title: GraphoGame - a catalyst for multi-level promotion of literacy in diverse contexts.
abstract: GraphoGame (GG) is originally a technology-based intervention method for supporting children with reading difficulties. It is now known that children who face problems in reading acquisition have difficulties in learning to differentiate and manipulate speech sounds and consequently, in connecting these sounds to corresponding letters. GG was developed to provide intensive training in matching speech sounds and larger units of speech to their written counterparts. GG has been shown to benefit children with reading difficulties and the game is now available for all Finnish school children for literacy support. Presently millions of children in Africa fail to learn to read despite years of primary school education. As many African languages have transparent writing systems similar in structure to Finnish, it was hypothesized that GG-based training of letter-sound correspondences could also be effective in supporting children's learning in African countries. In this article we will describe how GG has been developed from a Finnish dyslexia prevention game to an intervention method that can be used not only to improve children's reading performance but also to raise teachers' and parents' awareness of the development of reading skill and effective reading instruction methods. We will also provide an overview of the GG activities in Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Namibia, and the potential to promote education for all with a combination of scientific research and mobile learning.
authors.affiliation: Agora Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland ; Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ojanen
authors.affiliation: Agora Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland.
authors.forename: Miia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ronimus
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland ; Niilo Mäki Institute, Jyväskylä Finland.
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ahonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland ; Department of Psychology, University of Zambia, Lusaka Zambia.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chansa-Kabali
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Psychology and Inclusive Education, University of Namibia, Windhoek Namibia.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: February
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland ; Department of Psychology, University of Zambia, Lusaka Zambia.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jere-Folotiya
authors.affiliation: Agora Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland ; Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland.
authors.forename: Karri-Pekka
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Kauppinen
authors.affiliation: Niilo Mäki Institute, Jyväskylä Finland ; Department of Teacher Education, University of Helsinki, Helsinki Finland.
authors.forename: Ritva
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ketonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Education, Sebastian Kolowa Memorial University, Lushoto Tanzania.
authors.forename: Damaris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ngorosho
authors.affiliation: Agora Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland.
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pitkänen
authors.affiliation: Agora Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland ; Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puhakka
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland ; Read to Succeed, Lusaka Zambia.
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sampa
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational Psychology, Sociology and Special Education, University of Zambia, Lusaka Zambia.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Walubita
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland ; Zambia National Union of Teachers, Lusaka Zambia.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yalukanda
authors.affiliation: Haskins Laboratories, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pugh
authors.affiliation: Agora Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland.
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Zambia, Lusaka Zambia.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Serpell
authors.affiliation: Agora Center, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland ; Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä Finland ; Niilo Mäki Institute, Jyväskylä Finland.
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lyytinen
keywords: Africa; GraphoGame; game-based learning; literacy; mobile technology; reading intervention