A research-based, interactive application to teach phonics, vocabulary and typing.
The project idea is to develop a typing and language learning application for the target users of the 'Children's Machine' ($100 laptop)

Learning Problem

In an increasingly and rapidly globalized information economy, the ability to type and knowledge of English are two essential skills for participation.

Typing is the most basic of all computer skills. With the increasing presence of computers in our everyday life, it becomes necessary that children know how to type. Without sufficient typing skill, higher order computer use, such as writing, emailing, data entry, programming and internet research, is not possible or is limited. The acquisition of the basic ability to type is especially crucial for school-age children of developing countries as they open up more and better paying job prospects.

Yet, learning to type takes significant time investment and practice. Most of the typing classes now are conducted with instructional typing software, many of which are fun and entertaining but lacking in educational quality. Many are simple drill exercises that require lots of repetition. While repetition may be a necessary process of the subject matter, typing software can be designed to engage and educate while providing practice time.

Apart from typing, learning and mastering the English language is crucial to mastering the skills and technology that drive the growing economies of the world. Today, almost six of the ten computers connected to the Internet are located in English speaking countries (CIA World Factbook, 2007). Knowing how to get connected is not enough. One needs to speak a language that can be understood by others. English is the predominant language of the Internet and will remain so for some years to come.

There are many components to English language learning. Reading, in particular, is one essential skill. The ability to read is an important way to learn English. Before we can start speaking and writing English, we have to learn how things are said in English. This is especially important in rural areas in developing countries, where children’s access to spoken English is limited or not widely available. In such circumstances, the ability to read becomes especially useful and important: to access knowledge, to share thoughts with others and, as an effective way to learn English. A fluent and accurate reading ability needs to be developed. To do that, learners need to understand how letters are linked to sounds to form letter-sound correspondences, i.e. phonics knowledge, and apply this knowledge in their reading.

For non-native learners, developing phonemic awareness is difficult. The difficulty arises as a consequence of the degree to which their native language differs from English. While English is no more complex than many other major languages, it has several features that may cause difficulties for the majority of learners. In particular, pronunciation poses a big problem. There are phonemes common and critical in English that are not found in other languages. Even for languages which also use the same alphabets often have different systems of pronunciation for the letters. In short, correct letter-sound knowledge and phonetic decoding need to be learned, practiced and internalized to the degree necessary for developing a fluent and accurate reading ability. The importance of phonics as an effective instructional approach to teach reading was supported by Dr. Jeanne Chall, of the Department of Education at Harvard in an influential research study that she conducted (Chall, 1967) and published in 1967. Commissioned to investigate the contentious argument between teaching reading using phonics and using whole language approach, Dr. Chall reviewed and evaluated hundreds of research studies covering the period 1910 to 1965, and in addition visited classrooms and interviewed teachers and textbook publishers. She analyzed 67 research studies comparing different approaches to beginning reading and interview 25 proponents of various approaches. The result is a valuable book – “Learning to Read: the Great Debate” – which summarizes and makes sense of a vast body of scattered knowledge and comes down to a definite conclusion in favor of phonics. Dr. Chall concluded that research shows convincingly that the children who are taught phonics have a clear advantage over those who don’t. Children who have been taught with only whole language approach lack the skills needed for the transition to independent reading (which is a key objective of the OLPC initiative and of our project). In her paper which focused on the possible value of phonics instruction in teaching reading and spelling to ESL students, ESL instructor and researcher Monica L. Jones also arrived at the conclusion there are compelling reasons and benefits to integrate phonics into ESL curriculum (Jones, 1996).

A grasp of phonics and the related ability to spell correctly is, however, not as ends in and of themselves. What is needed, in Paulo Freire’s words, is “the ability to understand what one reads and to write what one understands.” In other words, learners need to understand what the words mean or represent; they need to develop their vocabulary. Vocabulary development is important for beginning reading. If a learner does not know the meaning of a word, there is no way to make meaning from the sentence he or she is typing. Yet, many non-native learners have a limited repertoire of vocabulary. Findings from a study of 504 second grade students indicate that phonics knowledge has a causal impact on both reading comprehension and vocabulary gains (Eldredge, 1990).

Our target users are seven year olds. Based on our research and observation of typing classes (Nixon Elementary 2 nd Graders), this age group has developed sufficient motor skills to coordinate hand-eye tasks as well as control of fingers and hand muscle groups. At the same time, this is a common age frequently cited by researchers as an appropriate age group to start learning the basics of phonics (Dolch, 1937). This is based on a 1937 study by Dolch and Bloomster that seven year olds have the necessary cognitive development and ability to match printed words to their spoken form.

Back to main