Do children with reading difficulties benefit from instructional game supports? Exploring children's attention and understanding of feedback

This paper examines how primary aged children with reading difficulties attend to, understand and act upon different types of feedback within a digital literacy game. A systematic structured video analysis twenty-six children's game play was carried out focussing on moments where made an error were followed by in-game feedback. Our findings show that benefited from outcome feedback, which supported accurate interpretation their performance prompted to try again. In contrast, though the elaborative attracted similar levels attention, struggled content, resulting in reliance implicit knowledge correct next response. Alongside identifying set new questions for future research, study contributes number intrinsic extrinsic recommendations ensuring comprehend games-based Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic? Outcome provided games can scaffold learner recognise errors apply corrective strategies. Elaborative particular, has been evidenced support learner's understanding lead learning gains, albeit older populations. adds? An empirical evaluation young who struggle understand, respond Demonstrates equal degrees, but due its metalinguistic complexity. Implications practice and/or policy? Games embed visually target response enhance child's attention of, performance. offer verbal require additional instruction maintain focus content understanding.