Reading
Conditions
Keywords
motor-enriched learning, embodied learning, physically active lessons, pre-reading skills, word recognition, preschool children
Brief summary
The PLAYMORE study aims to investigate the effects of two interventions focusing on a close and meaningful coupling between bodily movement and academic content on early pre-reading and word recognition skills in children. Further, the study aims to compare two interventions involving either hand movements (i.e. using arms and hands) or whole-body movements (i.e. using the whole body). Potential mediating factors underlying the potential effect of bodily movement on early pre-reading and word recognition skills will be explored. The PLAYMORE study will be conducted as a three-armed randomized controlled trial including children aged five to six years recruited from four schools in the Copenhagen area, Denmark. Stratified by class, children will be randomly allocated to one of three 8-week intervention/control periods: 1) teaching involving whole-body movements, 2) teaching involving hand movements (i.e. arms and hands) or 3) teaching involving minimal motor movements (i.e. seated on a chair using paper and pencil). Outcome measurements, including pre-reading and word recognition skills, will be collected before and after the intervention period to assess the intervention effects. This study protocol follows the SPIRIT guidelines.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALTeaching involving whole-body movements
The intervention consist of three 30 minutes sessions per week for eight weeks. Activities are conducted in small groups of six children and focus on the acquisition of letterforms, letter-sound correspondences and reading and spelling of short words. Activities involve whole-body movements and have been developed with the embodied learning theory in mind, linking movement closely to the learning content.
BEHAVIORALTeaching involving hand movements
The intervention consist of three 30 minutes sessions per week for eight weeks. Activities are conducted in small groups of six children and focus on the acquisition of letterforms, letter-sound correspondences and reading and spelling of short words. Activities involve movements using hands and arms and have been developed with the embodied learning theory in mind, linking movement closely to the learning content.
BEHAVIORALTeaching involving minimal motor movements (control)
The control condition consist of three 30 minutes sessions per week for eight weeks. Activities are conducted in groups of app. twelve children and focus on the acquisition of letterforms, letter-sound correspondences and reading and spelling of short words. Activities are completed seated on a chair using paper and pencil.
Sponsors
University of Copenhagen
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Intervention model description
A three-armed randomized controlled trial
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
5 Years to 7 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Children five to six years old who have just started school
Exclusion criteria
* Children who do not speak any Danish * Children with cognitive or physical disabilities hindering participation in the project activities
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change from baseline in word reading speed and accuracy (reading of 18 trained words) at 8 weeks, computer-based test | Baseline and 8-weeks | This word reading test consist of 18 presentations of targets words; one target word per presentation. Below the target word are placed four pictures of which one illustrates the target word. For the children to give a correct answer, they will have to touch the picture matching the target word on the touch screen. They are asked to touch the correct picture as fast as possible. The three remaining pictures represents words (distractors) that have either the initial (two pictures) or the final (one picture) sound in common with the target word. The presentations of target words and the order of the four pictures are randomized between subjects and time points. During the test, children are allowed to ask questions concerning the pictures (e.g. what is shown on this picture?) but not regarding the target word (e.g. what is the sound of this letter?). The results from the test constitute mean response time for correct answers and number of correct answers. |
