Musical plus phonological input for young foreign language readers

Based on previous studies showing that phonological awareness is related to reading abilities and that music training improves phonological processing, the aim of the present study was to test for the efficiency of a new method for teaching to read in a foreign language. Specifically, we tested the...

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Main Authors: M.C. eFonseca-Mora, Pilar eJara-Jiménez, María eGómez-Domínguez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2015-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00286/full
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author M.C. eFonseca-Mora
Pilar eJara-Jiménez
María eGómez-Domínguez
author_facet M.C. eFonseca-Mora
Pilar eJara-Jiménez
María eGómez-Domínguez
author_sort M.C. eFonseca-Mora
collection DOAJ
description Based on previous studies showing that phonological awareness is related to reading abilities and that music training improves phonological processing, the aim of the present study was to test for the efficiency of a new method for teaching to read in a foreign language. Specifically, we tested the efficacy of a phonological training program, with and without musical support that aimed at improving early reading skills in 7-8-year-old Spanish children (n=63) learning English as a foreign language. Of interest was also to explore the impact of this training program on working memory and decoding skills. To achieve these goals we tested three groups of children before and after training: a control group, an experimental group with phonological non-musical intervention (active control), and an experimental group with musical intervention. Results clearly point to the beneficial effects of the phonological teaching approach but the further impact of the music support was not demonstrated. Moreover, while children in the music group showed low musical aptitudes before training, they nevertheless performed better than the control group. Therefore, the phonological training program with and without music support seem to have significant effects on early reading skills.
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spelling doaj.art-39de9fd226a2429bbf64e8e73a8c49e72022-12-21T19:41:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782015-03-01610.3389/fpsyg.2015.00286110551Musical plus phonological input for young foreign language readersM.C. eFonseca-Mora0Pilar eJara-Jiménez1María eGómez-Domínguez2University of HuelvaUniversity Jaume IUniversity of HuelvaBased on previous studies showing that phonological awareness is related to reading abilities and that music training improves phonological processing, the aim of the present study was to test for the efficiency of a new method for teaching to read in a foreign language. Specifically, we tested the efficacy of a phonological training program, with and without musical support that aimed at improving early reading skills in 7-8-year-old Spanish children (n=63) learning English as a foreign language. Of interest was also to explore the impact of this training program on working memory and decoding skills. To achieve these goals we tested three groups of children before and after training: a control group, an experimental group with phonological non-musical intervention (active control), and an experimental group with musical intervention. Results clearly point to the beneficial effects of the phonological teaching approach but the further impact of the music support was not demonstrated. Moreover, while children in the music group showed low musical aptitudes before training, they nevertheless performed better than the control group. Therefore, the phonological training program with and without music support seem to have significant effects on early reading skills.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00286/fullMusicworking memoryreadingliteracyphonological awarenessforeign language
spellingShingle M.C. eFonseca-Mora
Pilar eJara-Jiménez
María eGómez-Domínguez
Musical plus phonological input for young foreign language readers
Frontiers in Psychology
Music
working memory
reading
literacy
phonological awareness
foreign language
title Musical plus phonological input for young foreign language readers
title_full Musical plus phonological input for young foreign language readers
title_fullStr Musical plus phonological input for young foreign language readers
title_full_unstemmed Musical plus phonological input for young foreign language readers
title_short Musical plus phonological input for young foreign language readers
title_sort musical plus phonological input for young foreign language readers
topic Music
working memory
reading
literacy
phonological awareness
foreign language
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00286/full
work_keys_str_mv AT mcefonsecamora musicalplusphonologicalinputforyoungforeignlanguagereaders
AT pilarejarajimenez musicalplusphonologicalinputforyoungforeignlanguagereaders
AT mariaegomezdominguez musicalplusphonologicalinputforyoungforeignlanguagereaders