LIS 568 Week 3 Blog Post: WORD Force

We are down to the last two weeks of school! These weeks are filled with field trips and fun end-of-year events, and so library time is pretty limited. I am still promoting summer reading and encouraging students to develop a summer reading habit. I also played around with the app WORD Force Reading Adventures and think many of my students will love it. 

WORD Force is a game based app that I think is ideal for primary grades and focuses on phonics, rhyming, spelling, and vocabulary. Some older students may also benefit from this app, but the storyline and content could seem a little young for most typical kids that are 8 or older. Thinking of my students with ASD, or other students with disabilities, some who are older may enjoy the game, so definitely use your best judgement if incorporating into a library lesson. When introducing the app to families, be sure to specify the skills it works on to help families determine if it is appropriate for their kid(s).

WORD Force has different skills students focus on and they can unlock more games as they build upon their skills. 

The "save the world" storyline is a fun way to engage students and they have fun while learning their new skills. 

Students also earn stickers and virtual rewards for completing lessons and learning new skills. 

(I'm not sure why a kid would want a bread sticker, but I guess it goes with the storyline. 🤣)

There are some videos that teach necessary skills along the way, so students aren't left trying to figure it out on their own. The downside is that you can't skip the video, so if it's a skill the student is already familiar with, they have to go through everything to move on through the game. That could be frustrating or discourage students from continuing if they find it boring.

Grown ups can also follow their student's progress throughout and determine skills that need further development.

While I am often hesitant to encourage MORE screentime for young students and my own children, I think this game could really help build literacy skills and help reduce some of the summer slide with our emerging readers. 

Do you have any experience with WORD Force or other reading apps (free or paid)? Share your best tips in the comments!