A game boy like device called a 'Teacher Mate' is now being used by over 40,000 students in 15 states in America. The device targets students in the years between Kindergarten to Year 2 to improve their literacy skills. Ash, K. (2010) states that this age is the 'sweet spot' of literacy and you must catch them at such a young age to make them successful.
The effectiveness of the device is promising, although more research is needed. Ash, K. (2010) found in a review of the device that in 176 first grade classrooms in the 409,000 student Chicago school district, the students who used the device performed higher on their end of year reading tests in three categories than those who did not have the device.
One reason for the Teacher Mates success is its simplicity. The game boy like device fits easily into the students hand and is controlled by eight buttons. It also has a speaker that both plays back sounds and allows the students to record their own audio, and a usb port so they can be easily updated with the newest software and can sync with the teachers computer.
More information about the Teacher Mate can be found on this website.. http://www.innovationsforlearning.org/about_teachermate.php
Reference
Ash, K. (2010). Targeting Elementary Readers. Education Week, 29(26), 18-19. Retrieved from Education Research Complete Database
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