Effects of Traditional and Simplified Methods of Rhythm-Reading Instruction

Two experiments were conducted to compare the effectiveness of teaching rhythm reading using a traditional approach versus a simplified speech cue method. Results of the first experiment indicated the superiority of the speech cue method. Experiment 2 was conducted to determine whether the speech cue method could be used effectively with minimal teacher training. A 23-item rhythm-reading test was administered to 107 third graders before and after rhythm instruction by each method. In both experiments, the speech cue group made significantly greater gains than the traditional group. The difference between pretest and posttest scores was significant for both treatment groups. The findings have general application for rhythm-reading instruction using the speech cue method for early training.