Hidden Word Treasure Hunt: Design of Dyslexia Game-Based Intervention

Authors

• Olivia N. Epp, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Dr. Pamela Bazis, Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders

Date of this Version

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

Epp, O. 2026. Hidden Word Treasure Hunt: Design of Dyslexia Game-Based Intervention. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

Comments

Copyright Olivia Epp 2026

Abstract

For this creative project, a literacy intervention board game entitled Hidden Word Treasure Hunt was designed for elementary students with dyslexia. Developmental Dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental learning disability which causes reading and writing difficulties. The goal of the intervention is to provide a fun and engaging way for students with dyslexia to practice skills like spelling, phonemic awareness, rhyming, and more. The game includes multiple choice question cards (treasure cards) and challenge spelling cards (key cards), and the student also has the opportunity to practice spelling the words with a whiteboard and marker. The student and SLP can play their way across the board collecting gold coins for their treasure chest depending on the difficulty level of their question. Answering a key card correctly earns a key which is also needed to win the game. The game is informed by prior research on game rehabilitation therapy, which highlights the need of multiple difficulty levels for achieving affective therapeutic outcomes. It is also based on the idea of self-efficacy and fostering a growth mindset for the student, placing value on the effort and not just simply the outcome.

Key words: Dyslexia, game-based rehabilitation, spelling, self-efficacy, reading