| Change from baseline in trained letter-sound correspondences accuracy (15 trials) at 8 weeks, paper and pencil test | Baseline and 8-weeks | The test consists of 15 trials. In each trial, a sound corresponding to a standard or a conditional pronunciation of a letter is said out loud by the assessor. Children are instructed to identify the correct letter matching the sound from a row of four letters. Before the test trials, children will be provided with one practice trial. The 15 sounds represent both standard and conditional pronunciations of the letters a, e, o, r, u and v. Results are numbers of correct letter-sound correspondences. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change from baseline in letter-sound correspondence accuracy, Bogstaveprøve 2 ['Letter test 2'] at 8 weeks | Baseline and 8-weeks | This test has been widely used in the Danish school system. The test consists of two subtests assessing simple letter-sound knowledge and vowel identification, respectively. For the purpose of the present study, only the first subtest will be administered to assess standard letter-sound knowledge. |
| Change from baseline in letter naming fluency accuracy at 8 weeks | Baseline and 8-weeks | This Danish version of the Letter Naming test is based on the same principles as DIBELS Letter Naming Fluency (Good & Kaminski, 2002). The test consists of a piece of paper (A4) with 12 rows of 10 letters (mixed upper- and lower case). |
| Change from baseline in word reading accuracy and speed, Ordlæseprøve 1 ['Word reading test 1'] at 8 weeks | Baseline and 8-weeks | This test is widely used in the Danish school system. The test consists of 78 items (preceded by two practice items) and evaluates word reading accuracy as well as efficiency. |
| Change from baseline in word reading speed and accuracy (reading of 18 trained words) at 18 weeks, computer-based test | Baseline and 18-weeks | This word reading test consist of 18 presentations of targets words; one target word per presentation. Below the target word are placed four pictures of which one illustrates the target word. For the children to give a correct answer, they will have to touch the picture matching the target word on the touch screen. They are asked to touch the correct picture as fast as possible. The three remaining pictures represents words (distractors) that have either the initial (two pictures) or the final (one picture) sound in common with the target word. The presentations of target words and the order of the four pictures are randomized between subjects and time points. During the test, children are allowed to ask questions concerning the pictures (e.g. what is shown on this picture?) but not regarding the target word (e.g. what is the sound of this letter?). The results from the test constitute mean response time for correct answers and number of correct answers. |
| Change from baseline in trained letter-sound correspondences accuracy (15 trials) at 18 weeks, paper and pencil test | Baseline and 18-weeks | The test consists of 15 trials. In each trial, a sound corresponding to a standard or a conditional pronunciation of a letter is said out loud by the assessor. Children are instructed to identify the correct letter matching the sound from a row of four letters. Before the test trials, children will be provided with one practice trial. The 15 sounds represent both standard and conditional pronunciations of the letters a, e, o, r, u and v. Results are numbers of correct letter-sound correspondences. |
| Change in word reading speed and accuracy (reading of 18 trained words) between 8 weeks and 18 weeks, computer-based test | 8-weeks and 18-weeks | This word reading test consist of 18 presentations of targets words; one target word per presentation. Below the target word are placed four pictures of which one illustrates the target word. For the children to give a correct answer, they will have to touch the picture matching the target word on the touch screen. They are asked to touch the correct picture as fast as possible. The three remaining pictures represents words (distractors) that have either the initial (two pictures) or the final (one picture) sound in common with the target word. The presentations of target words and the order of the four pictures are randomized between subjects and time points. During the test, children are allowed to ask questions concerning the pictures (e.g. what is shown on this picture?) but not regarding the target word (e.g. what is the sound of this letter?). The results from the test constitute mean response time for correct answers and number of correct answers. |
| Change in trained letter-sound correspondences accuracy (15 trials) between 8 weeks and 18 weeks, paper and pencil test | 8-weeks and 18-weeks | The test consists of 15 trials. In each trial, a sound corresponding to a standard or a conditional pronunciation of a letter is said out loud by the assessor. Children are instructed to identify the correct letter matching the sound from a row of four letters. Before the test trials, children will be provided with one practice trial. The 15 sounds represent both standard and conditional pronunciations of the letters a, e, o, r, u and v. Results are numbers of correct letter-sound correspondences. |
| Change in word reading accuracy (reading of 12 untrained words) between 8 weeks and 18 weeks, computer-based test | 8-weeks and 18-weeks | This test consists of 12 presentations of untrained words; one word per presentation. The 12 words consist of four 2-letter words, four 3-letter words and four 4-letter words. |
