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FUNetix® 12 Hour Reading App:
Multi-Family Case Study Phase 1 Analysis

(4 Families)

Created by: Patricia Ho and Elyssa Tong 2021

 

 

 

Introduction

 

Background

 

The United States and other English-speaking countries are experiencing catastrophic literacy failure among their schoolchildren in excess of 60%.  Since 2000, more than 20 million children have dropped out of American public schools with effectively zero reading skills, and 20 million more are poised to follow unless immediate, scalable intervention is forthcoming.

 

Method

 

In 2003, a father, and former Spanish and Arabic linguist in the U.S. Army, desperate to teach his 8-year-old son how to read, turned to an ancient (but still in use today) orthographic pronunciation protocol (used for more than 2,000 years by the Greeks, and more than 1,000 years by the Arabs, Hebrews, Persians and others), called “diacritics,” and applied it to English.

 

Results

 

The effects were immediate and remarkable, enabling the boy to learn how to read in just 12 hours of total instruction, over a period of six weeks. Extensive research and testing of the now, patented, FUNetix® reading curriculum, with thousands of children from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, over the past 20 years, has resulted in continuous replication of the initial results, namely, that virtually any English speaking child, ages 6-9, can learn how to read English to a 2nd grade level, in just 12 hours.

 

Conclusion

 

As applied to the tens of millions of children, especially from the most underprivileged and underserved communities in the United States, this new literacy acquisition technology, now in the form of a 100% free app, called the FUNetix® 12 Hour Reading App™, promises to fundamentally change lives by turning 80% failure rates in many inner city classrooms, to 97+% success rates, thereby liberating millions of American children from a lifelong burden of illiteracy, while bringing hope to millions more worldwide.  The potential, benevolent personal, social and economic downstream effects of this revolution in English literacy acquisition, are incalculable.

 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

Table of Contents                                                                                                      2

Summary                                                                                                                     3

Learn & Earn                                                                                                                         4

Research Methodology                                                                                                     5

Learn & Earn Program: Live App Testing Timeline                                                     7

Learn & Earn Participants                                                                                                 8

Phase One (May - December 2021)                                                                       10

Background                                                                                                                         10

Testing Metrics                                                                                                                    11

Testing Constraints                                                                                                             11

Main Observations                                                                                                              11

Analysis & Synthesis                                                                                                 13

Results                                                                                                                                   16

Improvements                                                                                                                     17

Conclusion of Phase 1 (May-Dec ‘21) Testing                                                       18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary

 

FUNetix® is a patented, science-based reading program developed by the American Youth Literacy Foundation 501 c 3 in 2003 and continually tested and modified based on real-world use, observations and feedback from thousands of children, in real-world home, school and after school environments, and including families from virtually every socio-economic and demographic background in the United States.

 

After 12 years of testing, the FUNetix curriculum was converted to a digital learning experience called the FUNetix® 12 Hour Reading App™.  Work on the app began in 2015 and Version 1.0 went live in the Google Play store just days prior to Thanksgiving, 2020, followed by a launch in the App Store in January, 2021.  The app launched in the Amazon App Store for Amazon Fire tablets in July of 2021.  An additional version of the app for Google Chromebook launched in the Google Play Store in August, 2022.

 

The app is designed to teach children how to read in 12 hours, using the patented “FUNetix Phonemic Decoding System,” which utilizes a set of visual pictograms, deployed as diacritic symbols above words, that help children “see” the hidden sounds in any (and every) English word. FUNetix uses twenty-five “sound symbols,” along with nineteen consonants from the Alphabet to create the American English Phonibet®, a list of all 44 sounds in the American English language.  FUNetix uses the Phonibet as an intensive, but fun way to master phonemic awareness and phonics, which, together, form the bedrock of English reading pedagogy.

 

The app is divided into 40 progressive learning modules.  Each module contains approximately 35-65 individual screens of learning content (more than 2,300 screens in all) and is designed to teach children how to read to a 2nd grade level with minimal adult supervision required.

