Imagine the buzz and lights of an arcade, but instead of just high scores, kids are leaving with better reading skills. That’s the idea behind “Aral-cade,” a new educational game machine built by engineering students in Laguna.
The project was featured on GMA’s “24 Oras”. The creators, Jericho Castillo, Crystal Mae Tolentino, and Diana Mhae Celis, are all engineering students from Laguna State Polytechnic University’s San Pablo City Campus.
Their invention looks and feels like a classic arcade cabinet, but it’s built at a child-friendly height. Inside, a mini PC and an Arduino controller power the system. It features color-coded buttons: red to play, green for volume, and blue to watch videos.
The games are all focused on literacy. “Letter Link Up” has players match uppercase and lowercase letters. “Syllable Splash” tests listening skills by having kids select words they hear. Another game, “Spellcraft Puzzle,” challenges players to fill in missing letters to complete a word.
True to arcade tradition, it even dispenses tickets based on a player’s score. Whatever score the children get appears on the ticket, it can be exchanged for candies or toys.
The Aral-cade isn’t just a prototype. It’s already being used in several schools in San Pablo, Laguna, with plans to deploy more units elsewhere. Teachers are reporting positive results.
Based on teachers’ observations, the students have reportedly shown real improvement.
The team isn’t stopping there. They plan to expand the game’s educational content and add higher difficulty levels to keep challenging young learners, proving that sometimes, the best way to learn is to play.
Source: GMA News