The Powerful Method of Teaching Kids to Read
How do kids learn to read? Here’s the science
Words are made up of letters and those letters represent sounds.
That’s the simple first step of learning to read through the use of phonics. Phonics is a method of teaching children to read and write. When children learn to identify a series of sounds that make one word different from another, they start to understand the basics of reading.
GraphoGame uses a proven principle called synthetic phonics, in which sounds (phonemes) associated with letters (graphemes) are pronounced individually and then blended together in synthesis. The effect of synthetic phonics in teaching children to read has been widely proven in numerous scientific studies around the world.
Applying synthetic phonics to teach kids to read for example a simple, single-syllable word like cat involves taking the word apart into its three letters, pronouncing the letters out loud one by one, and then blending them together to form the word.
Understanding the concept that spoken sounds and words correspond to written text on paper is called the alphabetic principle, and it’s one of the first skills children develop when learning to read. Studies have shown that children who don’t build a solid foundation for reading through the use of phonics are more likely to develop reading difficulties later in life.
Learning to read with games
Parents might sometimes feel anxious about their kids spending excessive amounts of time playing console or mobile games. But games can also be a powerful learning tool, and GraphoGame uses game-based learning principles and gamification mechanics to create a fun, engaging and effective learning platform for kids.
Games have been used as a learning tool for centuries, and games are an integral part of today’s teaching toolkits in kindergartens and schools. Game-based learning is rooted in the fact that quick repetition, failure and the accomplishment of goals are proven to be effective learning methods.
Many casual mobile games are built around this concept. These games start off slow, allowing players to gain skills until they’re able to master increasingly difficult tasks. Well-designed games start off with very simple problems and allow players to play at their own pace. They still offer enough difficulty to keep players motivated and engaged with the learning process so they can master the game.
Learning games like GraphoGame take this exact same concept and apply it to teaching kids to read. Adding game-like elements to non-game scenarios, like learning to read, is called gamification. By rewarding certain behaviors with benefits or prizes, you encourage and strengthen that behavior.
In GraphoGame, gamification is used to create an optimal learning experience for kids of all ages and levels of reading skills. GraphoGame’s dynamic level-design quickly adapts to the skill level of the student, delivering a playing experience that keeps kids motivated.
An effective learning tool for a fraction of the cost of private lessons
The effective learning methodology of GraphoGame has been developed through years of research done in Finland and at Cambridge University. Developed together with leading researchers including linguists, neuropsychologists and speech pathologists, GraphoGame has been proven to deliver the same results in literacy skills as one-to-one teacher support.
GraphoGame has been downloaded over 3.8 million times, making it one of the most popular apps in the world for learning to read. For many families living in developing countries, priced affordably at just $2.99, GraphoGame allows parents to empower their children with powerful reading tools based on the same science used at expensive private schools.
Download GraphoGame today
Start your child’s journey towards reading excellence today. GraphoGame allows kids to learn independently, with no parental participation required. The game is available in the App Store, Google Play and Microsoft Store.
