Enhancing text-level reading fluency and engagement in immigrant children through a structured singing-based intervention – Frontiers

Report on a Singing-Based Literacy Intervention for Immigrant Children

A Pilot Study in the Context of the Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction: Addressing Educational Disparities Through Innovative Pedagogy

1.1 The Challenge to SDG 4 and SDG 10 in Modern Education

The increasing presence of children from immigrant backgrounds in global school systems, including South Korea, presents a critical challenge to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, this demographic shift directly impacts:

• SDG 4: Quality Education: Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: Reducing inequality within and among countries by empowering and promoting the social, economic, and political inclusion of all.

Children from immigrant backgrounds frequently face significant barriers, such as language difficulties and attendance at under-resourced schools, which contribute to lower academic achievement. This disparity undermines the core principle of equitable education for vulnerable populations as outlined in SDG 4, Target 4.5.

1.2 A Music-Based Intervention to Advance Educational Equity

Traditional literacy interventions, often centered on repetition and phonics, may not effectively engage children with limited language proficiency or low motivation. This report analyzes a pilot study that explored a singing-based intervention as an alternative pedagogical tool. By integrating rhythm, melody, and language, this approach aims to enhance reading fluency and foster positive learning attitudes, thereby contributing to several SDGs:

1. Advancing SDG 4: The intervention offers a novel method to improve foundational literacy skills—a cornerstone of quality education.
2. Supporting SDG 10: It provides a targeted, culturally sensitive strategy to reduce educational inequalities faced by immigrant children.
3. Promoting SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The enjoyable and engaging nature of singing can improve motivation and reduce the anxiety associated with academic challenges, promoting mental well-being.

This study investigated the effects of this intervention on the reading fluency and attitudes of immigrant children in South Korea, providing valuable insights for developing scalable solutions to promote inclusive education worldwide.

2.0 Methodology: A Framework for Measuring Progress Towards SDG Targets

2.1 Study Design and Participants

The research employed a single-group pretest-posttest design to assess changes in reading skills and attitudes. The study’s focus on a specific vulnerable group aligns directly with the SDG 10 mandate to support marginalized communities.

• Participants: Eight elementary school students (ages 7–11) with immigrant backgrounds in Kyonggido, South Korea.
• Recruitment: Conducted through an after-school support center for immigrant families, ensuring the study reached its target demographic.
• Ethical Standards: The study was approved by the Ewha Womans University Institutional Review Board, upholding principles of ethical research with vulnerable populations.

2.2 The Intervention Program: A Structured Model for Quality Education (SDG 4)

The singing-based intervention was delivered over eight 50-minute sessions across a four-week period. Its design reflects a structured, evidence-based approach to quality education, scaffolded into three distinct phases:

1. Preparation Phase (15 min): Focused on phonological awareness and word-level fluency using rhythmic chanting and body movements. This phase builds foundational skills necessary for literacy.
2. Practice Phase (15 min): Targeted sentence-level prosody by singing sentences with simple melodic phrases. This helps bridge the gap between word recognition and fluent reading.
3. Integration Phase (20 min): Aimed to improve reading rhythm and creative expression through collaborative songwriting. This phase promotes higher-order language skills and communicative confidence, contributing to the holistic development goals of SDG 4.7.

The curriculum content was aligned with the Korean National Elementary Language Curriculum to ensure relevance and continuity with formal education.

2.3 Assessment Tools for Evaluating Educational Outcomes

To measure the intervention’s impact, a combination of quantitative and qualitative tools was used, providing a comprehensive assessment of progress toward educational equity.

• Reading Fluency: Measured using items from the Reading Fluency and Comprehension Test from the National Center for Basic Skills Support in Korea. This tool assessed accuracy, automaticity, and prosody—key indicators of quality literacy acquisition (SDG 4).
• Reading Attitudes: Assessed with a modified Reading Interest Scale and the Reading Habit and Perception Inventory. These instruments measured changes in enjoyment, self-efficacy, and motivation, which are critical for fostering lifelong learning habits (SDG 4.7).
• Post-Intervention Interviews: Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data on participants’ subjective experiences, providing deeper insight into the intervention’s role in promoting social and emotional well-being (SDG 3) and inclusion (SDG 10).

