SpeedRead

< Return to Game

SpeedRead by Justin M. Wray

https://wrayjustin.github.io/SpeedRead/ | https://www.justinwray.com

All Rights Reserved

About

SpeedRead is a web-based, gamified, sight word learning program. SpeedRead is based on the “Dolch” Sight Word list and provides default words based on the target education level.

Demo Video

Features

Details

Word Lists

Level Words
Pre-K a, and, away, big, blue, can, come, down, find, for, funny, go, help, here, I, in, is, it, jump, little, look, make, me, my, not, one, play, red, run, said, see, the, three, to, two, up, we, where, yellow, you
Kindergarten all, am, are, at, ate, be, black, brown, but, came, did, do, eat, four, get, good, have, he, into, like, must, new, no, now, on, our, out, please, pretty, ran, ride, saw, say, she, so, soon, that, there, they, this, too, under, want, was
1st Grade after, again, an, any, as, ask, by, could, every, fly, from, give, going, had, has, her, him, his, how, just, know, let, live, may, of, old, once, open, over, put, round, some, stop, take, thank
2nd Grade always, around, because, been, before, best, both, buy, call, cold, does, don’t, fast, first, five, found, gave, goes, green, its, made, many, off, or, pull, read, right, sing, sit, sleep, tell, their, these, those, upon, us, use, very, wash, which, why, wish, work, would, write, your
3rd Grade about, better, bring, carry, clean, cut, done, draw, drink, eight, fall, far, full, got, grow, hold, hot, hurt, if, keep, kind, laugh, light, long, much, myself, never, only, own, pick, seven, shall, show, six, small, start, ten, today, together, try, warm
Nouns apple, baby, back, ball, bear, bed, bell, bird, birthday, boat, box, boy, bread, brother, cake, car, cat, chair, chicken, children, Christmas, coat, corn, cow, day, dog, doll, door, duck, egg, eye, farm, farmer, father, feet, fire, fish, floor, flower, game, garden, girl, goodbye, grass, ground, hand, head, hill, home, horse, house, kitty, leg, letter, man, men, milk, money, morning, mother, name, nest, night, paper, party, picture, pig, rabbit, rain, ring, robin, Santa Claus, school, seed, sheep, shoe, sister, snow, song, squirrel, stick, street, sun, table, thing, time, top, toy, tree, watch, water, way, wind, window, wood
All [Contains all of the pre-defined words.]
Custom [Allows for custom, user-defined words.]

Scoring Types

SpeedRead contains three scoring modes, providing different methods for incentivizing accurate and timely answers. The “Game Score Type” can be changed at any time and will automatically update the relevant score displays.

Plus-Minus

One point is earned for every correct answer, and one point is lost for every skipped word. [This is the default scoring mode.]

Total Stars

The score is based on stars earned by speed, up to five stars per correct answer. No score reductions for skipped words. [Friendly Mode]

Time-Based

Scoring is based on speed, with points added for correct answers and deducted for skipped words. The points awarded, or subtracted, are based on the maximum number of seconds spent up to the time limit set. [Competitive Mode]

Game Settings

SpeedRead allows for the customization of various game settings. The following settings are customizable:

Action Key Default
Game Score Type Determines the Scoring Metric (See Scoring Types) Plus-Minus
Round Time Limit Time before the word is skipped automatically. Also used as the basis for time warnings. 30
Max Stars Per Round Maximum amount of stars earned per round; used as the basis for stars awarded for a correct answer. 5
Custom Game Wordlist (See Custom Wordlists) –
Custom State Data (See Game Save Data) –
Game Theme Visual themes for the interface (See Game Settings) light
Advanced Settings (See Game Save Data) –

Saved changes to these settings will take effect immediately and automatically update relevant statistics.

Keyboard Shortcuts

To provide for quick and easy proctoring, the game supports keyboard shortcuts to navigate. The supported keyboard shortcuts are as follows:

Action Key
Pause/Resume Space Bar
Correct Answer Right Arrow
Skip Word Left Arrow

Game Save Data

Game Data can be saved from the “Game Settings” screen. Save data is provided in both text form and a sharable URL. The text version can be copied, stored, and then later pasted into the Save Data field to resume a game. The URL is a link that automatically continues the game and can be shared.

