LEARNING SPELLING WHILE PLAYING: A CASE TO DETERMINE IF INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES CAN HELP STUDENT ACHIEVE BETTER GRADES ON SPELLING

One of the most important subjects in learning English as a second language is spelling, as Gentry J.R said in his book My Kid Can´t Spell (1996); ¨Spelling, after all, impacts virtually every aspect of reading and writing, and it is the key to unlocking literacy”. On the other hand, traditional methodologies used in teaching spelling usually bore kids and reduce their interest to improve the knowledge of the second language. Teaching spelling using conventional methods like writing several times the same words, leave behind important characteristics that involve good spelling, such as sound comprehension and spelling patterns. These characteristics can be assessed through educational online games supported by new technologies.
Conscious of the problem, Instituto Anglia, an elementary school in Monterrey – Mexico, decided to investigate the effects that interactive technologies have in students’ learning. The study will determine if by using interactive software that supports academic objectives, students can improve their grades on Spelling. Twenty students from elementary school were randomly selected to participate in this program. The participants combine their spelling lessons reviewed during class with a special spelling program used in computer lab. The spelling program is based on different interactive games that review weekly spelling wordlists and stimulate students to continue with the next wordlist by earning coins that can be exchanged for entertainment games. It is intended to demonstrate that students can improve their grades while playing games that motivate them to continue with the program. The study will show the difference in spelling grades between those students who participated on the program and those who did not. The results of this study will be disclosed and the conclusion on online gaming as a support tool in learning Spelling will be discussed.