Combine movement specifically with conditional letter-sounds for children who already master standard sounds¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 4 claims (4 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

Based on the finding that the intervention effect was concentrated on conditional letter-sounds, the authors recommend that "teachers specifically work in the combination of movement and conditional sounds, as we observe the greatest effect on that specific parameter." The strategy targets children who already master standard sounds and pairs each conditional pronunciation with a whole-body movement-phoneme during systematic phonics instruction.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Children should already have mastered standard letter-sounds before focusing on conditional sounds with movement

Constraints¶

• The recommendation rests on a 4-week intervention with a 1:2 teacher-student fraction; effects on whole word reading were not significant

Target Learners¶

• First-grade children in early literacy instruction

Target Learning Goals¶

• Conditional letter-sound knowledge and spelling performance

Claims¶

• A 4-week embodied learning intervention with movement-phonemes improves grade 1 children's letter-sound knowledge more than regular classroom teaching [+W]
• Embodied learning gains do not differ between low and high baseline performers within the movement group [+W]
• High baseline word-reading performers also benefit from the embodied learning intervention in letter-sound knowledge and spelling [+W]
• Low baseline word-reading performers in the embodied learning group improve letter-sound knowledge and spelling more than low performers in regular teaching [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Air Writing

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• 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