Effective Literacy Website #6: Teach Your Monster To Read

Gerilyn Ilao
ED 638 Fall Intersession 2018
Dr. M. Rivera
IRA Newsletter Project: Effective Literacy Website #6

Teach Your Monster To Read(https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/) claims to be a groundbreaking game that makes learning to read fun. It was created by the Usbourne Foundation in collaboration with the University of Roehampton in London to help with the reading crisis that is going on today. It was nominated by BAFTA for the British Academy Childrens Awards, won gold in the 2012 Primary Teacher Awards, was a finalist for the 2013 BETT Awards, and was shortlisted for the 2013 Junior Design Awards. It covers everything: from letters and sounds to reading full sentences. It was designed in collaboration with leading academics. It complements all synthetic phonics programs used in schools.

Here are some of the benefits of Teach Your Monster To Read. First, I think people like this website for their children/students because it is free. I like how this website is very appealing to the students. It includes monsters as their avatars, which they are able to create, so they are able to play as a monster, which I believe many students enjoy. Another thing that I really like about the website is that it is interactive. The game starts off told in a story, which reels the students in for an adventure. Your monster then comes across a problem and has to do certain tasks in order to solve it. These tasks involve sound and letter recognition, to blending, to segmenting, and to reading full sentences as the child progresses. When the tasks have been solved, a prize will be given to your monster. These prizes include accessories that your monster could wear throughout the game. There is also a section for teachers to look through and read about ways to incorporate this program in your classroom.

Here are some downsides that I discovered: there really is not that much wrong with it. The only thing that was difficult about using the website was the type of device you are playing on. I have a laptop with a mousepad and I think it would be hard for a child to try to play the games with the mousepad. They would need a detachable mouse to use so it is easier for them. Another device that would be easier for them to use to play this game (and it is available to play on these devices) are iPhones, iPads, Kindle and Android tablets.

Overall, I believe this website would benefit any student when first learning how to read. It has an impressive track record in being an effective program where children can improve on their reading. It is free, fun, and engaging and when I have my own children and when it comes to that time to teach them how to read, I will definitely consider this website as a starter.