A 4-week embodied learning intervention with movement-phonemes improves grade 1 children's letter-sound knowledge more than regular classroom teaching¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2023 · checked against its sources 2026-10-21 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i3 MOVE improved naming of all letter-sounds from T1 to T2 significantly more than CON (d = 2.0). → Damsgaard 2023 q3 i3 MOVE improved conditional letter-sounds significantly more than CON (d = 2.3). → Damsgaard 2023

Evidence¶

Damsgaard 2023¶

Damsgaard, L., Nielsen, A.-M. V., Topor, M. K., Hansen, R. A., Jensen, S. K., Markers, R. L., Gejl, A. K., Malling, A. S. B., & Wienecke, J. (2023). Embodied Learning Activities Focusing on Letter-Sound Knowledge Increase Spelling Performance in 1st Grade Children with Low and High Reading Ability. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09791-9

q3 · i3 · causal · r2

Randomized controlled trial with 53 grade 1 children assigned to MOVE (n=24) or CON (n=29), 52 of whom completed the post-test (T2), analyzed with linear mixed models. The direct training effect on letter-sound naming showed "a significantly larger improvement in all letter-sound from T1 to T2 for MOVE compared to CON" with d = 2.0 and d = 2.3 for conditional sounds.

"Between-group analysis showed a significantly larger improvement in all letter-sound from T1 to T2 for MOVE compared to CON (p < 0.001, mean = 3.9, 95% CI (2.8, 4.9), d = 2.0). There was also a significantly larger improvement for conditional sounds in MOVE compared to CON (p < 0.001, mean = 3.5, 95% CI (2.6, 4.3), d = 2.3)"

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Alphabet Knowledge and Print Awareness — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• High baseline word-reading performers also benefit from the embodied learning intervention in letter-sound knowledge and spelling — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Low baseline word-reading performers in the embodied learning group improve letter-sound knowledge and spelling more than low performers in regular teaching — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• An 11-week teacher-delivered phonological awareness intervention significantly improves kindergarten children's phoneme segmentation, letter knowledge, reading, and invented spelling — related
• Embodied learning gains do not differ between low and high baseline performers within the movement group — related
• Both hand-movement and whole-body teaching improve naming of conditional letter-sounds post-intervention; the hand-movement advantage persists at retention — related
• Eight weeks of embodied letter-sound teaching produced no transfer effect on word reading in 5–6-year-olds — related
• Most children taught with movements spontaneously use movements when naming letter-sounds, unlike non-motor-taught children — related
• Whole-body movement teaching improves matching of conditional letter-sounds to letters at retention compared with non-motor teaching — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Whole-body movement teaching improves 5–6-year-olds' letter-sound naming more than non-motor teaching, immediately and at 17–22-week retention — related
• MAST significantly improves language in four-to-five-year-old children (d = 0.2) — related