GraphoGame: Since its initial research project, what steps have been taken to ensure the successful and continued work on literacy issues in Brazil?

Augusto Buchweitz: From our first usable version of GraphoGame, we continued to work on its adaptation and refinement with user-provided feedback from stakeholders (note: we never collected any data from the freely available version as this is not allowed).

We also further developed higher-level sequences for words, phrases, and sentences, to the extent that the first version had approximately 40 levels and the current version has upwards of 50. We included mouth articulation pictures to help with early identification of letters, such as “m” being accompanied by a picture of a mouth with pursed lips during the practice levels (which happen before the player goes into the specific level, the game practices the graphemes and phonemes they must identify).
 
We were able to carry out two studies, one of which was published, and our academic partners in Brazil received a grant that is currently allowing for more studies on early literacy instruction, which include GG.

Since the funding for the maintenance and development of GraphoGame ended, we have not been able to obtain funding to work on integrating new levels and adaptations, nor to work on integration with classroom material; so, we hope to partner again with stakeholders interested in further developing the app and related materials.

GG: What are the next national-level steps in using GraphoGame in Brazil (teacher training, data, etc.)

Augusto Buchweitz: We aim to either at the national or local level develop a version that further integrates multimodal, sensory information such as mouth articulation and motor learning (touch-screen tracing of letters), and again, finding ways to integrate the app with actual classroom materials.

There are initiatives by international public funding agencies that have resulted in a freely available, phonics-based preschool and first-year material for instruction. The integration of GraphoGame with actual classroom materials provides a chance for more significant impact on learning.

GG: To conclude, are there any specific success stories you would like to share from this journey with GraphoGame?

Augusto Buchweitz: I think the ultimate success story is that different stakeholders have made it possible to release a freely available, evidence-based pedagogical tool that was downloaded over 2 million times and has the potential for continued impact. It would be a success, instead, to have GraphoGame remain available, sustainable, and continuously being refined by research and classroom use.