Benefits of gamified learning in literacy

On average, about 25 percent of children in early grades have reading difficulties. These students are often reluctant readers because they find the process complicated and lack confidence in their abilities.

At the same time, the percentage of students who say they read for pleasure is decreasing: Less than half of all children ages 8 to 18 (43 percent) say they enjoy reading in their free time, compared to 58 percent in 2016. Reaching reluctant and disinterested readers can be challenging, frustrating and discouraging for teachers, who fully understand the importance of literacy skills. Educators need creative and authentic ways to engage students in reading without making it seem forced or gimmicky.

In a TEDx talk titled “The Super Mario effect: tricking your brain into learning more”, Mark Rober highlighted how video games like Super Mario can motivate people to achieve their goals by seeing failures as learning opportunities. Educators can apply the same principle to improve literacy outcomes through gamified learning in schools. By incorporating game elements such as rewards, levels, and challenges, learning can become a more engaging and interactive experience.

This approach especially helps reluctant readers. They are encouraged to accept mistakes, stay motivated, and deepen their understanding of the material.

5 benefits of gamified learning for literacy

Gamified learning offers several benefits that can significantly improve literacy, including:

1. Reduction of fear of failure.

Gamified learning transforms failure from a source of shame to a normal part of the learning experience. Similar to how video game players repeatedly try to overcome obstacles, students in gamified environments can attempt literacy learning tasks multiple times without feeling embarrassed. Research shows that gamification encourages students to fail and retry learning tasks without shame. This persistence goes hand in hand with literary academic progress and also develops important lasting life skills, such as resilience.

2. Greater visibility of learning.

Gamified learning platforms provide clear progress indicators, such as points and progress bars. This visibility allows students to see their literacy achievements and understand the steps needed to advance. By making progress tangible and in the moment, students are motivated to continue developing their reading skills and can easily track their growth.

3. Greater motivation

Research shows that games naturally drive motivation through the desire to achieve, socialize and explore. Gamified learning plays on these instincts in young readers, encouraging them to excel and actively engage with the material. When it comes to reading and literacy, watching a reluctant reader become a motivated reader is a moment educators cherish.

4. Better cognitive development

Other studies have found that games that encourage critical thinking and problem solving can improve students' ability to process and retain information, essential components of literacy. Many educational games fall into this category. Furthermore, the skills derived from video games have the potential to transfer to success in other disciplines, such as STEM.

5. Authentic personalized learning

In the world of video games, many players willingly spend hundreds of dollars on custom outfits, tools, and accessories for their in-game characters. Why spend? real Money on a tiger suit for a video game character? Because doing so makes the game exclusively yours. It gives a sense of pride, ownership and identity.

Gamified learning environments enable these types of personalized literacy experiences. Students can control avatars, set their own goals, and track their progress. This personalization makes the reading journey unique and deeply personal for each student.

Gamified literacy in action

The North Carolina Virtual Academy (NCVA) is seeing compelling results using a gamified learning program to increase reading proficiency. Under the state's Read to Achieve law, students who score at Level 1 or 2 in reading on the third-grade end-of-grade (EOG) test and do not qualify for a “good cause exemption” must attend a camp. summer reading. .

NCVA educators saw high levels of student engagement with gamified learning, so they decided to incorporate the program into their summer camp instruction. After using the program for 30 minutes each day, 77 percent of students showed significant improvement in reading, allowing them to progress from third to fourth grade. The camp also yielded notable results on the DIBELS 8th Edition reading assessment. Seventy-three percent of participants showed improvements in key areas such as phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

“When we asked students about their favorite part of summer reading camp, most told us it was the gamified learning program,” said NCVA Director Kelly Shanahan. “It is rewarding for educators to see how committed students are to the program, and measurable gains in literacy are evidence of that commitment.”

When done effectively, gamified learning can motivate even the most reluctant readers. It allows students with different abilities and inclinations to try, fail, and repeat the process until they get it right in a safe and rewarding environment, while providing them with evidence of their progress. As students progress through the gamified platform, they improve their skills while developing their confidence and enjoyment of reading.