Integrating games into the classroom-Super Elmo’s ABC Jump

     For young learners, especially in preschool and early elementary grades, developing foundational literacy skills is essential.Teaching early literacy skills to young children can be challenging, particularly when striving to maintain engagement. Interactive tools like Super Elmo’s ABC Jump, a free and open-source game from Sesame Street, offer an effective and enjoyable way to support preschool and kindergarten students as they develop foundational reading skills. The game reinforces key concepts such as letter recognition, phonics, and alphabet sequencing in a developmentally appropriate format. In this blog post, I’ll explore how you can integrate this resource into your classroom to enhance literacy instruction while keeping learning both meaningful and fun.

Super Elmo's ABC Jump is a simple, interactive game developed by Sesame Street that features the beloved character Elmo as he jumps from cloud to cloud as a superhero collecting the letters for Alphabet City through colorful, animated platforms to collect letters of the alphabet.

The gamer is prompted to identify specific letters, which helps reinforce letter recognition. As they progress through the game, they also receive auditory support with letter names and phonetic sounds, which contributes to phonemic awareness which is crucial to early reading development.As they play, they get to practice recognizing both uppercase and lowercase letters, which is a key part of early literacy. Elmo's cheerful voice and colorful animations make learning the alphabet feel like an adventure. The game increases difficulty after each level added additional letters as options to be chosen.

Super Elmo’s ABC Jump provides a game structure allowing children to learn through trial and error without fear of failure, offering them the opportunity to engage in the learning process without any real-world consequences. “ Correction and feedback are built into most simulations, allowing learning without real consequence” (Bradley and Kendall, 2015, pg 4)

Before diving into the game, it’s important to establish what you want your students to get out of it. In New York State some prekindergarten early learning standards this game helps reinforce and develop are:

PK.AL.1 Actively engages in play as a means of exploration and learning

PK.PDH.5. Demonstrates eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills

PK.AC.4. Demonstrates a growing receptive vocabulary

PK.ELAL.1. [PKRF.1.] Demonstrates understanding of the organization and basic features of print

PK.ELAL.3. [PKRF.3.] Demonstrates emergent phonics and word analysis skills

PK.ELAL.20. [PKSL.2] Interacts with diverse formats and texts (e.g., shared read aloud, video clips, oral storytelling)

The game would be introduced during a unit on the alphabet, likely in the early weeks of the school year for preschool or kindergarten students. Students will already have some familiarity with the letters, but this game would provide a fun way to play and interact that will reinforce their learning. Play is extremely important. “Play provides a background for changes in needs and in consciousness of a much wider nature. Play is the source of development and creates the zone of proximal development. Action in the imaginative sphere, in an imaginary situation, the creation of voluntary intentions, and the formation of real-life plans and volitional motives – all appear in play and make it the highest level of preschool development. The child moves forward essentially through play activity.” (Vygotsky 1967, pg.16) Through this play activity, students can begin to internalize the structure of the alphabet while developing their understanding of phonics and sequence. I would integrate this into the classroom with a brief introduction where I explain the purpose of the game. I would let the students know that Elmo needs their help to jump over and on to obstacles such as clouds, rainbows, and spaceships to collect letters of the alphabet. I would demonstrate how the game works on a projector or smartboard if I have access to either, which will get the students excited and give them a clear idea of how it works.

Once I’ve introduced the game, it’s time for the kids to jump in! I would utilize this game during centers. The students will use their tablets to play the game. This will especially help with fine motor development. If the children are having difficulties or resources are limited I would set them up in pairs or small groups. They would be able to talk about the letters they see and help each other out. While they play I would offer encouragement and assistance when needed. In the case of Super Elmo's ABC Jump, the game provides children with an imaginative space where they can experiment with letters and sounds in a low-stakes environment. When Elmo misses a cloud or makes an incorrect letter choice the game does not restart or end. The player is allowed to simply keep trying until they get the correct answer or land on the clouds properly. 

After center time I would bring the class together and have a brief discussion. I would ask them questions like, "Which letters did you find tricky?" or "Can anyone think of a word that starts with the letter 'A'?" This reflection time will help solidify what they've learned and give them a chance to talk about their experience. After a few guided practices the children will be able to play this game independently. 

To differentiate Super Elmo’s ABC Jump game for students I would change from using a tablet to using a mouse and computer. This will increase hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills as the use of the mouse instead of their finger will make the game more challenging. For students who may need extra support I would offer alphabet charts or flashcards. This will help them recognize letters as they play.  I would offer additional support, such as working one-on-one with them to point out letters as they play. For students who already have a strong grasp of the alphabet, I can challenge them by having them identify both uppercase and lowercase letters or even ask them to say the sound associated with each letter they collect.

After the game I would use an exit ticket. I would have students match uppercase and lowercase letters, or identify a few letters on an alphabet chart. This informal check will give me a snapshot of their understanding. A benefit of using Super Elmo's ABC Jump is that I can easily assess how my students are doing without any formal tests. While students play I will do an informal observation on who’s able to identify the letters correctly and who might need more support.

Super Elmo’s ABC Jump is an exciting way to help young children develop essential literacy skills. By using the game in my classroom, I can make learning the alphabet feel like an adventure. The bright colors, engaging gameplay, and familiar Sesame Street characters will keep kids entertained while reinforcing crucial reading skills. We are at a pivotal moment in education, “We can no longer allow the teaching of English to be the same as it ever was. We need to move from promise to practice. And, to do so, we encourage you to act boldly, and to act now” (Hicks et al., 2021, pg. 69). Now is the time to embrace innovative tools like Super Elmo’s ABC Jump, which can help transform literacy education into an interactive, fun experience that supports children’s developmental growth.With a clear set of learning objectives, some fun classroom activities, and the right amount of support, I can ensure that every student gets the most out of the game. 

References:

Bradley and Kendall (2015). A Review of Computer Simulations in Teacher Education. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 43(1) 3-12

Coopilton, M., 2022. Critical Game Literacies and Critical Speculative Imagination: A Theoretical and Conceptual Review. gamevironments17,222-273.https://journals.suub.uni-bremen.de/

Ferry, B., Kervin, L., Cambourne, B., Turbill, J., Puglisi, S., Jonassen, D., et al. (2004, December 5-8). Online classroom simulation: The “next wave” for pre-service teacher education? In R. Atkinson, C. McBeath, D. Jonas-Dwyer, & R. Phillips (Eds.), Beyond the comfort zone: Proceedings of the 21st ASCILITE Conference (pp. 294-302). Perth. Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/perth04/ procs/ferry.html

Hicks, T., Young, C. A., Kajder, S., & Hunt, B. (2012). Same as It Ever Was: Enacting the Promise of Teaching, Writing, and New Media. English Journal, 101(3), 68–74. https://doi.org/10.58680/ej201218428

New York State Education Department. (2021). The prekindergarten early learning standards. https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/early-learning/pk-standards-resource-web-revised-2021.pdf 

Super Elmo’s ABC jump. (n.d.). https://interactive.sesameonline.net/games/prod/221-superelmoabc/0000000000000000000000000000000000000000/run/index.html 

Vygotsky, L. S., 1967. Play and its role in the mental development of the child. Soviet psychology, 5 (3), 6-18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2753/rpo1061-040505036