AUTHOR=Lyytinen Heikki , Louleli Natalia 

TITLE=In search of finalizing and validating digital learning tools supporting all in acquiring full literacy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1142559

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1142559

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Accurate and fluent basic reading skill (ie. to decode text) is not enough for learning knowledge via reading. More than 10 years ago we finalized a digital learning game which supports learning to decode text, i.e. GraphoGame (GG), which trains acquisition of the basic reading skill. Nowadays, when almost everyone in the world has an opportunity to use this GG it is time to start supporting the acquisition of full literacy (FL). This is extremely important for learning in school where reading the schoolbooks successfully is essential. The present plan aims to help readers of any orthography to start from the earliest possible grade during which children have learned the mastery of the basic reading skill to immediately continue taking steps towards FL. FL is most needed among those who are reading easy to learn transparent orthographies (reading by the majority of readers of alphabetic writings) such as Finnish, German or Spanish. Readers of such transparent writings who become interested in using their decoding skill for leisure reading from early age learn naturally also to understand the text. The continuing fall of OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results reveal that especially boys are’nt as interested anymore about reading to learn the correct ways to read to reach FL This is also noticeable in Finland, where girls’s read at a top level, but results of boys are falling dramatically. It may be possible to help boys by using digital game-like learning environment to support reading comprehension and critical reading if it concurrently elevates their school achievements when the training is immersed in daily reading lessons. This article describes our efforts to elaborate and validate a new digital tool (called ComprehensionGame) by starting from populations of learners who need it mostly in Africa and in Finland.