FEED THE MONSTER

To achieve our goal, the Living First Language Platform combines are range of complementary place-based and digital activities.

This fact sheet answers some of the most common questions about the games based on the Feed the Monster (open source) project which are in Australian First Languages, including:

• Malpanya mai uwa (Pitjantjatjara),

• Arranji yukurnukku jinta (Warumungu) and

• Magur Disisir (Erub).

What is Feed the Monster?

Feed the Monster is a fun, award-winning literacy game that helps children learn to read. As the availability of smartphones increases throughout the world, mobile games are becoming useful tools to assist children in their literacy learning through self-guided educational apps. 

The Feed the Monster (open source) game was first developed in Arabic in 2017 and was used to teach basic literacy skills to Syrian refugee children. The game is now available in 45+ languages.

The  Pitjantjatjara game - titled Malpa-nya mai uwa - was the first Feed the Monster version in an Australian Indigenous language. Android and iOS versions of the game are now available.

• Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.alnf.ftmpitjantjatjara

• iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mamunya-mai-uwa-pitjantjatjara/id1578862148

Further versions of the game in other Australian First Languages will be available in the near future.

How does Feed the Monster work?

Feed the Monster teaches children to recognise sounds and read letters, syllables and simple words. The game helps children develop a foundational understanding of literacy in a sequenced manner. Children develop mastery of a small group of letters along with sample words, before learning a new group of letters and words. Further levels will be added over time of increasing complexity.

For each group of letters and words, the child advances through the following stages:

• Each letter and its sound is presented. The child “feeds” the monster the matching letter.

• A word is shown on screen and the sound of the first letter is highlighted. The child must identify the first letter of the word and “feed” the monster this letter. 

• A word is shown on screen along with audio and the whole word is highlighted for the child to spell in the correct order. 

• More advanced levels (e.g., Levels 14 and 19) also require the child to identify letters and word spellings based on only audio prompts. 

If the child selects the correct answer, the monster looks happy and an encouraging response in Language - such as Pitjantjatjara - is heard. If the answer is incorrect, the monster spits out the answer and the child moves on to the next challenge. Players receive points for the speed and accuracy of their answers, and there are different monsters to unlock as the child progresses through the levels. The app is able to save progress of up to four children/learners.

Which letters and words are assessed?

For instance, the Pitjantjatjara letters and words taught at each level are outlined below. Players can attempt any level and are not required to start at level one. This allows users to jump to levels that are appropriate for the child. 

Is there evidence that Feed the Monster improves literacy learning?

A 2018 impact evaluation of Feed the Monster was published by World Vision and the Foundation for Information Technology Education and Development. The study of children aged 5-10 in the Azraq refugee camp found that: 

• 22 hours of game time resulted in positive learning outcomes, including foundational learning of letters. 

• Teachers felt that the game was an effective tool to improve letter recognition and spelling. 

• Parents thought the game was appropriate and had a positive impact on their child’s learning. 

• The simplicity of Feed the Monster allowed children to easily play the game with minimal adult supervision. 

• The majority of children enjoyed the game and thought the monsters were entertaining. 

The full evaluation report of Feed the Monster can be found at: 

http://dl4d.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Feed-the-Monster-Report-Final-Web.pdf

An overview of this report is available here:

https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/node/13365/pdf/eduapp4syria-ie-summary-2018.pdf

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