 

The app is gamified but is not a video game. It is also fully narrated and contains tasteful, non-frenetic animation throughout, as a learning aid.  The app is fully interactive and requires that a choice be made on every screen in order to progress from Module 1 to the final graduation ceremony at the end of Module 40.  Children receive digital prizes (coins, treasure, animated characters and sound effects) to encourage them to maintain steady progress, with the final prize being a well-earned, FUNetix Koala Reading Trophy, when they complete the final module.

 

Children read twenty-one books within the app, starting at a kindergarten level and progressing to a 2nd grade level.  Both the narrator and learning support tools (the Magic Hat Button and the 21E Secret Code Button) help users decode novel words that they encounter within the books and within the activities of the app.  Upon completion of the app, children are invited to continue using the “Wonderful Content Library of All Known Things,” which is an additional feature of the app containing digital books, games, puzzles, songs and other reading material, and which is only unlocked after completion of all 40 modules.

 

Learn & Earn

To monitor User eXperienc (UX) of the new, digital version of the FUNetix reading system, the Learn & Earn Program was officially launched in 2021 to invite families to participate in unmoderated, remote usability testing of the FUNetix app. Facilitated by FUNetix’s UX/ Live Testing team, the Learn & Earn program gathers comprehensive video data of children learning how to read in 12 hours using the FUNetix app, and analyzes and implements technical and curriculum-based insights vis a vis the app, in order to further enhance the overall app user experience.

 

A monetary stipend is rewarded to selected participants who complete the Learn & Earn program. Participating families provide consent for both the parent(s) and child to be video recorded during a series of interviews and throughout the live learning sessions (all 40 modules).

 

Through live testing and research, the Learn & Earn program has sought to:

  • Evaluate the overall effectiveness of integrating the FUNetix reading curriculum into a mobile application that teaches children how to read. Sample questions that we have posed and attempted to answer include:
    • How visible and obvious is the change in reading ability of a child before, during and after using FUNetix?
      • Are there any changes to participant’s attitude towards reading before, during and after using FUNetix?
    • Were participants able to progress through the program with only minimal parental intervention or supervision?
      • How do parents’ and children’s attitudes towards the app, and their behaviors relative to the app, change as they progress through the program?
    • Are all participants able to progress to the end of the FUNetix? If not, what factors contribute to their cessation of use.
    • Can we uncover and correct any app usability issues through children’s interactions with the FUNetix app.
    • Is the flow of the modules and their content intuitive for the participants?
    • Are functions of all the buttons known and intuitive for the participants?
      • Do participants know what each button does? (Do they know of/use the Magic Hat Button at appropriate times? Do they know what to press to hear the narrator’s instructions again? etc.)
    • Can participants progress through the modules effortlessly, or are there any unintended distractions from the design or flow of the app that need to be addressed?
    • Can we discover opportunities to improve the interactivity of FUNetix in order to enhance the overall endUser eXperience.
    • When do participants seem most engaged or excited while using FUNetix and how can that information be used to improve the app?
    • What other features could be added, based on endUser feedback, to enhance participant experience and engagement? How can we make the experience more seamless, effortless and enjoyable wherever possible?
    • How do families hear about FUNetix? What makes them want to use FUNetix rather than other reading apps and curricula on the market?

 

Research Methodology

The Learn & Earn program spans over an average of 14 weeks. Prior to being selected, each family completes a Learn & Earn Application, a form used to determine whether a child meets certain testing criteria. (See the Learn & Earn Participants section.) Based on survey results, selected participants are invited to join in the Learn & Earn program and are rewarded with a $1,000 stipend broken into four installments and paid upon completion of portions of the app.

 

The Learn & Earn program incorporates a variety of research methods, including preliminary student assessments, interviews between participants and one or more UX team members, feedback surveys, and recorded videos of unmoderated, remote testing sessions with the child using the FUNetix reading app. These research methods are used for every participating family in order to provide the FUNetix UX team with real, unmoderated, unedited user feedback and observations on the FUNetix app. The primary tools used for the Learn & Earn program’s research include Loop11 (an online, remote user testing tool for capturing screen video and front facing camera of participants’ interactions with the FUNetix app) and Zoom, a video conferencing software for user interviews.

