GoRaS (Game on, Roll and Spell)

About the Project

GoRaS (Game On, Roll and Spell) is an educational innovation designed to improve English spelling accuracy, vocabulary retention, confidence, motivation and active participation among Year 6 pupils. The innovation combines a physical board game inspired by snakes and ladders with gamification, spelling challenges, QR codes, pronunciation support and guided Artificial Intelligence (AI) learning assistance. GoRaS was developed in response to the difficulty experienced by pupils in spelling English words accurately, particularly in spelling-based assessment tasks. Conventional written drills may provide practice, but they do not always provide sufficient interaction, repetition, immediate feedback and learner engagement. GoRaS addresses this need by turning spelling practice into a structured, collaborative and enjoyable learning experience.The innovation follows a simple learning cycle: Roll, Move, Scan, Spell, Check and Learn. Pupils roll a dice, move their tokens, complete spelling challenges and, where appropriate, scan QR codes to access questions, audio, clues, examples or guided digital support. The implementation produced positive changes in pupil achievement and engagement. In the pre-test, 48% of pupils scored within the 0–2 mark range, while after the intervention no pupils remained in that range. In the post-test, 60% scored 5–6 marks and 32% scored 7–10 marks. Classroom observations also indicated improvement in participation, confidence, motivation and willingness to attempt spelling tasks.The study also highlighted that interactive and CEFR-aligned learning approaches contribute positively to pupils’ written performance. This research supports the aspiration of the Malaysian CEFR-aligned curriculum which emphasises communicative competence, language accuracy, learner-centred pedagogy, and meaningful language use. The findings suggest that innovative educational tools such as GoRaS can effectively support low and mid proficiency learners in mastering spelling skills and improving examination performance. GoRaS is a practical, low-cost and reusable innovation that can be adapted to other English language skills and different pupil proficiency levels. Keywords: spelling accuracy, CEFR, Year 6 pupils, English language learning, action research, GoRaS, Malaysian primary school.