Teaching Phonemic Awareness Digitally
Phonemic awareness is best taught in small groups with teachers modeling and giving direct feedback to children. How could our client reinvent the process digitally?
Outcome: We delivered ready-to-implement lessons to teach phonemic awareness. Our early research showed that with clear feedback, kids were able to hone in and take time to practice on sounds.
Challenges
Before: Quizlike Challenges
The original content had lessons that were almost identical to evaluative quizzes. (“Put the word that starts with B back in the box.”) Children struggled to find the right answers.
After: Challenges Linked to Agency and Helping
Challenges were reframed around agency, e.g. “Help feed the dog.” The motivation to help massively overcame the anxiety of hard challenges.
Say It Out Loud
Before: Limited Speaking Moments
Children were only asked to say something out loud once at the beginning of a lesson, despite classroom PA activities that are heavily focused on talking out loud.
After: Say It Out Loud at Every Moment
Kindergarten students did not differentiate speaking and mouse clicking, so we had them say everything out loud—every phoneme, every word, every blend.
Introducing Simulations
Before: Teach Simulation + Skills Simultaneously
In our first “Feed the Monster” activity, children were immediately shown a “dish” and asked if they should give it to the dog. They often did not know what to do.
After: Tea Ball Starts for Interfaces
The first round of simulations were done with concepts children already knew, making it easier to learn the simulation/interface. For example, the “Feed the Monster” activity started with differentiating animal sounds.
Our Client’s Response
“Having students speak out loud is a great tool, and there are ways to do it that make them feel more comfortable, like saying things with the characters.”
“For the prototype demos, it is helpful to see how rapid prototyping works, and we can all learn from how you facilitate the sessions.”
“Our lessons wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t what we have learned through the mPath engagement. I repeatedly hear team members reference your findings.”