Literacy and LEGO: Developing Academic Vocabulary with LEGO Robotics

There has been a long-standing tradition for educators to find best practices to support student learning, and one contemporary practice that is gaining recognition in classrooms and elsewhere is the incorporation of robotics (Barak & Zadok, 2009; Mitnik, Nussbaum, & Soto, 2008). This qualitative case study explored the use of robotics in relation to literacy, and how early- and upper-elementary students developed and applied academic vocabulary during a 10-week robotics program. Results indicated that by providing students opportunities to engage in collaboration and discussion, together with various writing prospects, their development and use of academic vocabulary increased. This study shows promise in motivating research on the topic of robotics and literacy, and how robotics can be used in non-STEM-related subject-areas.