Long-term benefits after a rhyme-repetition based intervention program for kindergarteners: Better reading and spelling in the first grade.

Abstract

Oral language proficiency in kindergarten can facilitate the acquisition of reading and writing. However, in diglossic languages, like Arabic, the large gap between the spoken and the formal, modern standard (MSA) varieties of the language may restrict the benefits of oral language proficiency to subsequent literacy skills. Here, we tested, in a randomized controlled study, whether an intervention program, implemented in kindergarten, that familiarized the children with rhymes presented in MSA through recitation, facilitated reading and spelling in first grade. We also tested whether engaging the children in recitation affords an advantage over repeated listening by itself and whether rhymes directly referring to the alphabet impart additional advantages. The children were assigned to one of four intervention conditions (10 sessions, 2 months) wherein they either recited or repeatedly listened to nursery rhymes that were either related or unrelated to the alphabet, or engaged in nonlinguistic activities (control). A year later, all intervention groups read faster compared to a control group (nonlinguistic activity). The two recitation groups gained in reading accuracy, reading efficiency, and spelling; spelling gains were found also in children who only listened to alphabet-related rhymes. The reciting groups were superior to the listening groups in all study measures (reading and spelling). The results suggest long-term contributions from structured interventions based on oral rhyme repetition, in kindergarten, to reading and spelling in first grade. Vocal recitations in kindergarten can benefit the mastering of literacy skills even in a language that differs from the one spoken in the child's home.

Effectiveness of Fuller Approach in Teaching Reading Among Grade 3 Pupils

“…Building vocabulary is also one of the focuses of this approach. Hence, giving importance and meaning to the reading materials (Eghbaria et al, 2022).…”

How I wonder what you are: Children's songs as a source of mental and internal state information

“…However, recent studies suggest that children's processing of songs may not be limited to a shallow encoding of verbal material. Several studies showed that structured interventions where Arabic-speaking kindergarteners recited or listened to nursery rhymes successfully improved their aptitude in Modern Standard Arabic, in domains such as vocabulary, listening comprehension, and reading (Eghbaria-Ghanamah et al, 2020, 2022. Moreover, Eghbaria-Ghanamah et al (2021) found that children retained the content of nursery rhymes 6 months after intervention, even when they could not recall the rhymes verbatim.…”

“…Children's nursery rhyme experiences have been associated positively with phonological and literacy skills (see Dunst et al, 2011 for a review). Furthermore, recent experimental studies found that interventions where Arabic-speaking kindergarteners recited or listened to nursery rhymes improved their aptitude in Modern Standard Arabic (i.e., literary language used in most Arabic speaking societies), in domains such as vocabulary, listening comprehension, and reading (Eghbaria-Ghanamah et al, 2020, 2022. The benefits of children's songs certainly should not be limited to language and literacy development, considering the diverse educational content often included in children's songs.…”