 

The Learn & Earn program consists of test participants playing the FUNetix app in their own homes. As participating children interact with the FUNetix app, parents are advised to actively supervise and observe their child on an as-needed basis.  Some parents are more engaging than others and some children require more supervision than others.  Our approach has been to let parents decide, unless and until it becomes obvious to the UX team that the child needs additional supervisory support.  In no case are parents asked to or required to “teach” their child how to read. They are only asked to ensure that the child is listening to the narrator and making choices on each screen, as necessary, to progress through the learning modules.

 

Research MethodsDescriptionTool
Student AssessmentA preliminary student assessment sent out to families prior to the start of the Learn & Earn program. Selected participants must agree to be recorded as their child reads the student assessment material. The results of each student assessment provides the UX team with a deeper understanding of the child’s reading level prior to starting FUNetix.Loop11
User InterviewsFour interviews are conducted throughout the Learn & Earn program. Interviews are used to track participants’ progress and feedback prior to, during, and after they use the FUNetix app.Zoom
Unmoderated, remote usability testingThroughout the Learn & Earn program, families test the FUNetix app through Loop11, which records their remote video sessions. These video recordings are used by the FUNetix UX team to observe the children’s progress and identify any technical and/or curriculum issues and areas of opportunity to improve the app.Loop11
Feedback surveysFeedback surveys are sent at the end of the FUNetix program. Responses are collected, allowing families to provide overall feedback, concerns, and sentiments.Google Forms
Six month follow up

 

The FUNetix app is designed to be consumed in 12 hours over a period of 8-14 weeks, with children completing modules 2-3 times per week. Some families may choose to move at a faster rate, however, FUNetix discourages families from moving at a slower rate unless the child is 5 years old, or has learning differences or other reasons for not being able to assimilate the material in a timely manner.  A timeline is created to ensure families and the UX team are meeting certain benchmarks:

 

Learn & Earn Program: Live App Testing Timeline

 

  1. Student Assessment
  2. Tranche 1
    1. Interview 1 with participants
    2. Part 1 (Modules 1 - 6)
  3. Tranche 2
    1. Interview 2
    2. Part 2 (Modules 7 - 14)
  4. Tranche 3
    1. Interview 3
    2. Part 3 (Modules 15 - 27)
  5. Tranche 4
    1. Interview 4
    2. Part 4 (Modules 28 - 40)
  6. Tranche 5
    1. Final Interview
    2. Final Assessment Survey
    3. Post-Follow Up

Learn & Earn Participants

The Learn & Earn study recruits families and children based on the age and reading level of the child.

A potential participant pool is gathered through a survey, posted on volunteer boards, to gauge interest in participating in user testing (click here to view survey). Participants are chosen from this pool of respondents if they meet all of the following criteria:

  1. Parent believes that child’s reading level is significantly lower than their grade level.
  2. Parent believes that child’s English speaking and listening skills are average or above average for their age.
  3. Child’s assessed reading level is significantly lower than their grade level.

 

Candidates who are selected are primarily between ages five and nine, and are between entering their first semester of first grade, to any semester of the third grade. This age range of students is selected in order to provide intervention with children and families during a critical time of the child’s educational development, where they have all the potential to develop a solid foundation in reading and learning in order to stay on track with their peers, but may not have yet received the necessary tools to do so.

 

Children in younger age ranges and grade levels are excluded as they likely do not have the speaking and listening skills, nor the working vocabulary necessary to progress through the curriculum, and may be at an age where they are not fully neurocognitively developed and ready for reading. Meanwhile, children in higher grade levels are often excluded as the app is designed to teach up to only a second grade reading level, and may not be as relevant to students who have progressed beyond this stage.

