Drumming to support people with dyslexia
Teaching children with dyslexia, and facilitating drumming are two major passions, so I decided to combine them to write a programme to support dyslexic children’s literacy using drumming.
Why drumming?
A large body of evidence suggests that dyslexic children have difficulty perceiving certain rhythms, and that this effects their perception of the speech sounds needed to understand written language. Various studies have found that training in rhythm can improve the literacy abilities of dyslexic children. (for a full review, check out my drumming and dyslexia thesis linked below)
What happened in the programme?
A mixed group of dyslexic and non-dyslexic children received the programme of ten sessions which involved specific rhythms, drum games and improvised group playing using “drum circle” methods.
What were the results?
This was a tiny study, but the results showed that dyslexic children’s reading and spelling improved significantly, and their rhythm awareness improved too. They of course also learned a great skill: playing an instrument that you can play in a group. Everyone learned to play African drums, and enjoy making music as a group, and the dyslexic got the extra benefits of improved literacy. It suggest that drumming could provide a valuable additional support to compliment dyslexic children’s academic support, in a way that builds self esteem and allows integration.
How does integration work?
The programme teaches music in a way that’s accessible to dyslexic children, who often struggle with conventional music teaching.. Teaching with dyslexic children in mind benefits all the children. Similarly, synthetic phonics was initially used for teaching dyslexic children to read and has now been adopted for all children because its method works.
What next?
To find out more about sessions for your school or group, do contact me. Drumming is so much fun, and so valuable for connecting groups of children, encouraging teamwork and listening, as well as creativity.
If you would like to read the project, please download the PDF (4.3Mb).
About Ruth
I have a post grad diploma in Special Educational Needs (dyslexia) and provide 1:1 academic support for dyslexic children. I am trained as a drum circle facilitator and have worked using rhythm with many different populations,including learning disabled teenagers, school children, youth groups and babies. I have seen how drumming can be used to support, empower and develop all these groups.