions itself as relief from nagging rather than just faster learning.
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If you allow kids to learn at their own pace, you can pack the entire school day into a very small amount of time. When his own son was in third grade after a lot of back and forth, permission was finally granted from one teacher for independent study during math class using an app. The son finished eighth grade math while still in third grade. This demonstrates the pace of what kids are allowed to do.
Mentava is software designed to let kids learn as fast as they're capable of learning instead of just at the pace assigned to their age. The first product is early literacy software designed for preschoolers as young as two or three to get to a second grade reading level.
A second grade reading level means being able to read easy reader books on your own, such as Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, and the Elephant and Piggy series. This represents the conscious competence level of being able to read.
Two-year-old twins were reading Hop on Pop and Green Eggs and Ham before their third birthday. The parents were projecting the game onto a large screen and the twins were playing and competing with each other to read.
A three-year-old learned to read in about three months. A kindergartener who was behind used the software to catch up, and his mother reported that the teacher had never seen a kid catch up so fast. The child previously told his mother about a smart classmate who could read, and later came back to say he could read like that classmate now.
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