Spatial sonification of letters on tablets to stimulate literacy skills and handwriting in 5 y-o children: A pilot study.
Hum Mov Sci 2021;
79:102844. [PMID:
34311303 DOI:
10.1016/j.humov.2021.102844]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We evaluate the effects of multisensory training on letters, including sonification of graphic symbols. We used "spatial sonification" where letter handwriting movements recorded in a two dimensional plan, vertical and horizontal, are systematically assigned to two acoustic features, spectral composition for the horizontal axis and frequency for the vertical axis. Forty-six kindergarten children were recruited. They were randomly assigned to three multisensory training groups: with sonification (Son) of letters, with a melody unrelated to the shape of the letters (Mel) and without any sound (Sil). We observed a significant effect of training, with the Son group performing better than the other groups in the reading and spelling tasks. We also observed a modification of two kinematic cues (time and in-air time) during handwriting, also in the Son group. We conclude that letter sonification could act as a binder between the visual and auditory dimensions of the letter. The processes underlying this benefit are discussed in the light of the Act-In model, a cognition memory model.
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