Does The ‘World’s Most Researched Game’ Meet Current Standards?
Are you curious about how other literacy apps measure up? Check out the other detailed literacy app reviews on phonics.org.
Continue reading to learn more about the GraphoGame: Learn to Read app.
What is GraphoGame: Learn to Read?
GraphoGame: Learn to Read is an educational app designed for children aged 3 and up. The app aims to make the learning to read process engaging and accessible. Initially developed in Finland, it was created in collaboration with the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Neuroscience in Education. With support for nine different languages and usage in over 20 countries, GraphoGame has a significant reach.
The app makes bold claims about its effectiveness, stating that it can help young children learn to read in just days. It also touts itself as “the most researched game in the world.” This review will take a critical look at the GraphoGame: Learn to Read app and the feasibility of these grand claims. This review focuses on the American English version of the GraphoGame app.
Is the GraphoGame: Learn to Read App Easy To Play?
The following factors impact the usability of the GraphoGame app.
Getting Started With GraphoGame: Learn to Read
Getting started with GraphoGame requires a sign-up process that begins with selecting the child’s gender. It is unclear why this information is relevant. Users must then create a username and a 4-digit pin code, which combines pictures and letters—an approach that feels overly complicated for young children.
Once set up, the app offers two distinct modes:
- The Adventure Map – designed for independent play
- The Stars Mode – more suitable for older children and educational settings
Additionally, there doesn’t appear to be an easily accessible method of changing the starting point in the game to match the literacy skills of the player. While the app claims to be adaptive, providing the option for a grown-up to choose a starting point would be an advantageous feature. Finally, the navigation in the Adventure Map can be clunky and awkward, especially for young players.
Instructions and Settings
GraphoGame includes helpful features for guiding young players through the app. Instructions and sound cues can be repeated as needed, and they will automatically repeat if too much time passes, which is a great support for children who may need extra reminders.
Data Collection
GraphoGame offers detailed data collection regarding student performance and achievement at each level, providing valuable insights for parents and educators. This feedback is instrumental in helping adults understand how well a child is progressing, identifying areas where they may need additional support. By highlighting specific strengths and weaknesses, the app enables parents and teachers to guide their children more effectively in their literacy journey.
Engagement In GraphoGame: Learn to Read
The following factors impact how potentially engaging young players may find the GraphoGame: Learn to Read app.
Rewards
In GraphoGame: Learn to Read, engagement is driven by a variety of reward systems that young players may find appealing. Players earn stars, track their correct answer percentages, and collect coins. These coins can be spent in an occasional in-game store for items like garments and accessories for their avatars. The gameplay follows a cycle of 10 minutes of tasks followed by 2 minutes of reward opportunities. While these rewards can enhance engagement, they also risk diverting attention from the educational goals of the app.
Visual Appearance
The visual appearance of GraphoGame: Learn to Read features an individualized avatar, which adds an engaging personal touch for young players. However, the animations feel somewhat clunky and dated, suggesting that there is room for improvement in the overall visual design of the app.
Literacy Learning With GraphoGame: Learn to Read
The following factors influence the quality of literacy instruction in the GraphoGame: Learn to Read app.
Research Claims
GraphoGame: Learn to Read positions itself as “the most researched game in the world.” A few studies on the app found a positive correlation between students playing the games and improved literacy outcomes. However, this evaluation found that the GraphoGame app had “no impact on pupils’ reading attainment compared to a business-as-usual control” (p. 5). Additionally, the students were receiving school-based literacy support in addition to time spent with the app, confounding the results further.
Type of Phonics
GraphoGame: Learn to Read primarily employs an Onset-Rime phonics approach, teaching children initial consonant sounds followed by vowel/consonant combinations (e.g., /m/ + “at” for “mat”). While any phonics instruction is beneficial, research shows that synthetic phonics is more efficient for learning to read and spell.
A synthetic phonics approach combines (synthesizes) individual letter sounds to read words. This approach is recommended by the International Dyslexia Association and multiple researchers in the field. Overall, GraphoGame’s reliance on an analytic phonics method may limit its effectiveness.
Sequential Learning
GraphoGame: Learn to Read incorporates systematic phonics instruction, structured into 25 streams, each divided into 5-9 levels, along with 7 assessments. This sequential approach aligns with recommendations from literacy experts. However, the lack of a publicly available scope and sequence (phonics plan) for these streams limits accessibility for educators and parents who want to understand or anticipate their child’s learning progression.
Letter Sounds
The GraphoGame: Learn to Read app generally provides clear and accurate representations of letter sounds. However, it inaccurately represents the short /e/ sound (as in ‘echo’). This sound is often the most challenging for students to identify and learn, and is also one of the most commonly used and important sounds to learn. The inaccuracy of this specific sound in the game is a huge pitfall.
Word Building
Elkonin boxes are rectangles that surround individual sounds in words in order to demonstrate the connection between sounds and letters in words. GraphoGame uses these boxes in their app to encourage children to read and spell words. Sometimes this literacy tool is used correctly in the app, and at other times the app incorrectly boxes entire rhyme units instead of individual sounds. This misapplication detracts from the overall effectiveness of the word-building instruction.
Is the GraphoGame App Good for Literacy Instruction?
The GraphoGame app offers a range of features aimed at making literacy learning engaging and accessible for young children. However, it faces significant challenges including outdated animations, inconsistent use of phonics tools, and a questionable research base regarding its effectiveness.
While the app’s structured phonics instruction and data collection features provide valuable insights for parents and educators, the reliance on an analytic phonics approach may limit its impact compared to more effective methods like synthetic phonics. Overall, while GraphoGame has potential, it requires improvements in instructional accuracy and visual design to fully realize its educational goals.
For those interested in exploring other literacy apps, check out detailed reviews on phonics.org to see how they compare.
GraphoGame: Learn to Read – Overall Ratings
Quality of Literacy Instruction: 2 / 5
Usability: 3 / 5
Engagement: 3 / 5
