Computer-Assisted Reading and Spelling Intervention with Graphogame Fluent Portuguese.

Learning to master reading and spelling can be assisted by communication technologies, ever more common among children. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a new science-based computer-assisted intervention could improve reading and spelling in 2nd graders at risk to fail literacy acquisition. Participants were 7-year-old monolingual children identified as having reading difficulties in their native language, Portuguese. Following neurocognitive assessment, the children were divided into two matched groups (N = 15 × 2), one to be trained with Graphogame Fluent Portuguese that we developed (target intervention) and the other with an analogous Graphogame in mathematics (control intervention) as supplement to regular classroom instruction. After 7-h training, the target group made greater progress in reading and spelling than the control group. These results show that Graphogame Fluent Portuguese allowed struggling beginning readers to improve reading and spelling and thus is a promising tool for early intervention in reading difficulties in Portuguese.