Gakken Plus Inc. has developed an English learning application mainly for children up to elementary school age.Alphabet Stones."was released on December 12, 2017. It is currently available only on iOS.
From 2020 (or 2018 at the earliest), English education in elementary schools will undergo major changes. In the third and fourth grades, "foreign language activities" will begin, and in the fifth and sixth grades, English will become an official "subject" and grades will be graded,We believe that we need a "mechanism to prevent children from disliking English," and have released Alphabet Stones.
Alphabet Stones points
Solid English learning theory based on phonics
In Alphabet Stones, the player traces and erases English letters by connecting them together, an operation typical of apps like LINE Tsum Tsum,You can learn "listening" and "speaking" at the same time, which is necessary for learning English.
For example, to learn the word "ONE," students connect three or more stones marked "O" together. Next, connect "N" and finally "E" to learn the word "ONE".
The program is designed so that students can "learn by ear by listening to native English speakers over and over again" and "learn how to spell by tracing stones" at the same time.
Phonics essential for English pronunciation
In English, some of the same characters have different readings. This is similar to the meaning of "on-yomi" and "kun-yomi" in Japanese.
The letter "a" is read as "ay", while the word "ant" is read as "ant". The word "soap" reads "so-op". (Katakana readings are for convenience only and do not accurately represent actual pronunciation.)
Phonics is an instructional method that teaches students to learn certain rules for the sounds that occur and the spelling of letters. Phonics is a method that will become indispensable in English education in Japan in the future.
Various tricks to keep you from studying
One of the most common problems with learning apps is that they become an extension of the vocabulary book, giving the user the feeling of being forced to do something. If the app becomes an answer to a vocabulary book, reviewing becomes less fun.
Alphabet Stones is an application that makes repetition (review) less painful by incorporating a lot of know-how cultivated by Gakken.
One of the tricks is that it is "like an RPG, but in the form of a story.
When you need to review before challenging a boss, or when the learning effect is improved, the princess character will give you "support (a test of skill question in the guise of "support")".
Untold Story of Development
We received the following comments from Mr. Matsubara, Director of Gakken Plus, Inc. who led the Alphabet Stones development team.
In creating Alphabet Stones, our primary focus was to conduct thorough and repeated interviews with parents. To sum up the feedback we received from many parents,I want them to become familiar with English, but I want a way to learn so they don't become English-phobic," he said.
Many families who are engaged in English education have "alphabet" and "English word" posters on the walls of their rooms and in their bathrooms. And it was the voice of one parent that inspired us to come up with Alphabet Stones.
I have English posters up in my house, but I actually don't know the readings and meanings of some of them. I wish I could touch them and hear the sound. I wonder if it would be boring if that was all."
I thought, "This is it!" I thought, "This is it! I thought, "Let's create a service that takes the poster-based learning style to the next level, so people can learn English without becoming averse to it. Thus, I created Alphabet Stones, a service that allows users to learn native English pronunciation and meaning through an exhilarating UI that allows users to trace and connect.
According to data from a survey conducted by the National Institute for Educational Policy Research, approximately 30% of sixth-grade students answered that they "dislike English. In addition, English will become a subject in the upper grades of elementary school in the next Courses of Study, which will be fully implemented in the 2020 school year (Heisei 32), and there is concern that "dislike of English" will increase even further.
At AHLST, we provide a place where children can learn English while having fun and becoming familiar with English. We also hope to increase the number of children who "like English and find it fun" by eliminating their dislike of English, even if only a little.
Say!!!" with your child. Hello!
At Alphabet Stones, we teach English listening, spelling and meaning, and speaking. We have incorporated all the elements necessary for learning English and all the know-how we have accumulated in the field of children's education.
Just reading and tracing does not mean that you have enjoyed 100% English.
By listening to native speakers' pronunciation and being able to produce it themselves, children will feel the joy of "being able to speak English".
Please join us in vocalizing English words with your children! Dads and moms are welcome to join in the fun!
Download the app here!
(This is a tie-up article provided by Gakken Plus Inc.)
