Posted on Wired, 1st May 2016
IT’S NO EASY thing to teach the alphabet. The target audience is easily distracted, upper and lower case don’t follow any logic you’d call consistent, and honestly who has the time when there are tickle monsters afoot? Marbotic, a learning system that blends physical blocks and iPad apps, may not magically expand attention spans, but it look to combine the best of two imperfect methods.
The set-up is simple; place wooden blocks shaped like letters (or, in a previous iteration, numbers) on an iPad, which will receive it like a sheet of paper might a stamp. Kids use the letters to play a variety of games, complete puzzles, or just to form words on their own in a free-play sandbox. The key, according to Marbotic founder Marie Merouze, is that the system teaches with both brain and body. “It’s well known that the interaction with tablets stimulates kids’ brains a lot, but learning doesn’t just happen in the brain,” she says. “The mind, body, and emotions are all involved.” In other words, while plenty of iPad apps already exist that teach letters with similar games and a drag-and-drop interface, the introduction and interplay of physical blocks elevates the experience into something that lasts.