 

Survey respondents are automatically excluded as potential participants if they report the following:

  • Parent/Guardian reporting child does not have fluency in English.

The current FUNetix app is built with verbal instructions only in English; and basic English fluency is required to progress through the app. At this time of testing, user experience of the app is not being measured against individuals where English is not their primary language.

  • Parent/Guardian reporting they are not comfortable with downloading extensions.

FUNetix Live Testing utilizes the remote usability testing service Loop11 which requires an internet browser extension to properly function. Participants not willing to download this extension will not be able to participate in remote user testing.

 

Phase One (May - December 2021)

Background

From May to December 2020, the UX Live testing team recruited and screened families for the first round of FUNetix live testing, resulting in four out of seven families completing the FUNetix Learn & Earn program. Initially, the program started with seven families who participated in the Student Assessment and/or began live testing. However, three families had eventually dropped out of the testing program due to lack of participation and personal reasons.

 

In the first phase of the Learn & Earn program, each family had different start and end dates based on the self-paced nature of remote testing and participating families’ availability. Within each family, one child between the ages of 6-8 participated in recorded, unmoderated remote test sessions using the FUNetix application.

 

Prior to starting the Learn & Earn program, each child participant struggled with reading at their grade level. Parents expressed their concerns with their child’s reading abilities during preliminary interviews with the FUNetix UX Live testing team. “There is a lack of tutoring outside of the classroom,” one parent mentioned during their first interview. With the limitations of virtual learning and changes in environment affecting their child’s reading capabilities, all four of the participating parents were hopeful in finding an outside resource to help their child improve their reading skills and comprehension.

 

Testing Timelines for Phase One Families (4)

  • Family 1: May — August 2021
  • Family 2: May — September 2021
  • Family 3: June — December 2021
  • Family 4: June — December 2021

 

Testing Metrics

In every family’s live testing journey, each child’s reading progress was closely documented and analyzed based on video recordings and interview sessions. With recordings of a child’s interaction with the FUNetix app in their home environment, the UX Live Testing team observed each child’s reading progress based on: (1) Confidence: To track the child’s ability and conviction to maintain a positive mindset throughout their FUNetix journey. (2) Attentiveness: To track how engaged a child is with FUNetix curriculum and content. (3) Fluency: To understand how well a child reads and understands reading content (reading at grade/age level). (4) Phonemic Awareness: To understand a child's ability and knowledge to use letter-sound relationships to decode, spell, and read words.

 

Recorded video sessions provided insights on potential app improvements, usability issues, and the frequency and variety of parent interventions to aid their child as they used the FUNetix app.

 

Testing Constraints

Some participants needing constant reminders and nudging from FUNetix Founder and Researchers

  • Impacts the data slightly as intervention could skew when families might naturally stop using the app.
  • Throughout the testing period, the payment plan for families participating in the Learn & Earn program changed slightly. (Impact unknown)

 

Remote, unmoderated testing

  • Affected what devices we were seeing being used since a chrome extension was needed.
  • Delayed interventions due to asynchronous monitoring

 

 

 

 

Main Observations:

 

Student Assessment:

  • 1 of 4 children had difficulty reading the first sentence of the student assessment
  • 0 of 4 children were able to fluently read the second sentence
  • 3 of 4 children exhibited observable lack of confidence in reading (2 struggling to project their voice/not fully reading aloud, 1 unsure if they’ve read a word correctly even when they did sound it out correctly)
  • All received help from parents when struggling through the assessment

Tranche 1 (M1-6):

  • All children find initial modules enjoyable and lessons easy to understand
  • 2 of 4 children would at times seem restless (1 depending on how modules were being done, 1 possibly due to background noise/distractions)
  • The UI and characters help to initially engage 3 of the children with the app
  • All children want to continue to next modules after completing last module in tranche

Tranche 2 (M7-14):

