The role of Persian‐language word exercise games in improving spelling of students with dyslexia: Word exercise games in improving spelling

Children with dyslexia have reduced sensitivity to phonological sounds and words, and this deficiency in lexical processing causes many problems for them. Word exercise games based on phonological awareness have emphasized the mistakes of students with dyslexia, attempting to help children avoid these mistakes. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Persian‐language word exercise games on the spelling of students with dyslexia. The design of the present study was quasi‐experimental, with a pretest and posttest of an experimental group and a control group. Participants were 30 students with dyslexia from second grade to fifth grade in elementary schools in Bojnord, who completed the spelling test as a pretest and posttest. The experimental group played eleven 40‐min sessions of word exercise games. The results showed that the word exercise programme improved the spelling of the children with dyslexia. This suggests that basing training on the phonological mistakes of students with dyslexia and using the word exercise games can improve their spelling. Lay Description What is already known about this topic People with dyslexia make a disproportionately large number of phonological errors as a result of defective phonological skills. Reading and spelling problems result from neurological defects in phonemic processing. Studies have confirmed the effect of phonological awareness training on accuracy, speed, and comprehension of students with dyslexia. The word exercise games are based on enhancement of phonological awareness. Lexical and phonological skills could develop through working with high‐frequency words and repetition of words. Word exercise games increase phonological awareness. What this paper adds This word exercise game software is unlike other training exercises in that it highlights the mistakes of students with dyslexia and tries to stimulate their motivation to correct these mistakes. Persian‐language word exercise games significantly improved the spelling ability of children with dyslexia. Implications for practice and/or policy Metalinguistic games prevent reading problems and develop activities to promote phonological awareness and alphabetical knowledge in young children. The use of computerized technology in learning can help with learning, using educational software that could improve the reading efficiency of students with dyslexia. Game software employs different senses, striking graphics, easy to hard levels, user feedba