On the role of non-linguistic rhythm skills in the early stages of formal learning to read

Abstract

The study of the factors contributing to literacy acquisition is expanding, including prosodic factors. In addition, there is evidence that the rhythmic abilities of boys and girls participate in this acquisition process, but some results are inconsistent. The first objective of this work is to determine if non-linguistic rhythmic skills contribute to the prediction of reading once vocabulary, intelligence, and phonological awareness/stress awareness are controlled for. The second objective was to examine whether phonological or stress awareness mediates the relationship between nonlinguistic rhythm and reading, as can be expected from Goswami temporal sampling theory. This study's participants are Spanish children who had started formal learning to read (first grade) and who are asked to perform some phonological, rhythm, and reading tasks. In relation to the first objective, results suggest that the predictive ability of rhythm may depend on the type of non-linguistic rhythm, and that the slower rhythm (1.5 Hz) made a unique contribution predicting word reading (real and non-real) once phonological awareness was controlled for. In relation to the second objective, results show an indirect relationship between the quicker rhythm (2 Hz) and the reading of pseudowords mediated by phonological awareness. In addition, stress awareness mediates the relationship between the slower rhythm and pseudoword reading. These results highlight the role of rhythm in learning to read.