Creating a preschool curriculum using gaming to improve speech and language skills
Official title: Development of preschool speech-to-print curricula with online gaming technology for early language development
Funded at Finnegan the Dragon, INC · NIH-10919549 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a fun new preschool program called Finnegan the Dragon, which uses online games to help kids aged 2-6 improve their speech and language skills while making learning enjoyable and interactive, both in the classroom and at home.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 1 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Finnegan the Dragon, INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hillsboro, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $294,542 |
| NIH project number | 1R43HD115460-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10919549 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 2-6 who are in preschool or early childhood education settings.
✕Less likely to help
Children who are older than 6 years or those who do not attend preschool may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a preschool curriculum that integrates online gaming technology to enhance speech and language development in children aged 2-6. The program, called Finnegan the Dragon, aims to provide a structured instructional system that promotes active engagement in learning while minimizing harmful passive screen time. It combines classroom instruction with a mobile app that allows children and their families to practice speech and literacy skills at home. By utilizing modular units of instruction, teachers can effectively support children's phonological awareness and language development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve early language development and literacy skills in preschool-aged children.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that integrating technology into early education can enhance learning outcomes, suggesting that this approach may be effective.
Where this research is happening
-
Finnegan the Dragon, INC
Hillsboro, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cadiz, Emily John — Finnegan the Dragon, INC
- Study coordinator: Cadiz, Emily John
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Silent speech interface using a wearable tongue tracker to help people after laryngectomy communicate
A wearable system with tongue sensors and intraoral components aims to let people without a vocal cord use natural-sounding speech in daily life.
-
Overlap between how we speak and how we hold words in memory
A Duke-led project studies how the brain that talks relates to keeping verbal information in working memory, using advanced brain recordings from patients already undergoing medical care.
-
AI-powered system to improve teamwork in cardiac surgery
A research project is testing an AI-driven system that listens to team conversations during heart surgeries to spot teamwork patterns and give real-time feedback to improve patient safety.
-
Caregiver Speech and Infant Brain Development in Siblings of Children with Autism
This project follows babies who have an older sibling with autism to explore how caregiver talk and everyday interactions relate to early brain and behavior development.
-
How speech and swallowing work in people with Down syndrome
Researchers will look at how differences in the mouth, throat, and brain affect speech clarity and safe swallowing in children and adults with Down syndrome.
-
Information and social media use for autism info in young children
A research project looks at how speech-language pathologists and parents of young autistic children use social media for information and what makes that information trustworthy.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.