Testing the Effects of GraphoGame Against a Computer-Assisted Math Intervention in Primary School

ABSTRACT

Purpose

This study was designed to assess the efficiency of a French version of GraphoGame (GG) against an equally engaging math intervention (Fiete Math, FM) in a large school sample of children from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods in grade 1 (N = 921).

Method

The intervention was implemented in two different cohorts who used GG or FM for about four months four times a week for 30 minutes. Gains in reading and mathematics were assessed before and after intervention. Given the nested nature of the data, results were analyzed using hierarchical linear mixed effect models with intervention and initial pretest level as fixed effects and individuals and classes as random effects.

Results

We found positive intervention effects of GG on phoneme awareness (effect size, ES = 0.23), orthographic choice (ES = 0.27) and word reading fluency (ES = 0.18). FM had a significant effect on math achievement (ES = 0.28) but not number comparison. Correlations between intervention gains and game variables (overall accuracy, number of levels played) suggest that the effects of GG were specific.

Conclusions

Positive effects for focused digital reading and math interventions were found in a large school sample of children from socially disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Acknowledgments

We thank all participants and teachers for their participation and the school authorities for their support. Thanks are extended to Jacques Ginestié, Karine Télouk, and Jean-Louis Leydet who helped at various stages of the project, to Pascal Bressoux and Laurent Lima for their advice on statistical analyses, to Iivo Kapanen and Mika Halttunen for their help with the implementation of GG, and to Jesper Ryynänen and the GraphoGame Group Ldt for their support. We finally thank three anonymous reviewers who provided very helpful suggestions.

Ethics approval statement

All participants and their legal guardians gave their informed consent and children gave their assent prior to their inclusion in the study. The present study conforms to recognized standards of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Aix-Marseille University.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Hedges’s g was calculated as the difference in gain (pretest to posttest) between the GG and control groups divided by the pooled standard deviation.

2. The French version of GG is freely available in France and French-speaking territories on google play and apple store. It can be downloaded in all other countries for a small fee.

3. In grade 1 and 2, the size of a class in PEAs in France has been reduced to 12 children per class in 2018.

Additional information

Funding

This research has been supported by the French National Agency for Research (ANR) through the GraphoGame project (ANR-13-APPR-0003), the eFRAN Lemon project, the Institute of Convergence ILCB (ANR-16-CONV-0002) and the Excellence Initiative of Aix-Marseille University A*MIDEX (ANR-11-IDEX-0001-02). The work that led to this publication has also been supported by AMPIRIC, a center of excellence on research in education and teacher training.