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DYSLEXIA AND VIDEO GAMES
games can improve reading-related skills by enhancing multisensory learning.
A recent study, published in npj Science of Learning, explores how playing action video games, specifically Space Invaders 2, can benefit children at risk for developmental dyslexia (DD). This study investigates how these games can improve reading-related skills by enhancing multisensory learning.
The research focused on children who haven't started reading yet but are at risk of developing DD, which often involves difficulties with processing sounds in language. The key finding is that action video games can help these children by improving their ability to recognize and work with sounds (phonemic awareness). This skill is essential for learning to read.
In the study, 120 children were divided into groups based on their performance in tasks related to reading skills. Some children played action video games, while others played non-action games or received traditional treatments like speech therapy. The results showed that those who played action video games had significant improvements in their phonemic awareness and other reading-related skills compared to the other groups.
This improvement is thought to come from the games' ability to speed up the brain's processing of auditory information, which is critical for understanding and manipulating sounds in language. The fast-paced, multisensory nature of action video games seems to stimulate the brain in ways that traditional methods may not.
The findings suggest that incorporating action video games into educational strategies could help children with learning difficulties, potentially preventing the development of reading disabilities by strengthening the brain's multisensory processing abilities.