  • All children seem to still enjoy the modules in this tranche, with one stating it makes learning easier than school
  • 3 of 4 children noticeably struggle a little with attention due to either issues with modules loading too slowly while “Pubbly” logo placeholder displays progress, fatigue from doing too many modules in one sitting, or not having parent around to help when they were stuck

Tranche 3 (M15-27):

  • All children are observed to have a strong grasp of the diacritics and can easily recognize them and their corresponding sounds
  • 2 of 4 children have concentration issues with modules in the middle portion of this tranche, but are able to get through later modules more easily due to some behavioral changes of the family (one has increased parental involvement, one reduced number of modules done per week)
  • The two 6-year-old participants struggled and would get intimidated when words and sentences in the later modules got longer and more complicated

Tranche4 (M28-40):

  • All children are reading full sentences and more complex words significantly more fluently and confidently than what was observed in the student assessment
  • 3 of 4 children show continued use of learning support tools (FUNetix diacritics and 21E phonetic code (both available as buttons built into the screen UI); 1 of 4 children seems uncertain when diacritics are placed on top of the English

 

Full Individual Family Analysis available upon request:

 

  • Shari and Ethan
  • Morgan and Kynlee
  • Markita and Nicholas
  • Maria and Gabriella

 

 

Analysis & Synthesis

All children showed an objectively, significantly noticeable improvement in fluency after completing all 12 hours of the app, and were able to successfully read the 2nd grade level stories in the latter half of the curriculum. Most showed a positive attitude toward activating the diacritics on an as-needed basis as a learning support tool while reading.  There was a significant, observable improvement from the early struggles that all students had when reading the second sentence and later sentences of the Student Assessment (which were 1st grade level material). All families expressed at the end of FUNetix that their children were more curious and excited to read, with 2 of 4 stating FUNetix helped provide a tool to describe sounds in English, and 3 of 4 families voicing that they felt FUNetix was helpful even 5 months after completion.

 

Children can experience fatigue when doing multiple modules. There seemed to be a correlation between children’s mood and attention, and the number of modules they were doing. Even if children express excitement to continue to do modules, doing multiple modules at one time often leads to decreased concentration and more instances of frustration and lower mood. When this occurs, decreasing the number of modules done can improve mood and concentration and overall experience, even if it slows the journey down.  The instructions for parents indicate 1-2 modules, 2-3 times per week.  Each module takes approximately 25 minutes, but some children require longer per module and thus, multiple modules can exceed the recommended total time per session of 40 minutes.

 

Younger children struggled more in later modules. The two 6-year-old children both had difficulties in later modules when words and sentences got longer. In these instances, additional support and encouragement helped to get them through the modules. Regardless of age, the children were more likely to struggle to sound out words that they did not know or understand.

 

Suggestion(s):

  • Utilize what the UX Research Team has observed through live testing to communicate to parents what they can expect their children to experience throughout their FUNetix journey. Possible avenues to do this can be through a “customer journey map” or through a video assuring that challenges and struggles, especially in later modules, are normal.
  • Clearly communicate other positives that FUNetix provides based on observations through the live testing, apart from being able to read (i.e. a new tool to discuss sounds in the English language, children’s increased curiosity and interest in reading).
  • Including additional tools to help with comprehension, such as an in-module dictionary or link to external, child friendly dictionary.

 

Parental supervision is valuable in helping children optimize their success in their FUNetix Journey. All children are different, so supervisory responsibilities will vary.  Whether it is helping keep their children on track, explaining concepts or words they do not understand, or motivating and encouraging them when they get frustrated or stuck, having some measure of support was instrumental for all the children to complete FUNetix, especially in the later Tranches 3 and 4.

 

Additional tools give children more confidence to read independently without parental interventions. Tools like the Magic Hat Button, the 21E® Button or the Diacritics Cheat Sheet that was provided to some families in the middle of the study helped give the children greater confidence and ability to read independently. Children who were aware of these resources would often utilize them without prompt from their parents to try and figure out how to sound out words themselves. And families who were not aware of these resources or functions in the app, would express a desire to have these resources provided to them throughout their FUNetix journey.

