Although access to primary education has increased in recent decades, the “learning crisis” continues to prevail. This was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, widening the learning gap for communities on the margin. In this context, educational Technology (EdTech) could play an important role in bridging the educational gap. Edtech has the power to reach communities through simple, low-cost solutions, and could make learning relevant and fun. With Ubongo, we explored the possibility of combining evidence and good old story telling that is rooted in African experiences to bring quality learnings to children’s homes. We unpack the findings from a randomized controlled trial in Kenya that explores how contextual storytelling and effective demonstration of learning strategies could potentially build confident and curious readers.