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The “Word learning” trainer

The learner hears the question “Where is <word>?” and taps the right card. The algorithm builds the skill of choosing by word while gradually removing the prompt.

Open the appHow it worksFull algorithm

How a session runs

  1. A grid of cards appears on the screen (usually 4).
  2. The voice asks the question: “Where is <word>?”.
  3. If the learner hesitates, the trainer shows a prompt: a glow (hint) and/or “Here is <word>” + zoom (focus).
  4. Prompts are then faded step by step so the learner picks the card independently.
  5. After several error-free sessions the card moves to rotation, and once it is consolidated there it is marked as learned.
Hint
A golden glow on the target card while the trainer waits for a tap.
Focus
The voice says “Here is <word>” and the card zooms in (Zoom +10%).
What you can configure
  • The card set and the prize set (chips).
  • Number of cards, their size and spacing.
  • Whether to show the question text and the card names.
  • The trainer voice.
  • Hint delays (in seconds): a configurable list (0,1,2,3,4 by default).
  • Timeouts (in seconds): the no-hint wait and the pause after the answer is shown.
  • Card repeat timeout (after how many minutes the card can be studied again).
  • Error-free sessions required before rotation.
  • Rotation: days, correct answers per day and the answer window.

The algorithm (diagram)

The trainer works as a state machine: help first (hint/focus), then the no-hint mode with distractor tasks and consolidation.

A single round
Hint timers start after the question has finished playing. There is a short pause between rounds.
Why this trainer
It builds receptive language
The learner links a spoken word to the right card among distractors.
Try it
Open the app and switch on the “Word learning” trainer in the learner's group.
Go to the app
The trainer algorithm in detail
Below is a detailed description of the teaching scenario, taken from the internal specification. It helps teachers and supervisors understand the prompting logic.
Key terms
  • Target card (T) — the card currently being learned.
  • Hint — the glow on the target card while the trainer waits for a tap.
  • Focus — the voice saying “Here is <word>” together with the card zooming in (Zoom +10%).
  • Distractor task (DT) — a short round between attempts in the no-hint mode.
The life cycle of a card
Inside the trainer a card goes through 3 stages: learning → rotation → learned. Rotation is a separate consolidation without hints: the card is practised in a dedicated rotation mode and is not used in distractor tasks.
  • After every learning session the card gets a repeat timeout of 30 minutes — until it expires the card is not chosen as the target again.
  • To move into rotation the learner must complete 3 sessions without errors on the target card.
  • In rotation a card counts as consolidated once it collects 5 correct answers a day on 3 different days, and each tap must come within 5 seconds of the question.
  • Once consolidated, the card is marked as learned and can be used in the group like any other card: in the communicator and in other exercises.
1) Entering a session
  • A session starts only after the “Start learning” button is pressed.
  • The card grid is assembled at random but always contains the target card.
  • Between rounds there is a short pause (empty screen), then a new grid appears.
2) Learning with a hint (along the delay list: 0 → 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → …)
The question is always spoken: “Where is <word>?”. Hint timers start counting after the question has finished playing. Hint delays come from a configurable list (0,1,2,3,4 by default).
  1. A new card starts at the first delay in the list: 0 seconds (the hint appears immediately).
  2. If the learner taps the target card before the hint appears (only possible when the delay is > 0) — that is a success and the trainer moves to the next stage.
  3. If the learner taps the target card after the hint, then: on the first pass the delay moves “up” the list (0→1→2→3→4), and from the largest delay a cycle starts in which every value repeats 3 times: … 4,4,4, 3,3,3, 2,2,2, 1,1,1, 0,0,0, 1,1,1 …. The switch happens after a run of “after the hint” successes at the current delay. (by default: 0 → 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → …).
  4. On a wrong tap (before or after the hint) the trainer shows the correct answer and steps back along the delay list (never below the first element).
On a wrong tap (before or after the hint)
  • The trainer shows the correct answer: focus + hint and the voice saying “Here is <word>”.
  • Then a new round starts with the hint delay one step easier (the previous value in the list).
3) Distractor task (DT)
A DT runs only between attempts in the no-hint mode (for example “2× DT”, “3× DT”). Distractor tasks must not run endlessly one after another because of errors. Cards in the rotation stage are not used in a DT.
When there are no learned cards yet
  • The target is picked at random from the set and the hint is shown immediately.
  • On a wrong answer: the trainer shows the correct one (focus + hint + “Here is …”), waits out the pause after the answer and ends the DT.
When the set already has learned cards
  • The target is picked at random among the learned cards and no hint is shown.
  • On a wrong answer: the hint switches on over the correct card, and then the trainer either waits for the correct tap or, after 3 seconds, shows focus + “Here is …” and ends the DT.
4) No-hint mode: consolidating the target
The aim is a stable correct choice without a hint and a completed learning session for the card. The no-hint mode has an answer timeout (5 seconds).
  1. Success → 2× DT (with different cards where possible).
  2. Success → 3× DT.
  3. Success → the session is over: a repeat timeout of 30 minutes is set. If there were no errors or timeouts on the target card during the session, it counts as an “error-free session”. After 3 such sessions the card moves into rotation.
An error or a timeout → the trainer switches to error correction.
5) Error correction
  • The hint on the target is shown straight away.
  • After a correct tap there is a check round without a hint.
  • If there is another error or timeout, the trainer goes back to the hint.
The limit (repeat timeout)
If error correction repeats 3 times in a row without an exit, the card is put on a repeat timeout and the trainer switches to the next one.
6) Rotation → “learned” and further use
Once a card is in rotation it is no longer chosen as a learning target and takes no part in distractor tasks. Consolidation happens in a separate rotation mode without hints.
  • In rotation only a correct tap made within 5 seconds of the question is counted.
  • The daily target: 5 correct answers. Once the target is met on 3 different days, the card becomes learned.
  • A learned card is marked in the system and available in the group like any other card: it can be added to sets and used in communication and in other trainers and exercises.
This release lays the groundwork for statistics (errors, timeouts, transitions, rotation); visual charts will be added as a separate task.
Chips and sounds
  • A chip is awarded only for a correct tap on the target card.
  • Victory sound (the card is learned / all chips collected): /audio/9f3e49b8de7c9d7.mp3.
  • When the chips are full, the prize set opens (if one is configured).
Common questions about the trainer
This is not a find-and-click game — it is a full ABA prompt-fading program. The prompt initially appears immediately, then the delay grows with successes and shrinks with errors. A card is only considered learned after 3 error-free sessions, rotation, and consolidation over several days.
Yes. The trainer works with the group's card set. Cards learned in the trainer become automatically available in the communicator and other group trainers.
DT is a short round between attempts in no-prompt mode. It's not a bad distraction — it's a stability check: the learner must correctly choose the target card even after a shift in attention. Without DTs the skill doesn't consolidate stably.
Basic operation — in the free local mode. Extended session statistics, prompt fading, and rotation history are available in Pro along with the cloud account.
The trainer picks the next word from the group's set itself. It's optimal to keep no more than 2-3 words in active learning at once — otherwise focus is scattered. The platform suggests when to add new cards.
Try the trainer
Open the app, create a learner group, and enable the Word learning trainer in its settings.
Open the app Open communicator demo