 

Suggestion(s):

  • Provide in-app encouragement or prompting. If the app senses that a user has been sitting on a page for a certain amount of time without any progressive interactions (e.g. picking a correct answer, pressing the Magic Hat Button, pressing the Blue Arrow Button), there is a verbal prompt or sound effect to encourage the user to use helpful tools within the app, or to provide positive reinforcement or encouragement to continue.

 

 

Games are a motivating factor to complete modules. When the children are getting bored or losing interest in the module they are doing, the promise of a game at the end motivates them to get through it. Many of the modules have games at the end.  Parents are seen using this fact to help encourage the children to finish. Children will often express disappointment if there is no game at the end of a module, especially in the later modules.

 

Suggestion(s):

  • Verbal instructions in the middle of longer modules informing children that they can play a game at the end may help encourage some children to continue.
  • Do further research as to whether it would be beneficial to include more games, especially in later modules.

 

 

Small animations help re-engage children interacting with each module. If children seem to be losing focus or seem less engaged, animations in the stories, periphery of the page, or at the end of the module seem to re-engage their interest and attention. Sometimes children will try to play the animations multiple times, turning it into a distraction, but often this helps to refocus them. Especially during the later modules which include more repetitive activities and longer stories.

 

Suggestions:

  • Do further research as to whether it would be beneficial to include more animations. And if so, where.

 

 

Children pay close attention to interface details. Children express excitement and interest in the colors and animal characters in the initial modules, paying attention to small details within the UI and commenting on images shown throughout the app. This also causes some distractions when images do not fully match or correspond with participants' image of how certain words should be represented.

 

Additional testing is needed. Socio-economic and other nuances of participant identity and experience were likely included but not explicitly tested and accounted for when recruiting and testing participants. Due to Loop11’s incompatibility with many devices, all participants at least had to have access to a computer and basic internet; and had to have at least one parent available to monitor and help them through most of their journey. This experience may not be the case with many of FUNetix’s target audience. Issues regarding being able to process important visual details on the screen (one child being uncertain about the use of diacritics on top of English, and one child having difficulty seeing details of images when presented as game icons) may create a need for additional attention to accessibility issues.

 

Suggestions:

  • Conduct further testing of the FUNetix app, (note: ongoing testing for the past 3 years has included a multitude of new families (case study analysis to be added over time)) focusing on outcomes of children with diverse backgrounds and experiences
  • Design testing to include additional participants
  • Make sure images and the words/sentences they are representing, correspond with the user's mental models to avoid unnecessary distractions. This can be done through further research, or continued observations in the live testing.
  • Correct any typos or errors on an ongoing basis
  • Test scalability of pages on various screen sizes (i.e. tablet and mobile), and test possible accessibility issues in the UI to build accommodations

 

Results

Phase One of the Learn & Earn program was completed in December 2021 and provided the UX Live Testing team affirmations, insights, and opportunities for the future of the FUNetix app. In the final interviews with the four families after they completed their FUNetix journeys, each parent shared their optimistic feelings on how FUNetix had helped improve their children’s reading ability and confidence.

 

Final Interview Quotes:

  • “I feel like it’s helped her develop more of a love for reading. I feel like it’s also helped her with even just her writing in English. She’s able to read and she’s more confident in things.”
  • “[FUNetix] is a reading program that uses symbols to represent sounds. And the symbols basically, once they learn them, it simplifies words.”
  • “We wouldn’t be able to do this without FUNetix. Now I want to use it on my own five-year-old too.”

