There are many children (and adults) in our society who have dyslexia and it is something that must be normalized in schools to be able to give them the support and the necessary support they need to be able to develop normally in reading and writing. Until not long ago, the topic "dyslexia" in some schools was something strange and difficult to understand, with many boys and girls suffering the negative consequences of this ignorance on the part of teaching professionals. Awareness raising and teacher training have changed this panorama.
But little by little this has been fading and dyslexia is becoming more and more normalized in schools, something that, without a doubt, children are beginning to benefit because they can be helped according to their characteristics and needs. But they should also receive support at home and one way is for parents to help them with homework or also with fun tools such as mobile applications. Game-based learning is a key ally.
What is Piruletras (Dyseggxia)?
Lollipops (Dyseggxia in English) is a game-based mobile application designed for improve reading and writing for children with dyslexia. All of its contents have been scientifically designed based on the analysis of real errors of Spanish-speaking children, combining current pedagogical strategies with research results in speech therapy and cognitive neuroscience. It is available in several languages: Spanish, English and German, so you can practice in your native language or reinforce another language in a playful way.
There is a great app called Lollipops (if you want the English version you'd have to search for it as Dyseggxia), it's also very fun and helps children with dyslexia overcome their reading and comprehension problems. I want to emphasize that children with dyslexia may not learn at the same pace; it may be a bit more difficult for them... but can reach an excellent level comprehension and reading skills if they try hard enough, but above all if they are supported and trusted in their abilities.
What does it consist of and what does it train?
The game is organized in progressive levels (initial, easy, medium, difficult and expert) defined according to the word frequency, its length and its similarity to others. In each language it incorporates around 2.500 exercises, surpassing the 5.000 total. The types of activities address the most common errors:
- Insertion: complete a word that is missing a letter by choosing the correct option.
- Omission: remove the extra letter that appears in the presented word.
- Substitution: Identify and replace a wrong letter with the correct one from among several alternatives.
- Derivation: select the correct suffix to form the appropriate derived word.
- Transposition: sort correctly syllables or letters messy.
- Word hyphenation: identify where they separate several words that appear together.
In addition, the app includes evolution graphs to visualize progress and motivational elements such as accessories to customize a penguin that accompanies the minor, encouraging positive reinforcement.
How to use it at home and in the classroom
Its handling is simple: from the menu «Users» You can create a profile by tapping the icon «+», writing the name and pressing save. The free version allows up to 6 profiles and play in a level; if you want to access all levels, you can unlock with an approximate cost of € 0,99. In section "Evolution" The progress of each user is consulted, something very useful for families and teachers adjust the difficulty and plan support.
In the classroom, it is recommended to combine Lollipops with multisensory interventions (phonological awareness, adapted dictations and guided reading). At home, short and consistent sessions (e.g. 10-15 minutes) help to consolidate skills without tiring. Although it is designed for dyslexia, it is also beneficial for improve spelling and reading accuracy in any child.
Returning to the application, I must say that the exercises are scientifically designed to deal with those reading and writing errors characteristic of the boys and girls with dyslexia, fruit of a study of real cases. It has a large number of exercises and works with such important things as the omission, substitution, derivation or separation of words. This focus on common errors makes the practice really effective.
Availability, languages ​​and compatibility
The app offers exercises in Spanish and English, and can also be played in alemán. It is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Regarding Android, it has been available in testing mode in different stages, so its status may vary depending on the store and time. Feel free to download it at iOs, for Android is still in the testing phase, but we will wait patiently. If it doesn't appear in your store, please check the official website regularly for updates.
Who's behind it and other related tools
Piruletras was developed by Clara Bayarri and driven by the research work of Rello Light, a linguist with personal experience with dyslexia. His work has led to initiatives such as Change Dyslexia and complementary tools such as Dytective (detection and support), DysWebxia (readability improvements) or IDEAL eBook Reader. With this, a resource ecosystem which, together with Piruletras, allows us to address dyslexia from the detection, intervention and accessibility perspective.
Many educational centers and families already use it because converts the practice of reading and writing into a fun experience, with graduated challenges, progress tracking, and a variety of tasks that prevent monotony. The key is in accompany and reinforce the child's achievements, celebrate their progress, and maintain high but realistic expectations.
Technology, when designed with scientific evidence, can be the bridge between motivation and progress. Piruletras is a good example: it respects each child's pace, trains core skills, and offers data to adjust interventions. With school and family support, and the right tools, difficulties are reduced and learning flourishes.