Week 10: Phonics Fun with Lalilo!

Examples of how Lalilo looks from a student perspective

Introduction

Looking for a tool to foster early literacy and practice English skills such as phonics and comprehension? Lalilo is the perfect fit! Lalilo is a great way to incorporate the technological aspects of librarianship with the curriculum of English class. Lalilo is an online app that acts as an interactive game that tests students' skills and allows them to progress. When it's time for students to go on their Chromebooks or computers in library class, Lalilo is a great way to make sure they're staying on task and having some educational fun!

Audience

Lalilo is best for early elementary-age learners in grades k-2. This is because it focuses on learning phonics and beginner reading comprehension. The curriculum is not advanced enough for upper elementary students and students who are beyond learning goals; however, it could be used as a great scaffolding for students falling behind. 

Cost

You can create a Lalilo account for free. However, to get access to all of Lalilo's features, there is a 60-day free trial, a classroom license for $250, and a demo version option for interested educators. This is great because it allows librarians to try Lalilo out before committing to the paid version. 

Features

Lalilo is a great interactive game that assigns students lessons and tracks their progress. Lalilo has fun animal graphics that will capture kids' attention and it's a great way to have your students be productive when they're online. The lessons are organized as a quest of sorts, where students reach checkpoints and milestones and get transported to different fantasy worlds. As students progress, they earn badges and unlock stories. The lessons are all themed and have distinct branding, so it seems less school-like and more like a computer game.  Everything about Lalilo is interactive so it allows for hands-on learning. 

Accessibility

All of Lalilo's lessons are personalized and are suited to the students' skills. For example, if a student is struggling, their lessons will adapt to that and make sure the student catches up to their classmates. The curriculum of this game is tailored to the student. One size does not fit all! Each lesson has an answer key as well so students can learn from their mistakes!

Use in a School Library

Lalilo offers a unique opportunity to align the school library curriculum to the elementary school curriculum. As students are learning reading and phonics skills in English class, they can come to the library to practice those skills by going onto Lalilo. I could also see school librarians using Lalilo as a template to create their own interactive games. Lalilo has a great format that can be applied to skills of all kinds and doesn't have to be limited to phonics and reading. Librarians can use other tech tools to create their own versions of Lalilo about library-specific topics such as copyright, genres, research skills, etc. 

Conclusion

Whether librarians use Lalilo as is to connect library and English class, or if they use it as a template to create their own resources, it's a necessary addition to any school library!