Wordscape

Wordscape is a learning environment where children can use physical play to interact with and control words, images and animations which are projected on walls or screens. The focus is on playing with words and letter forms. The Wordscape environment motivates children to develop their language and literacy skills. Children can explore, interact with, manipulate and control words individually or collaborate with others to make things happen. Sound and movement sensors pick up their interactions and trigger changes in typographical elements of the story, to make images appear, play music and sounds and get visual/sound clues about the meanings of specific words. Wordscape uses new technology alongside traditional methods (drawing, painting, playing) to reinforce children’s literacy learning. Wordscape uses active and interactive physical play away from the computer screen, TV, white board or games console. It provides a fun space so that children including ‘reluctant learners’ will be motivated to return to it again and again, reinforcing their word skills and developing social skills. The environment can transform the way children learn by creating new learning spaces that are also play spaces. The focus, scale and physical interaction of Wordscape is new and exciting and we are continuing to develop the project and gather eedback from children to discover what is possible.