US
site
UK
site
AU site
CA
site
SCIENCE OF READING X GAME-BASED LEARNING
The Science of Reading and Game-Based Learning are the foundation of everything we do at Mrs Wordsmith. Here, you’ll find more information about each of these methodologies, how they apply to teaching reading, and how they came together in our apps, Word Tag® and Readiculous ®, to make a literacy learning experience unlike any other.
Jump to
The Science of Reading
First things first: educational resources must be effective. To make sure that ours measure up, we’ve done extensive research on 1.) the neuroscience behind how brains learn to read and 2.) the best way to teach children to read. What we found is that the Science of Reading is compatible with the way our brains acquire literacy skills and is aligned with best practices in reading education. Explore the resources below to learn more about this school of thought (pun intended).
Since humans are not hard-wired to read, learning to read and write has to be explicitly taught. If this is not done properly, many children will struggle! A good reading instruction helps children to train their brain to connect spoken language circuits with learned image circuits -- in the case of reading, these images are the letters. The newly forged connections between letters and sounds create neural networks that enable us to read. What is critical is that students have repeated exposures to these new connections in order to solidify the circuitry in their brain.
ABC Handwriting Workbook
A hilarious, curriculum-aligned way to practise the alphabet and handwriting. Yes, the story is about a maggot. And yes, he has some unsavoury eating habits. But don't let that put you off because the alphabet has never been this fun.For ages 4-7
€9,95
The Making of Word Tag®
We have a literacy crisis on our hands, and to solve it, we need to do something vastly different from the status quo. Countless experts agree that a robust vocabulary is an indicator of future reading success, but traditional vocabulary instruction is just not very exciting or effective. Enter Word Tag®, our first game-based learning app. By combining the science of reading and game-based learning, we created a groundbreaking resource that kids genuinely enjoy. Read on to learn more about how it works.
Word Tag ® is 80% fun, 20% work, and 100% game! This means that we have taken a game-first approach without making compromises on the pedagogical soundness. As a full-blown, character-driven action game with rewards, and not just a learning tool with some gamification elements, Word Tag ® properly engages children and makes them want to play. The evidence about the importance of engagement for maximizing the learning impact is compelling: unless children are engaged, any chances for learning impact are minimized.
But we didn't only base the design of Word Tag ® on the general research evidence about game-based learning; we tested that Word Tag ® itself works. An efficacy study run by Dr. Shawn Stafford’s UX lab tested the impact of the game on 20 children over the course of a month. The results were beyond encouraging: the students performed 43% better on vocabulary tests after having been exposed to the game for just 4 weeks.
Join the game-based learning revolution! Learn up to 1460 words a year and ace those exams without breaking a sweat.
Word Tag ® | For ages 7 - 13
Game-Based Learning
Something as fun and engaging as a video game can’t really make for a good learning tool…right? An increasing body of research says otherwise. Game-based learning is proven to increase student engagement, which in turn improves their focus on the learning tasks at hand. The result? Happier kids, parents, and teachers. If all this sounds too good to be true, you’ll definitely want to check out these resources.
Games are fun and enjoyable. When we do something that we enjoy, our brains release dopamine, a natural chemical linked to feelings of happiness. Kids (and adults, for that matter) want to return to things they enjoy because of this release of dopamine.
Games require focus. Exercising focus and attention abilities to play games helps to improve these abilities, which in turn improves reading and writing skills – even if the game itself is not directly related to reading and writing. A research study has found that action video games are an efficient way to boost attention abilities. These attention abilities are then transferable to other learning tasks in general.
Join the game-based learning revolution! Learn up to 1460 words a year and ace those exams without breaking a sweat.
Word Tag ® | For ages 7 - 13
Phonics Deep Dive
Thanks to the increasing popularity of the Science of Reading, curiosity about phonics instruction has grown considerably. So what exactly is phonics, and more specifically, what is its role in the process of learning to read? We break down the answers to these (and so many more) questions in the resources below.
The English language consists of approximately 44* phonemes (spoken sounds in language, such as the /f/ sound in funny) and around 200 graphemes (letters or combinations of letters that correspond to these sounds, such as f, ff, or ph). All words in English are made using these letters and sounds. Phonics is a systematic method for teaching children to read that focuses on the correspondences between sounds (phonemes) and letters (graphemes), starting from the most common and progressing to the least.
Blah Blah Blah Phonics Card Game
Mrs Wordsmith’s Blah Blah Blah is a brilliantly simple and irresistibly fun phonics game that helps children master reading skills through laughter and play. Designed for educators and parents, this fast paced card game turns phonics practice into an engaging experience that children actually want to repeat. With its easy to learn rules and quick rounds, Blah Blah Blah builds essential decoding and blending skills while boosting reading confidence. It’s the perfect blend of fun and phonics empowering children to read fluently, one giggle at a time. Perfect for the classroom or at home, Blah Blah Blah makes an ideal starter or finished work activity, helping children refocus and reset between tasks. Its fast-paced, flexible format means it fits seamlessly into any part of the day whether as a quick transition, a reward for finished work, or a burst of energy to keep learning lively. Wherever it’s played, Blah Blah Blah turns phonics into a joyful habit that sticks. For those of you genuinely interested in “Systematic Synthetic Phonics”, take a peek at our overview of the Science of Reading.For ages 4+
€25,95
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY
