RoboKind Phonics - Overview

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Summary of RoboKind Phonics Focus Group- Spring 2023

Abstract: This paper evaluates the impact of the RoboKind Phonics Beta program on early childhood reading education in special education classrooms across six different schools. The program, which uses a humanoid robot and a multi-sensory approach, was implemented over four weeks. The results showed significant improvements in students' reading skils and attitudes towards reading. DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skils) scores improved, with Correct Letter Sound (CLS) scores increasing from a pre-median of 42.5 to a postmedian of 138, and Whole Words Read (WWR) scores increasing from a pre-median of 11 to a post-median of 46.5. Teacher-reported student engagement rates increased from 70% to 95%, and student self-reported engagement increased from the 71st percentile to the 85th percentile. The study highlights the potential of innovative, research-based programs like RoboKind Phonics to improve early childhood reading education, particularly in special education classrooms. Read the Executive Summary here!

(Link to Phonics Focus Group White Paper)- Focus Group Spring 2023

Summary of Research Supporting the Effectiveness of Ludus Reading  

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(Link to the Full Study) - Ludus Reading is The Earliest Version of RoboKind Phonics

Ludus is a Latin word that means Play. The program includes research supported practices, play-based learning centers, and multisensory input strategies. The study used an embedded qualitative, historical, explanatory, case study design with a dominant quantitative, quasi-experimental pre-post, longitudinal, retrospective design. The purpose of the study was to determine the effectiveness of Ludus Reading -- a new reading program -- in terms of kindergarten students’ reading perceptions and performance between the control and experimental group addressing the problem of illiteracy and aliteracy. Study participants included 73 kindergarten students. The results of the study were statistically significant (alpha = .05). The null hypothesis H1 was rejected (F (1,70)=15.01, p <. 001). Consequently, the experimental group had higher means on KDRA2 (M=9.25, SD=5.11) than the control group (M=5.07, SD=4.25). The null hypothesis H2 was rejected (F (1,69)=6268.69, Wilks Lambda=0.68, p<.001). Therefore, the experimental group had higher means on KDIBELS NWF-CLS (M=53.31, SD=21.51) than the control group (M=32.20, SD=18.99). The sub-null hypotheses were retained, signifying that moderating factors, gender and speech language services, did not influence the students’ reading performance. Qualitative data from learning profiles were explored, and emerging themes indicated that the experimental group enjoyed reading more than the control group because students from the experimental group used more descriptive emotion words to describe reading and expressed a higher intensity level of enjoyment.

Summary of Research Study Supporting the Effectiveness of RoboKind™ Phonics 

(The Research Study will be published in May internationally in the book “Technology for Learning”)

Here is the Link to the Full Research Study

The research study aimed to examine the influence of RoboKind™ Phonics on first-grade students' phonics skills and attitudes toward reading. Over four weeks, eleven 30-minutes lessons were implemented, one-on-one with five students who were identified by the classroom teacher as needing intensive phonics instruction. A quasi-experimental pre-post design was used to examine three research questions comparing the differences between pre-and post-scores when using RoboKind™ Phonics in terms of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELSⓇ) Correct Letter Sound (CLS), DIBELSⓇ Whole Words Read (WWR), and Elementary Reading Attitude Survey [ERAS] scores between the group receiving RoboKind™ Phonics instruction and the control group. 

The results of the study were statistically significant (alpha = .05). The null hypothesis H1 was rejected (F (1,7)= 6.93, p = 0.034). Consequently, the experimental group had higher means on DIBELSⓇ CLS (M=31) than the control group (M=46). Students who received RoboKind™ Phonics were able to identify fifteen more correct letter sounds in a minute than the group of students who did not receive the intervention. 

The null hypothesis H2 was rejected (F (1, 7)= 78397, p<.001). Therefore, the experimental group had higher means on DIBELSⓇ WWR (M=15) than the control group (M=2). After four weeks students in the control group increased from being able to read one Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) in a minute to being able to read two CVC words in a minute. The students (in the beginning of first grade) who received RoboKind™ Phonics, after four-weeks, increased from being able to read one CVC word in a minute to being able to read fifteen CVC words in a minute, which is the goal for the end of second grade.  

The null hypothesis H3 was rejected (F (1,7)= 45.64, p < 0.001). Consequently, the experimental group had higher means on ERAS (M=73, 84^thpercentile) than the control group (M=58, 40^th percentile). The Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) is a reading attitude survey that includes pictures for students to self-report their feelings towards reading. The students in the experimental group reported higher levels of engagement within the 84^th percentile of peers across the nation, and the control group scored within the 40^th percentile of the nation. The students who used who received RoboKind™ Phonics demonstrated higher levels of enjoyment when learning. 

The null hypotheses for Research Questions 1-3 were rejected. The results supported the use of RoboKind™ Phonics to teach phonics because the experimental group demonstrated a statistically significant increase in their ability to decode and a positive attitude toward reading.

Intentional Language Used to Describe Our RoboKind Phonics Program. 

Value Props

• We have two value propositions: One aimed at students and another for teachers.

For Students …

• The research-supported RoboKind Phonics program helps every student learn to read and enjoy the process by activating neural pathways within the whole brain using the first-ever robot teaching assistant, repetition, multisensory, play-based learning experiences. The first program to use I-VAKT (Interactive Technology, Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, and Tactile) Strategies.

For Teachers …

• RoboKind Phonics helps teachers easily transfer the Science of Reading into practice in an innovate way by providing no-prep lesson plans, tips for the instructor, embedded assessments, and teacher directed slides that prompts the robot to act as a teaching assistant. Teachers are treated as professionals who can extend or add additional practice whenever needed in a lesson. Teachers are empowered with an explicit and systematic program without providing the teacher with a script.

Overview of the RoboKind Phonics Level 1

Arrangement of the Lesson

• 30 Minute Structured Lesson

• Intervention (One on One) or Small Group

• 2 Versions (Robot and Virtual Avatar)

• Two Devices are Needed (One for the Student and One for the Facilitator)

  • The Facilitator Drives the Lesson from the Facilitator's Dashboard. The Facilitator can see the instructor directors, student slides, and the Facilitator is able to prompt the robot and camera.

  • The Students are Able to See the Slides When It is Changed by the Instructor

• One Learning Bag Supports Up to Five Students and It Includes

  • Foam Letters (One Set Per Student)

  • LCD Writing Tablet (One Per Student)

  • Reward Jar (One Per Student)

  • Flashcards 

  • I-VAKT Learning Centers

• Every Lesson Includes Six Key Components and Every Lesson Includes Opportunities for Students to Speak, Listen, Read, and Write (4 Main Areas of Literacy Instruction) 

  • Students Practice the Target Sound

  • Students Build the Word

  • Students Practice Writing

  • Students Read

  • Students Use I-VAKT Learning Centers

  • Students Complete Embedded Assessments in Every Lesson

Who Uses RoboKind Phonics Level 1

• The program uses a Universal Design for Learning to help students who need to learn to connect graphemes (a letter or group of letters) to a phoneme (smallest unit of speech). 

• In addition to learning individual phonemes and graphemes, students learn to apply these skills to decode (read) and encode (write) basic syllable types (Open Syllables- Consonant-Vowel, Consonant-Consonant-Vowel and Closed Syllables- Consonant-Vowel-Consonant and Consonant-Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) 

Overview of Scope and Sequence

• The program uses a Structured Literacy Approach that allows the teachers to responsive of the needs of the students. 

• There are four units including focusing on 1) Consonants, 2) Vowels, 3) Closed Syllables, and 4) Open Syllables. 

• The intentional scope and sequence introduces the sounds using a sound wall and focuses on providing the students with direct instruction about how to pronounce the different sound accurately. The students see examples of the how the sounds are produced, and the students practice by looking at their own mouth in the chest screen of the robot or on the device. The vowels are introduced using the vowel valley, and the students learn to visual sounds connected to the jawline when producing the sounds. 

• Full lesson plans and slide decks are provided that are easy-to-use. Instructor tips are provided for each lesson. The lesson plans follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model. 

Easy-To-Use Full Lesson Plans and Assessments 

• The robot or virtual avatar acts as a teaching assistant ten times during a 30-minute lesson to help chunk the lessons into smaller segments and help increase engagement. The robot or virtual avatar provides five prompts with a visual related to the explicit phonics instruction. The robot or virtual avatar provides prompts with rewards. Plus, students have a physical reward jar too. 

• The lesson plans include standards, objectives, assessments, materials, and procedures. 

• The students use a choice-menu to select different multi-sensory (I-VAKT) input strategies to practice words with the targeted sound. The Fry and Dolch Sight Words are included and taught to students to match the targeted sound. 

• Students have the opportunity to use hands-on materials during the lesson with multiple learning centers across various learning modalities. 

• Opportunities for repetition is provided to the students because the teacher can access the camera or different robot prompts whenever needed throughout the lesson.

• The teacher is provided with a Session Report at the End of each lesson. 

Dr. Jessica Redcay (Twitter @RedcayResources, LinkedIn Jessica Redcay, Instagram RedcayResources, Blog Redcay’s Resources) is the author of RoboKind™ Phonics. She has 15 years of classroom experience teaching elementary and English as a Second Language students. In addition, she has experience supporting Autistic Support Classroom, and she has experience overseeing Girls Who Code and Robotic Clubs. During Dr. Redcay’s time as a classroom teacher, she was recognized with the International Teacher of Year Award three times, and she received the Jefferson Award for her service to students in Special Education classrooms. Jessica has five years of experience working as a professor of education and chair of the Teacher Education Department at three different universities. Jessica authored and developed a Master of Education in Educational Leadership program. Dr. Redcay has multiple research publications including Ludus Reading, Virtual Reality Acclimation Model, and STEMoscope Model. In the field of education, Dr. Redcay coined the term I-VAKT to help draw attention to the importance of using Interactive Technology in conjunction with additional multisensory input strategies. She has experience presenting at a number of conferences connected to her various professional affiliations (KDP, DKG, PAECT, KSLA, ISTE, and ITEEA). Dr. Redcay is a certified reading specialist (K-12), LETRS Training (Science of Reading), TESOL (ESL), and four additional certifications. Jessica has served as a Teacher Advisor for the State Board of Education and sub-committees related to STEM and Dyslexia. Dr. Redcay was a member of the NCICU Science of Reading Task Force, and she helped implement LETRS (Science of Reading Training) to Higher Education Institutions Across the State and Helped Allocated Grant Money. Dr. Redcay helped write the Teacher Licensure Exams for Reading as well. Jessica loves connecting research and practice to help empower educators and students to learn and enjoy the process.

Further, the program is being reviewed by multiple specialists to ensure accuracy or the content.  Six partners are piloting the program and providing us with feedback.

RoboKind Phonics was originally Ludus Reading. Various versions of Ludus Reading have evolved over the past decade. Further, in addition to the published research study, Ludus Reading was previously implemented in schools in two different states. The feedback was used to create different versions of the program. Feedback and adaptations to the program were made from feedback from general and special education teachers who used the program.