Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 102-104).

The aim of this study was to assess how young children between the ages of one and four years develop rhythm skills. The project was a pilot study conducted at 11 preschools and day care centers in Stockton, California, and included 60 children. Thirty behaviors comprised the test of various aspects of rhythmic performance. The children were video-taped and the tapes were then analyzed. By examining how many children in a particular age group could perform a particular task, a sequence became apparent. This body of research can now be used as a basis for further studies with the aim of establishing a standardized assessment scale of rhythm development and other musical skills.

This thesis evaluated a new speech rhythm measure, the Lexical Judgement Task (LJT), by conducting a series of cross-sectional studies. It was examined whether the LJT could be used with children from different age groups, whether associations between speech rhythm sensitivity, phonological awareness and reading skills could be observed and whether speech rhythm sensitivity could predict reading skills cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Study 1 piloted the LJT with 5- to 9-year-old children and assessed the relationship between poor and good readers‟ speech rhythm sensitivity and their reading skills. Analyses showed that poor readers performed lower on the task compared to good readers, indicating that reduced stress sensitivity was related to lower reading proficiency. Examination of the task indicated potential fatigue effects, thus the task was shortened, which resulted in a 12-item tasks that was used through the remainder of the studies. Children between 4- and 11-years old were assessed in three following studies and results showed differential associations between stress sensitivity and reading (related) skills; indicating an involvement of maturation in stress sensitivity‟s development but also highlighting that stress sensitivity is involved in reading skills differently across varying ages. The final study in this thesis examined the longitudinal effect of stress sensitivity on reading skills and it was found that stress sensitivity was not able to account for growth in reading skills, independently from vocabulary or phonological processing skills; although concurrently unique variance in reading skills was accountable to stress sensitivity. Overall, this thesis highlights the importance of stress sensitivity in children‟s reading development, offers supporting evidence for previously found associations between this skills and reading abilities and demonstrates the need to incorporate speech rhythm sensitivity in theoretical reading development models.

Thesis (E.D.)--University of Central Florida, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-76).

The purpose of this study was to determine if the teaching of rhyming verses containing rhythmic phrases facilitates young children's learning of the rhythmic phrases. The study utilized a pre-test/post-test/control group design. The students were randomly selected and assigned to either experimental group A, experimental group B, or a control group. Students in experimental group A were taught the rhyming verses and given practice repeating the rhythmic phrases contained in the rhyming verses. Students in experimental group B were only given practice repeating the rhythmic phrases. The control group was taught seasonal songs and activities. No rhythmic instruction was given to the control group.

The purpose of a rhythm activity program in the Thomas A. Edison School is to achieve the following: 1. The building within each child a better coordination of mind and body. 2. The satisfying of each child with a knowledge that he has the ability of achievement. 3. A healthful, happy, and social relationship between the sexes. 4. For the pupil the realization of the pure joy and exhilaration of living. 5. Poise and self confidence within the child. 6. The carrying over of this program into other closely related classes such as, playground, art, auditorium, and music. 7. An ambition within each pupil to make his community life more desirable.