Children’s Improvement After Language and Rhythm Training With the Digital Medical Device Poppins for Dyslexia: Single-Arm Intervention Study
BackgroundSpecific learning disorder in reading (SLD reading), commonly named dyslexia, is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting reading. Current best practice recommendations for SLD reading emphasize the necessity of including graphophonological interventions. The seriou...
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JMIR Publications
2025-08-01
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| Series: | JMIR Serious Games |
| Online Access: | https://games.jmir.org/2025/1/e76435 |
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| author | Charline Grossard Melanie Descamps Hugues Pellerin François Vonthron David Cohen |
| author_facet | Charline Grossard Melanie Descamps Hugues Pellerin François Vonthron David Cohen |
| author_sort | Charline Grossard |
| collection | DOAJ |
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BackgroundSpecific learning disorder in reading (SLD reading), commonly named dyslexia, is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting reading. Current best practice recommendations for SLD reading emphasize the necessity of including graphophonological interventions. The serious game Mila-Learn, which is based on rhythm training, showed promising results in a prior randomized trial. However, it lacked a component of graphophonological training.
ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Poppins, a new digital medical device that combines rhythm-based and graphophonological training for improving reading and phonological skills in children with SLD reading. We also explored its performance against Mila-Learn, the earlier version based on rhythm training only.
MethodsA single-arm study without an active control group was conducted with 38 children (aged 7-11 years) diagnosed with SLD reading. The participants completed an 8-week training program with Poppins (five 20-minute sessions per week). Pre- and posttraining assessments measured reading accuracy and speed, phoneme deletion, and phonological discrimination. Statistical analysis included pre- and postcomparisons (primary analysis) and comparisons with children's improvement from a previous randomized controlled trial of Mila-Learn, an earlier version of the device (exploratory analysis).
ResultsThe participants demonstrated significant improvements in reading accuracy (+11.46 words correctly read; P<.001), reading speed (+10.26 words read; P<.001), and phoneme deletion (+2.87 points; P<.001). No significant change was observed in reading comprehension for younger participants (grades 2-3; P=.09), although improvements were noted in older children (grades 4-5, P=.03). Exploratory analysis comparing children’s improvements with Mila-Learn and Poppins revealed similar gains in reading accuracy and speed but revealed superior improvement in phonological skills for the Poppins group, with a moderate effect size according to the benchmarks by Cohen (Cohen d=0.48, P=.02).
ConclusionsPoppins is an effective and safe tool for enhancing reading and phonological skills in children with SLD reading. By integrating rhythm-based and graphophonological exercises, the device aligns with best practice recommendations for curative intervention. Future research should explore its long-term effects and medicoeconomic impact and compare outcomes with those of conventional therapy, as serious games provide an engaging, scalable method for delivering such interventions.
Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT06596980; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06596980 |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-af5c07bca5754193a7080b1ad4f23f24 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2291-9279 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | JMIR Serious Games |
| spelling | doaj-art-af5c07bca5754193a7080b1ad4f23f242025-08-20T03:34:25ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Serious Games2291-92792025-08-0113e7643510.2196/76435Children’s Improvement After Language and Rhythm Training With the Digital Medical Device Poppins for Dyslexia: Single-Arm Intervention StudyCharline Grossardhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4850-828XMelanie Descampshttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6439-3833Hugues Pellerinhttps://orcid.org/0009-0004-4974-9917François Vonthronhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9680-3371David Cohenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3321-7375 BackgroundSpecific learning disorder in reading (SLD reading), commonly named dyslexia, is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting reading. Current best practice recommendations for SLD reading emphasize the necessity of including graphophonological interventions. The serious game Mila-Learn, which is based on rhythm training, showed promising results in a prior randomized trial. However, it lacked a component of graphophonological training. ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Poppins, a new digital medical device that combines rhythm-based and graphophonological training for improving reading and phonological skills in children with SLD reading. We also explored its performance against Mila-Learn, the earlier version based on rhythm training only. MethodsA single-arm study without an active control group was conducted with 38 children (aged 7-11 years) diagnosed with SLD reading. The participants completed an 8-week training program with Poppins (five 20-minute sessions per week). Pre- and posttraining assessments measured reading accuracy and speed, phoneme deletion, and phonological discrimination. Statistical analysis included pre- and postcomparisons (primary analysis) and comparisons with children's improvement from a previous randomized controlled trial of Mila-Learn, an earlier version of the device (exploratory analysis). ResultsThe participants demonstrated significant improvements in reading accuracy (+11.46 words correctly read; P<.001), reading speed (+10.26 words read; P<.001), and phoneme deletion (+2.87 points; P<.001). No significant change was observed in reading comprehension for younger participants (grades 2-3; P=.09), although improvements were noted in older children (grades 4-5, P=.03). Exploratory analysis comparing children’s improvements with Mila-Learn and Poppins revealed similar gains in reading accuracy and speed but revealed superior improvement in phonological skills for the Poppins group, with a moderate effect size according to the benchmarks by Cohen (Cohen d=0.48, P=.02). ConclusionsPoppins is an effective and safe tool for enhancing reading and phonological skills in children with SLD reading. By integrating rhythm-based and graphophonological exercises, the device aligns with best practice recommendations for curative intervention. Future research should explore its long-term effects and medicoeconomic impact and compare outcomes with those of conventional therapy, as serious games provide an engaging, scalable method for delivering such interventions. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT06596980; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06596980https://games.jmir.org/2025/1/e76435 |
| spellingShingle | Charline Grossard Melanie Descamps Hugues Pellerin François Vonthron David Cohen Children’s Improvement After Language and Rhythm Training With the Digital Medical Device Poppins for Dyslexia: Single-Arm Intervention Study JMIR Serious Games |
| title | Children’s Improvement After Language and Rhythm Training With the Digital Medical Device Poppins for Dyslexia: Single-Arm Intervention Study |
| title_full | Children’s Improvement After Language and Rhythm Training With the Digital Medical Device Poppins for Dyslexia: Single-Arm Intervention Study |
| title_fullStr | Children’s Improvement After Language and Rhythm Training With the Digital Medical Device Poppins for Dyslexia: Single-Arm Intervention Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Children’s Improvement After Language and Rhythm Training With the Digital Medical Device Poppins for Dyslexia: Single-Arm Intervention Study |
| title_short | Children’s Improvement After Language and Rhythm Training With the Digital Medical Device Poppins for Dyslexia: Single-Arm Intervention Study |
| title_sort | children s improvement after language and rhythm training with the digital medical device poppins for dyslexia single arm intervention study |
| url | https://games.jmir.org/2025/1/e76435 |
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