SBIR Phase I: Science-Backed Games to Enhance Early Language Acquisition

SBIR 第一阶段：科学支持的游戏，以增强早期语言习得

• 批准号: 1621725
• 负责人: Tammy Kwan
• 金额: $ 22.5万
• 依托单位: Cognitive ToyBox
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-07-01 至 2017-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1621725&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Science; Backed; Games

This SBIR Phase I project is developing digital apps for children that promote first language acquisition. Research shows that early language development impacts future outcomes: A toddler's vocabulary size predicts language skills years later as well as future academic performance. Parents keep track of language-related milestones, and if a child falls behind, they tend to jump to the worst conclusions. This project aims to reduce parental anxiety by developing science-backed apps to accelerate early language acquisition. Due to the growing use of touchscreen devices by young children and the corresponding need for high-quality children's apps, this project has the potential to generate significant returns on commercial and social levels. The existing market has a dearth of apps that are equal parts educational and engaging for a young child, and the proposed apps aim to fill this gap. While these apps are designed for use by all children, the impact could be most significant as a therapy for late talkers and for children with language-related disorders. The apps could also supplement current intervention programs for children with limited linguistic enrichment at home.This project departs from existing language-related educational apps by leveraging advances in developmental psychology. Existing products teach new words through mass practice, often with dubious success. In contrast, the proposed apps are based on the principle of learning-to-learn (L2L): teaching high-level abstractions that help children learn broad classes of new words. By teaching principles rather than individual words, children become more efficient learners in the way they learn best: at home through normal interactions with their parents and caregivers. Previous studies have shown that guiding children to the right L2L principles early can accelerate vocabulary growth, and through partnerships with the scientists, this project aims to translate this research into commercial products. This Phase I project will be evaluated through a randomized control study, testing the effectiveness of the first L2L app for accelerating early vocabulary growth. The project scope also includes the development of additional learning-to-learn apps that guide children towards other important principles of word learning. The proposed apps will be designed, and rigorously evaluated, to best support early learners, with the largest potential impact for the children who need it most.

SBIR第一阶段项目正在为儿童开发数字应用程序，以促进第一语言的习得。研究表明，早期的语言发展会影响未来的结果：一个蹒跚学步的孩子的词汇量可以预测几年后的语言技能以及未来的学习成绩。父母会记录与语言相关的里程碑，如果孩子福尔斯落后了，他们往往会得出最坏的结论。该项目旨在通过开发科学支持的应用程序来加速早期语言习得，从而减少父母的焦虑。由于幼儿越来越多地使用触摸屏设备，以及对高质量儿童应用程序的相应需求，该项目有可能在商业和社会层面产生巨大回报。现有的市场缺乏对幼儿具有同等教育意义和吸引力的应用程序，而拟议的应用程序旨在填补这一空白。虽然这些应用程序是为所有儿童设计的，但作为对晚说话者和语言相关障碍儿童的治疗，其影响可能最为显著。这些应用程序还可以补充目前针对家庭语言能力有限的儿童的干预计划。该项目通过利用发展心理学的进步，与现有的语言相关教育应用程序不同。现有的产品通过大量的练习来教授新单词，通常成功率令人怀疑。相比之下，拟议中的应用程序是基于学习学习（L2 L）的原则：教授高级抽象概念，帮助儿童学习广泛的新单词。通过教授原则而不是单个单词，孩子们以他们最好的学习方式成为更有效的学习者：在家里通过与父母和照顾者的正常互动。先前的研究表明，早期引导儿童正确的L2 L原则可以加速词汇增长，通过与科学家的合作，该项目旨在将这项研究转化为商业产品。第一阶段项目将通过随机对照研究进行评估，测试第一个L2 L应用程序加速早期词汇增长的有效性。该项目的范围还包括开发额外的learning-to-learn应用程序，指导儿童学习单词的其他重要原则。拟议的应用程序将被设计和严格评估，以最好地支持早期学习者，对最需要它的儿童产生最大的潜在影响。