Additionally, various game saves can be merged (combined) to create cumulative games. Joining games can be useful for combining games when one was not resumed or building long-term statistics (across sessions). Merging saves can be found under the “Advanced Settings” option of the “Game Settings” screen.

To Save

Copy and Store (in a file, etc.) the “Game State Data” content from the “Game Settings” dialog. Alternatively, you can save the Game Data URL (right-click the link icon and select your browser’s link-copy option).

To Resume

Paste previously saved data into the “Game State Data” field of the “Game Settings” screen, and click “Save.” Alternatively, click the previously saved Game Data URL (or paste it into your browser’s address bar).

To Merge

Click and expand the “Advanced Settings” under, and enter one saved game (the desired “Game State Data”) into “Game Save #1” and the other into “Game Save #2.” You can only merge two games at a time, but you can run the operation multiple times. Click “Merge Data.” The combined game will be loaded, and you can save the new data through the traditional methods.

Requirements

SpeedRead is a single file that can be played (and stored) entirely offline. However, it requires some third-party dependencies and an initial internet connection when first loaded. Additionally, the browser must support ~2015-level features and functionality; use a new(ish) browser version for best results.

SpeedRead should support (and has limited testing on):

Third-Party Resources:

SpeedRead may work on older versions of the above or other alternative browsers (primarily if they are based on one of the above). However, testing has not been conducted on other browsers. Please submit an issue if compatibility issues are discovered.

SpeedRead has also been tested via “Casting” from mobile and desktop applications to TV screens, via Chrome Casting, AirPlay, etc.

Custom Wordlists

SpeedRead allows for custom wordlists to be defined. All wordlists must be comma separated and may only contain alphanumeric, hyphens, spaces, and apostrophes.

Updates to the custom wordlist are applied immediately upon the settings save.

Game Themes

SpeedRead contains a few different visual themes. The theme can be changed from the settings dialog and updated immediately.

Light (Default)

The default theme is a “Light” color mode, with minimal distractions.
Light Theme

Dark

A sane inversion of the default mode, the “Dark” mode provides light text on dark backgrounds with minimal distractions.
Dark Theme

Chalkboard

Designed to mimic a school chalkboard setting, including “decorations” of an apple, eraser, and chalk.
Chalkboard Theme

Chalkboard Dark

A dark-mode version of the schoolhouse chalkboard design.
Chalkboard-Dark Theme

Prince

A blue-colored based theme.
Prince Theme

Princess

A pink/purple-colored theme.
Princess Theme

Other Uses

Although SpeedRead was designed for those just learning to read English, and to study “Sight Words” in particular, the flexibility of Custom Wordlists allows for a wider range of usage.

SpeedRead requires a “proctor,” but this “limitation” enables additional use cases for those who can already read. In such a case, SpeedRead acts as a “flash card” application. The content added to the word list can include text used by the learner to initiate some form of recall (memorization).

Additionally, SpeedRead can be useful, for any age, for learning a non-native language. Such language learning can be useful for both reading and pronunciation.

Example Alternative Uses:

Note: SpeedRead allows only alphanumeric (and hyphens, spaces, and apostrophes) entries in the wordlist - no special characters are allowed (excluding space). (See Custom Wordlists)

Development

SpeedRead is a prime example of a quick idea turning into a weekend project. This project is also a great representation of “feature creep.” What started as a quick “app,” in less than a few dozen lines of code, turned into a featured-filled game. Feedback from players and proctors resulted in numerous features rapidly added over a weekend (game saves, different scoring modes, etc.). As a result, although no bugs are currently known, the overall code quality is definitively “hacky.”

The application is built using the following technologies:

License & Rights

You are free to play the game (including in a classroom setting). You may store an unmodified copy for offline play. All other rights are reserved.