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10-Year-Old Invents App That Tracks Reading Homework

DENVER (CBS4)- A 10-year-old has invented an app that keeps track of reading homework.

Daniel Chao likes to do typical things that a 10-year-old does: hang out with friends in the lunch room and when he's not in school, he enjoys playing piano and tennis.

But the Lenski Elementary fifth grader is unique from his classmates in one way. He invented an app.

"When it was accepted on Nov. 17, 2011, there was a lot of feedback. 'Oh, my! You made an app!' Kind of excited me and made me think I can do something more with this," said Daniel.

"He was like, 'I want to do an app.' So we're very supportive and said, 'You can do what you want' and so we brainstormed and about what kind of app he wanted to do," said Daniel's mother Jill Chao.

It's called iRead Monthly and keeps track of reading homework for students.

Students are required to turn in a reading calendar every month. Daniel designed an app where you click the day and enter the number of reading minutes and then save. At the end of the month, hit the email button and the homework is sent to the teacher.

"When he submitted it, I'm like, 'I don't know if this is going to... I hope it goes.' And then it passed through. I was surprised because Apple is pretty strict," said Daniel's father David Chao.

Daniel is pretty proud of his invention and the fact that he was able to convince Apple to accept his app.

"Well, they had a rule that it's 18 and old. And I'm like, 'No way.' So I submitted it under my dad's name," said Daniel. "He followed along. I did most of it. He helped with the contracts."

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