Phonological awareness (oddity) improved to a greater extent in the groups where rhythm was trained, in children without reading difficulties¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3 · i2 medium
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i2 Among children without reading difficulties, the group-by-time interaction in the oddity task showed larger effect sizes in the two rhythm-trained groups than in the phonological awareness-only group. → Gutiérrez-Palma 2026

Evidence¶

Gutiérrez-Palma 2026¶

Gutiérrez-Palma, N., Calet, N., Robles-Bello, M.A., & Valencia-Naranjo, N. (2026). The role of rhythm in learning to read in children with and without reading difficulties: an intervention study. Learning and Instruction. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2025.102273

q3 · i2 · causal · r2

Non-parametric longitudinal analysis of children without reading difficulties; Table 1 prints simple-effect effect sizes of Cliff's delta = .53 (PAR group) and Cliff's delta = .48 (RM group) on the oddity task, with the interaction significant at p < .01 (ATS = 4.76).

"However, an interaction was obtained in the oddity task, and the effect size was larger in the two groups in which rhythm was trained."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Phonological Awareness — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Rhythm training did not improve non-linguistic rhythm perception in any group — related
• Stress awareness improved to a greater extent in the rhythm-trained groups in readers with and without difficulties — related
• Post-test mediation analyses indicate word reading is related to rhythm (stress awareness and non-linguistic rhythm) through phonological awareness — related
• Word reading improved in all three training groups among children without reading difficulties, with no group-by-time interaction — related