Evaluation of a personalized game-based learning app for developing young children’s reading skills

Abstract This study examines whether Reading App, an adaptive, personalized game-based program designed to help young learners build a foundation for reading comprehension and literacy, can improve early reading skills for pre-kindergarteners and kindergarteners (N = 402 treatment, 690 comparison). This study measured the feasibility of implementing Reading App in classrooms, teacher and student experiences of using the application, and growth in literacy outcomes between students in classrooms using Reading App and students in classrooms not using the application, controlling for baseline performance. Results of hierarchical linear models showed that: (a) kindergarteners who used Reading App made significantly greater gains on end-of-year literacy assessment than the comparison group, especially in alphabet knowledge and (b) pre-kindergarteners who mastered at least 16 alphabet skills in Reading App experienced greater gains in the skill than comparison group peers. Teacher surveys and interviews suggested that Reading App is an easy-to-use, effective, engaging learning resource that empowers them to provide personalized instruction and foster a more equitable classroom environment. The study provides initial evidence of Reading App’s effectiveness as a program that can enhance educators’ capacity to address learner variability and provide personalized instruction for all learners.