Adaptation guidelines for parents and teachers

Starting to play

On the "Who's playing?" screen, choose playing alone, playing together on one device, or playing on separate devices. On the "Ready?" screen, enter names, choose a level and a style, and tap "Let's go!".

The guided tour can help you get to know the stages. Start together, make sure the child understands the action, and then let the child try alone.

Playing on separate devices

One of the players opens a game and shares the room code. The others join with the code and their name. After everyone has joined, the player who opened the game starts the activity. It is best to keep the game tab open for the whole shared game.

What do you do in a turn?

1. Solve the exercise and choose the target hexagon that shows the answer.
2. Plan a sequence of neighbouring hexagons from the dog's position to the target, and confirm the route.
3. Move along the route and solve the exercises on the way. A correct answer lets the dog move on and collect pellets, according to the rules of the game.

The instruction line above the board shows what to do now. The score, the clock and the ending conditions follow the options that were chosen.

When the child needs help

First find out what the difficulty is: the instruction, finding the action on the screen, or solving the exercise.

• To understand the action: read the instruction line together
• To solve the exercise: allow an independent try, and use a hint or an explanation as needed
• After the help: invite the child to explain how they solved it, and to try again independently

A hint shows a way to think. For example, to work out 6 times 9, you can use 6 times 10 and take away 6. Later you can reduce the help as the child progresses.

Choosing a style

• Classic: a game with a score. From Advanced up, there is also a clock.
• Focused Practice: a board with no special hexagons, no clock, and with a score. Suits times when you want to reduce distractions and focus on the exercises.
• Free Practice: practice with no competitive score and no winner. Suits trying things at a personal pace.
• Calm & Together: pellets are collected into a shared pot, with no clock and no special hexagons. The focus is shared success.
• Full Game: combines a clock, special hexagons and surprises. Suits those who know the game and want an extra challenge.

Adaptation options

Choosing an answer from options can reduce the demand for typing. Choosing from displayed answers and answering without options are different practice conditions, so it is worth taking this into account when comparing results.

A clock adds the challenge of answering within a set time. There is no need to switch it on when the aim of the session is understanding or accuracy without time pressure.

Repeat practice lets you return to exercises that need more work, where the option is available.

Choosing a level

Choose a level that lets the child solve some of the exercises independently, alongside a suitable challenge. Match it to the facts that have been learned and to the aim of the session. The level names are Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Champion and Hero. At Hero level you practise multiplying 11 and 12 by the numbers 2 to 9.

Display and sound

In "My settings" you adjust the display and the music. The settings that exist:

• High contrast: darker, thicker lines.
• Text size: three sizes.
• Reading space: more room between lines and letters.
• Less movement: reduces movement and animation.
• Music: on and off, and a volume control.
• Language: Hebrew or English.

The level of the exercises is set separately.

Looking at the results

• Accuracy on the first try: which exercises were answered correctly at once?
• Response time: how long did it take to answer? The time may include reading, calculating and typing. The median describes a typical time and is less affected than the mean by unusual times.
• Mistakes and corrections: which mistakes repeat, and in which exercises does the child manage to correct them?
• Use of help: when was a hint needed, and when was the answer independent?

When you read success and error percentages, also look at the number of answers they are based on. There is no need to write results down by hand: on the results screen you download a detailed Excel file with a performance report ("Download an Excel file with a performance report"). The file is made on the device and is not sent anywhere. You can also download the full data as a CSV file. In Dogylicious Dice you can download an Excel file at the end of a round too.

How do you decide what to continue with?

Before practising, choose a focus, for example independent answers to certain facts, or a smaller need for hints. Afterwards, look at the performance in relation to the focus, in similar conditions.

It is worth checking whether accuracy and independence hold in further practice, before moving to a new focus. You can continue at the same level, choose other facts, change the support or add a challenge. This decision is separate from winning and from the score.

The learning logic

The game connects a goal, a learning action and feedback: the children try to solve, get information about their answer and return to practice as needed. The hints offer ways of working it out, and the game options let you choose the practice conditions.

It is recommended to spread practice over short sessions on different days. The helper can gradually reduce the help and check whether independent performance holds. That way you choose the next learning step on the basis of the way of solving and the progress.