| Change in letter naming fluency accuracy between 8 weeks and 18 weeks | 8-weeks and 18-weeks | This Danish version of the Letter Naming test is based on the same principles as DIBELS Letter Naming Fluency (Good & Kaminski, 2002). The test consists of a piece of paper (A4) with 12 rows of 10 letters (mixed upper- and lower case). |
| Change in letter-sound correspondence accuracy, Bogstaveprøve 2 ['Letter test 2'] between 8 weeks and 18 weeks | 8-weeks and 18-weeks | This test has been widely used in the Danish school system. The test consists of two subtests assessing simple letter-sound knowledge and vowel identification, respectively. For the purpose of the present study, only the first subtest will be administered to assess standard letter-sound knowledge. |
| Change in word reading accuracy and speed, Ordlæseprøve 1 ['Word reading test 1'] between 8 weeks and 18 weeks | 8-weeks and 18-weeks | This test is widely used in the Danish school system. The test consists of 78 items (preceded by two practice items) and evaluates word reading accuracy as well as efficiency. |
| Change from baseline in word reading accuracy (reading of 12 untrained words) at 8 weeks, computer-based test | Baseline and 8-weeks | This test consists of 12 presentations of untrained words; one word per presentation. The 12 words consist of four 2-letter words, four 3-letter words and four 4-letter words. |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Flamingo balance test, balance on one leg (sum of attempts with both legs; lower scores indicate better performance) | Baseline, 8-weeks and 18-weeks | The flamingo balance test is a standardized test that assesses the ability to balance successfully on one leg (Adam, C., Klissouras, V., Ravazzolo, M., Renson, R., & Tuxworth, 1988). |
| Change in 9-hole pegboard (speed) | Baseline, 8-weeks and 18-weeks | The 9-hole pegboard test is a standardized test which has previously been used in children to evaluate fine motor skills (Longcamp et al., 2005; Smith, Hong, & Presson, 2000). |
| Flamingo balance test, balance on one leg (sum of attempts with both legs; lower scores indicate better performance) | Baseline | The flamingo balance test is a standardized test that assesses the ability to balance successfully on one leg (Adam, C., Klissouras, V., Ravazzolo, M., Renson, R., & Tuxworth, 1988). |
| 9-hole pegboard (speed) | Baseline | The 9-hole pegboard test is a standardized test which has previously been used in children to evaluate fine motor skills (Longcamp et al., 2005; Smith, Hong, & Presson, 2000). |
| Letter-sound correspondence accuracy, Bogstaveprøve 2 ['Letter test 2'] | Baseline | This test has been widely used in the Danish school system. The test consists of two subtests assessing simple letter-sound knowledge and vowel identification, respectively. For the purpose of the present study, only the first subtest will be administered to assess standard letter-sound knowledge. |
| Word reading accuracy and speed, Ordlæseprøve 1 ['Word reading test 1'] | Baseline | This test is widely used in the Danish school system. The test consists of 78 items (preceded by two practice items) and evaluates word reading accuracy as well as efficiency. |
| Letter naming fluency accuracy | Baseline | This Danish version of the Letter Naming test is based on the same principles as DIBELS Letter Naming Fluency (Good & Kaminski, 2002). The test consists of a piece of paper (A4) with 12 rows of 10 letters (mixed upper- and lower case). |
| Change in digit span forwards and backwards accuracy (number of correctly remembered sequences and the number of digits in the longest correctly remembered sequence) | Baseline, 8-weeks and 18-weeks | The digit span task is a subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - fourth edition (WISC-IV) (Wechsler, 2003) and is used to assess auditory working memory, attention, and concentration. The test consists of two subtests; digit span forward and digit span backwards. |
| Intrinsic motivation questionnaire | Four times during study completion, immediately after one session in week two, four, six and eight | Modified version of Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) (McAuley, Duncan, & Tammen, 1989). The original items of the IMI are translated into Danish using a translation-backtranslation process (Streiner & Norman, 2008). The inventory is reduced to six questions related to intrinsic motivation (question 1-3) and feeling of competences (question 4-6). |
| Change in 1-back task accuracy and reaction time | Baseline, 8-weeks and 18-weeks | This 1-back task is constructed of representations of symbols (car, cloud, globe, note, headphones, airplane, plate, key, eye and bicycle); one symbol is presented at the time. |
Countries
Denmark
Outcome results
None listed