Feed the Monster App
USABILITY/STATUS: In Use
INNOVATOR: Apps Factory, The Center for Educational Technology, International Rescue Committee, and Curious Learning
GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS: Global
SOLUTION TYPE: Game App
Summary
Feed the Monster uses an exciting and proven play-to-learn technique to help children learn to read. Kids enjoy playing through the different levels, collecting and growing their pet monsters, while learning the reading and writing fundamentals of Arabic or any of 49 other languages. All content in the game is based on years of experience in research and content development for and by native language experts. It supports the development of all essential reading skills including phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary and comprehension.
Usability/Features
- Operating system: Android
- Hardware: Smartphone, tablet
- Connectivity: Online/offline
- Accessories needed for use: Charger/solar charger, HDMI connector cable, speakers, headphones
- Other features: Socio-emotional learning
- How it supports learning: In 2022, during the early months of the war in Ukraine, Feed the Monster in Ukrainian recorded more than 100,000 downloads within two months, with an average advertising cost per download of $0.15. Curious Learning has subsequently built out an extended version of Feed the Monster, as well as a suite of follow-on content in the form of interactive storybooks.
- Costs: Free to use
- Other cost considerations: Devices to access the app, Internet to download (the app works offline once downloaded), advertising to targeted populations
Setting/Context
- Settings: School, home, informal learning spaces, community
- Target Populations: Parents, children, NGOs
- Current Language(s): 50 including Arabic, Nepali, isiZulu, Ukranian
- Geography (locations): Global
Research
Supporting Research
- Assessing the Impact of Literacy Learning Games for Syrian Refugee Children: An Executive Overview of Antura and the Letters and Feed the Monster Impact Evaluations (English)
- Assessing the Impact of Literacy Learning Games for Syrian Refugee Children: An Executive Overview of Antura and the Letters and Feed the Monster Impact Evaluations (Arabic)
- Improving Enrollment and Learning Through Videos and Mobiles: Experimental Evidence from Northern Nigeria. The World Bank DIME Movies and Mobiles study, a five-day project in Nigeria and one-month follow-up, included children who received smartphones preloaded with Feed the Monster and the Global Digital Library (GDL). The children and their siblings saw substantially increased literacy and numeracy test scores, leading the World Bank to recommend that similar EdTech interventions should be considered for use in programs and projects addressing literacy, education, and child protection.
- Feed the Monster: Impact and Technical Evaluation
- UnrestrICTed Challenge: Leveraging Existing Accessibility Resources in Nepal (LEARN) Project Evaluation
Use Case
The World Bank DIME Movies and Mobiles study engaged 9,000 Nigerian households with children ages 6 to 9 with film screenings aimed at motivating parents to support their children’s education and reshaping attitudes around gender bias. The activity also included a lottery in which one-third of the participants received smartphones preloaded with access to the GDL and Feed the Monster.