The use of Letrinhas in Elementary School: The results of a case study in Central Portugal

Abstract

Co-created by students and faculty members of the Instituto Politécnico de Tomar (Portugal) and teachers from the Artur Gonçalves cluster of schools, Letrinhas is an education software designed to promote reading literacy. In order to analyse its impact on the promotion of reading as well as investigate its implications on school organisational and educational dynamics, a study has been conducted in various school clusters in Central Portugal. The study was undertaken with the collaboration of the training centre “Os Templários” which provided the teachers with appropriate training in the use of Letrinhas. This study involved 65 second- and third-grade students that were divided into two groups: one that used Letrinhas (experimental group) and another that used conventional methods (control group). The study revealed statistically significant differences in terms of fluency and accuracy, with the experimental group showing better results. Teacher expectations in relation to technology and its impact are positive and there is a favourable attitude towards its use. All teachers showed enthusiastic about using Letrinhas, recognising that this app promotes students' reading ability, autonomy and self-confidence. In terms of changes in organizational dynamics, the teachers have only referred to the investment on tablets.