NCT04618822

Play-based Motor-Cognitive Training for Improved Reading

Motor-enriched Learning for Improving Pre-reading and Word Recognition Skills in Preschool Children Aged 5-6 Years

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 149 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Copenhagen · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 5 Years – 7 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

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.

Conditions

• Reading

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Teaching 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.
BEHAVIORAL	Teaching 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.
BEHAVIORAL	Teaching 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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-09-01
• Primary completion: 2021-02-19
• Completion: 2021-04-14
• First posted: 2020-11-06
• Last updated: 2022-11-08

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Denmark