Evaluating the potential of a speech rhythm-based reading intervention

• Main Author: Harrison, E.
• Published: Coventry University 2015
• Subjects: 370.15
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.650125

A well established literature has demonstrated the contribution of segmental phonological awareness (i.e. awareness of the separable sound segments of spoken language) to reading, leading to the development of phonic-based interventions. However, despite good general evidence of effectiveness, not all children with reading difficulties respond to this approach to reading tuition. In addition, literature has largely ignored the potential contribution of suprasegmental phonology, which comprises the rhythmic components of language which accompany phonological awareness, such as linguistic stress, intonation and timing. Despite ongoing literature supporting a robust relationship between sensitivity to these rhythmic elements (particularly stress) and reading, there has to date been little reference to interventions based on training speech rhythm sensitivity in relation to literacy. This thesis therefore examines whether training on a speech rhythm-based intervention can benefit children’s reading performance. In the first study, seventy-three reception children were randomly allocated to one of three groups, receiving either a speech rhythm-based intervention, a traditional phonological awareness-based intervention, or a control (maths-based) intervention over 10 weeks. All participating children were assessed on pre- and post-test measures of speech rhythm sensitivity, single word reading, phonological awareness and receptive vocabulary. Results illustrated that children exposed to the speech rhythm-based intervention made significant improvements in sensitivity to speech rhythm and single word reading performance compared to children in the control group. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the speech rhythm group and the phonological awareness group on their reading improvement between the pre- and post-test. In a second study, Evaluating the Potential of a Speech Rhythm-Based Reading Intervention 4 forty-nine 7-8 year-olds who performed below the expected level for a child in their age group on a standardised reading test were randomly allocated to receive either the speech rhythm-based intervention, a traditional phonological awareness-based intervention, or a control (semantic-based) intervention over 10 weeks. Participating children were assessed on pre- and post-test measures of speech rhythm sensitivity, single word reading, reading comprehension, phonological awareness and general IQ. Results showed that children exposed to the speech rhythm-based intervention made significant improvements in speech rhythm sensitivity and single word reading compared to children in the control group. Again, there was no significant difference between the speech rhythm group and the phonological awareness group on their improvement in reading between the pre- and post-test. Overall findings from these two longitudinal studies suggest that training on speech rhythm-based tasks has the ability to benefit children’s reading performance at a level beyond that of a control intervention. However, no significant differences were found between the characteristics of children whose reading benefitted from exposure to the speech rhythm-based intervention and the characteristics of children whose reading benefitted from exposure to the phonological awareness-based intervention in either study, suggesting that there are no characteristics which can pre-determine the type of intervention a child will respond best to.