 

Post-Survey Assessment

To better understand each family’s experience with FUNetix and the Learn & Earn testing program, a post-survey assessment was sent to families to provide feedback. All four families rated high marks regarding their children’s reading confidence, enthusiasm for reading, reading comprehension, and overall app and curriculum effectiveness:

 

  • On a scale from 1 - 5 (1 = Not Very Confident and 5 = Very Confident), families selected a range between 4 - 5 when asked about their child’s confidence levels in reading after completing the FUNetix app.
  • On a scale from 1 - 5 (1 = Not Very Enthusiastic and 5 = Very Enthusiastic), all four families selected 5 when asked about their child’s enthusiasm for reading after completing the FUNetix app.
  • On a scale from 1 - 10 (1 = Low Understanding and 10 = High Understanding), families scored an average of 9 when asked about how their child’s reading comprehension skills improved after completing the FUNetix app.
  • On a scale from 1 - 10 (1 = Not Very Effective and 5 = Very Effective), families scored an average of 9.75 when asked about how effective the FUNetix app taught their child how to read.
  • On a scale from 1 - 10 (1 = Not Very Confident and 10 = Very Confident), families scored an average of 9.5 when asked about their own confidence in their child’s ability to continue staying at or above their grade level in reading.
  • On a scale from 1 - 10 (1 = Not Very Likely and 10 = Very Likely), families selected 10 when asked about the likelihood of them recommending and sharing the FUNetix app with others.

 

Improvements

Phase One of the FUNetix live application testing resulted in the UX live testing team uncovering several observations that influenced changes within the FUNetix app. Observations on each of the four families were categorized based on user experience and technical observations with the app, and the child’s cross-interactions with the app and their parents, such as moments when parents intervene with child’s interactions with the app (ex: to guide child in an activity). Analysis of each family resulted in a collection of typographical errors and “narration not aligning properly with image” errors that were sent to Pubbly, American Youth Literacy Foundation’s (AYLF’s) engineering partner, who made corrections to those errors.  The team found that these errors were minimal, yet still slightly influenced the way the children were interacting with the application, especially when they couldn’t associate certain images with their labels. (Ex: image of a chick but the label says differently).

Some improvements to the app included adding a “speech bubble” in the Ostrich Game (seen in Module 6). This change was influenced based on testing observations and user interview sessions. Many parents mentioned that they wished the Ostrich Game included a feature that would allow children the ability to relisten to directions to help them accomplish the game’s tasks.

 

Based on child and parent observations and feedback, the “speech bubble” was added for additional post- “phase one” testing.

 

Despite the minor UX and technical changes, overall, the results demonstrated how there were no major barriers in the FUNetix app’s overall functionality and effectiveness for teaching children how to read with the diacritic symbols.

 

 

Conclusion of Phase 1 (May-Dec ‘21) Testing

FUNetix, as a reading app, overall succeeds in its goal to translate an in-person, analogue curriculum, to an interactive digital application. All participants who were able to complete the testing showed significant improvement in their ability to read, read the final 2nd grade level stories in the app successfully, and throughout, expressed a growing curiosity and confidence towards reading.

All participating families provided overall positive sentiments after completing all modules of the FUNetix reading app, and still had overall positive sentiments even 3 months after completing the app. Observations from the UX Research Team show areas the program can improve to better inform parental expectations, increase child engagement, and decrease possibilities for future families to drop off from using the program.

Additionally, the UX Research Team identified opportunities for continued research.  Additional families have continued to participate in Phase 2 research and those families include a range of additional user experiences, including, but not limited to: socio-economic status, disability status, and home/family dynamics.

Due to funding and resource constraints of the American Youth Literacy Foundation, the UX Research Team is aware of the limitations the organization faces with respect to making engineering changes to the existing app. The observations, analysis, and suggestions provided in this report are to help prioritize what new features may be the most useful for future iterations, and to help support any possible decisions the organization may seek to implement, in order to improve user experience both outside of the app and within the app, to include, but not limited to, downloadable materials and YouTube-style videos for training, orientation, and ongoing support of parents, teachers and tutors.

 

The American Youth Literacy Foundation, 501(c)(3), dba FUNetix, is a nationwide, charitable non-profit dedicated to bringing literacy to every child before they reach the end of 3rd grade. Contact: info@funetix.org. EIN 26-3211521. 10 N. Main Street, Phoenixville, PA 19460, (484)744-9742