The Malta Independent on Sunday
App helps children with literacy difficulties
Julian Bonnici An app specifically designed for children with literacy difficulties by the Speech and Language Therapy Department and the Vodafone Malta Foundation has been nominated for Best App in the MCA’s eBusiness Awards.
‘NaqraNaqra’ is targeted at children between the ages of three and five and is an aid to help children develop their Maltese pre-literacy skills specifically phonological awareness, by using syllable identification, rhyming and picture-word matching in order to improve sound development in literacy, which is the main building block of literacy development.
The first of its kind, the app is based on the expertise and vast experience of local speech language pathologists and comprises a number of game-based exercises and activities in the Maltese language.
Gertrude Mizzi, a speech language pathologist in the department, explained to The Malta Independent on Sunday that the department felt it was extremely important to create a platform that would be able to reach and relate to children.
“We find that apps and new technology are vital in the visual side of learning, which is very important in integrating all types of learning when a new skill is involved” she said.
“There was a lot of planning. For example, we specifically use literacy-friendly ‘don’t’ throughout the app, and we also used the voice of a Maltese child as the voice-over in order to make it more relatable and childfriendly.”
Drawing from child psychology, the app also embraces a nopoints system: children are neither rewarded nor penalised for their answers but are instead allowed to keep trying until they select the correct choice before being taken on to the next task.
The app, which is available on both IOS and Android, is free to download. This, says Ms Mizzi, will encourage parents and schools to download it and ensure carry-over in the child’s other environments.
The results of the app have been astounding, with Ms Mizzi pointing out a particular case where she had a child who would refuse to talk even in the presence of her parents.
“It was really difficult,” she admits, “but when we introduced her to the app with one our tablets, there was an instant switch and she began interacting with us.”
Ms Mizzi went on to say: “The app has been launched for a year now and it could not have been made possible without the help of the Vodafone Malta Foundation, who not only provided us with funding for its development but also donated a number of tablets that we could distribute in our clinics and the community.”