Peer-reviewed article
Dyslexia screening? As easy as a game. The Starlex project: evidence from an Italian pilot study.
Alessandra Micalizzi, Sara Zaccaria ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study introduces Starlex, a serious game designed to screen for early reading difficulties in children aged 5-7 years by assessing visual discrimination and working memory through four mini-games. The game was tested with 84 children in Italian early education settings and compared against standardized cognitive assessments. The results show that Starlex performs well compared to traditional measures and is well-accepted by young learners as an engaging screening tool.
Key points
- Starlex comprises four mini-games targeting key predictors of reading acquisition including visual discrimination and working memory
- Game-based performance showed good alignment with traditional standardized assessments of the same cognitive domains
- The tool demonstrated satisfactory levels of usability and acceptance among the 84 pilot sample of young learners
- The game's replicability supports sustained engagement and continuous observation of children's performance over time
- Serious games are presented as complementary tools for formative assessment and early screening in educational environments
Limitations
The study is a pilot with a relatively small sample (n=84) in one country, and the document does not provide detailed statistical results or information about the robustness of the screening tool's predictive validity for actual dyslexia diagnosis. Further refinement and larger-scale validation are noted as needed.
Abstract
In recent years, serious games have gained increasing attention as effective tools for supporting learning and assessing emerging cognitive skills in early educational settings. Within this perspective, the present study introduces Starlex, a serious game designed to screen pre-literacy skills in children aged 5-7 years, a critical stage for the development of foundational reading and writing abilities. Developed within a PNRR-funded project, the game comprises four mini-games aimed at assessing key predictors of reading acquisition, including visual discrimination and working memory. Following an initial phase of playability and usability testing, Starlex was administered to a pilot sample of 84 children in early education contexts. Game-based performance was compared with standardized assessments targeting the same cognitive domains. Findings indicate that Starlex provides a promising and engaging approach to the early identification of learning-related difficulties, showing good alignment with traditional measures, as well as satisfactory levels of usability and acceptance among young learners. While further refinements are needed to enhance the robustness of the tool, its replicability emerges as a key feature, supporting sustained engagement and enabling continuous observation of children's performance over time. Overall, this study highlights the potential of serious games as complementary tools for formative assessment and early screening within educational environments, contributing to more accessible and child-friendly evaluation practices.