hard it can be to keep them engaged with something that is based on repetition. Sight words make up the basis of your child’s reading experience, so there just isn’t room for error, but the daily chore of teaching sight words, and then keeping it impactful, is a lot to ask of any working parent.
There is a solution though, one study found that students who supplemented traditional classroom education with app-based learning achieved 165% than what they should have. While apps don’t replace your role as a parent, they simplify, engage and enhance your child’s learning experience - and they take off a bit of the pressure.
A great app will integrate all of these principles of great teaching to help make learning and teaching sight words fun again.
Promote active “minds-on” learning
Learning on apps on tablets encourages more active engagement because it can be programmed that way. Learning is most effective when your child has to mentally manipulate ideas, see differences and similarities between new and existing knowledge, as well as when they are motivated to incorporate any new information into their comprehensive understanding.
Apps do all of this by keeping learning sessions short and to the point, by monitoring progress with algorithms to make sure there is a good ratio of repetition as well as new words, and by incorporating various techniques to ensure that your child is actively learning.
Keep children engaged while learning
Technology has transformed the way we teach, and the way we engage with learning material. Children no longer need to stare at static words but can interact with the learning material by dragging the words and letters around the screen. They can also hear the sounds, play games and truly engage with the content.
Uses material that is meaningful and effective
When we teach sight words, there needs to be meaningful and effective context given. Children shouldn’t just learn the words, they should also hear the sentences in which they are used. They should also see similar words next to each other to make sure they can notice the difference. The list of necessary material is endless.
Rote learning forms the basis of sight word integration, but through fun and engaging activities, your child can gain valuable context. By effectively engaging their processing skills, greater learning occurs.
App learning should be supported by socially interactive content
While apps can definitely save parents hours and greatly improve how much children learn, it shouldn’t replace social interactive learning. Research has repeatedly shown that social interaction supports active learning.
In the Sprout Words App, we have incorporated games, physical activities and rewards to keep children motivated and make the learning experience fun.
To further facilitate interactive learning, we are currently creating a fun lesson pack for parents that will eliminate the chore of teaching. With effective flashcards, worksheets, a schedule and lesson plan that will work alongside the app, there is no need to think about what to do next.
As a final thought
Sight words don’t have to be a chore. With the right App, they can be fun, engaging, meaningful and promote interactive exploratory learning.
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