Play-based Motor-Cognitive Training for Improved Reading

NCT ID: NCT04618822

Last Updated: 2022-11-08

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 149 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2020-09-01
• Study Completion Date: 2021-04-14

Brief 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

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Teaching involving whole-body movements

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Teaching involving whole-body movements

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

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.

Teaching involving hand movements

i.e. arms and hands

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Teaching involving hand movements

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

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.

teaching involving minimal motor movements

i.e. seated on a chair using paper and pencil

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Teaching involving minimal motor movements (control)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

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.

Interventions

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.

Intervention Type: 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.

Intervention Type: 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.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Children five to six years old who have just started school

Exclusion Criteria

• Children who do not speak any Danish
• Children with cognitive or physical disabilities hindering participation in the project activities

• Minimum Eligible Age: 5 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 7 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Copenhagen

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Jacob Wienecke

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

University of Copenhagen

Copenhagen, , Denmark

Countries

Denmark

References

Gejl AK, Malling ASB, Damsgaard L, Veber-Nielsen AM, Wienecke J. Motor-enriched learning for improving pre-reading and word recognition skills in preschool children aged 5-6 years - study protocol for the PLAYMORE randomized controlled trial. BMC Pediatr. 2021 Jan 4;21(1):2. doi: 10.1186/s12887-020-02430-0.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 33397297 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

8018-00132B

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id