3.0 Results: Evidence of Progress Towards SDG 4 and SDG 10

3.1 Significant Improvements in Reading Fluency

The quantitative data revealed statistically significant improvements in foundational literacy skills, demonstrating the intervention’s effectiveness in advancing SDG 4 targets for vulnerable learners.

• Word Reading Fluency: Scores increased significantly, with all participants reaching or exceeding the adequate proficiency benchmark post-intervention.
• Sentence Reading Automaticity: Participants showed significant gains in reading speed for both narrative and expository texts, irrespective of their initial proficiency or duration of Korean language exposure.
• Sentence Reading Prosody: Scores for expressive and rhythmic reading increased significantly, with the most notable gains among children who started with lower prosody scores.
• Sentence Reading Accuracy: Significant improvements were observed for more complex expository texts, indicating enhanced decoding precision.

3.2 Positive Shifts in Reading Attitudes and Engagement

The intervention successfully fostered a more positive orientation toward reading, a key factor in promoting lifelong learning and well-being, in line with SDG 3 and SDG 4.

• Reading Interest: Overall reading interest improved significantly, particularly for children who initially had low to moderate interest levels.
• Reading Habits and Perception: Post-intervention responses showed a marked shift from reluctance and uncertainty to a recognized desire to read for enjoyment and self-improvement. For example, one participant who initially stated, “I do not need to read Korean language books,” later responded, “I want to read the books because they are fun.”

3.3 Qualitative Insights on Inclusion and Expression (SDG 10 & SDG 16)

Interviews with participants confirmed the intervention’s positive impact on engagement and self-expression, highlighting its contribution to creating inclusive and participatory learning environments (SDG 10 and SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).

• Enjoyment and Engagement: The majority of participants reported that the singing activities made reading feel easier and more interesting. One child noted, “reading is hard, but when we sing, it feels less difficult.”
• Language Use and Expression: Children who primarily used their native language at home reported increased confidence and use of Korean. One participant shared, “When I made songs, I could speak in longer sentences than before,” demonstrating enhanced expressive competence.

4.0 Discussion and Implications for Sustainable Development

4.1 Contribution to SDG 4: Quality Education

This study provides compelling evidence that a singing-based intervention can significantly improve reading fluency in immigrant children. The structured, multimodal approach effectively enhanced phonological awareness, automaticity, and prosody. These findings suggest that arts-integrated pedagogies are a powerful tool for delivering high-quality, effective literacy instruction to diverse learners, directly supporting the mission of SDG 4.

4.2 Advancing SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

By specifically targeting the educational needs of a vulnerable migrant population, this intervention serves as a model for reducing inequalities in academic outcomes. The group-based, collaborative format fostered a sense of psychological safety and belonging, which encouraged active participation from even the most hesitant children. This inclusive approach is fundamental to achieving the goals of SDG 10 by ensuring that all learners have the opportunity to succeed.

4.3 Supporting SDG 3 (Well-being) and SDG 16 (Inclusive Societies)

The intervention’s success in boosting motivation, confidence, and enjoyment in learning contributes to the broader goal of promoting mental well-being (SDG 3) among children facing acculturation stress. Furthermore, by strengthening expressive language skills, the program empowers children to communicate more effectively and participate more fully in their communities, fostering the development of more peaceful and inclusive societies as envisioned in SDG 16.

5.0 Conclusion and Recommendations for Future Action

This pilot study demonstrates that a structured, singing-based intervention is a promising and effective strategy for improving reading fluency and attitudes among immigrant children. Its success provides a scalable model for creating inclusive and equitable learning environments that align with the core principles of the Sustainable Development Goals.

5.1 Recommendations

To build on these preliminary findings and accelerate progress toward global education targets, the following actions are recommended:

1. Scale and Replicate: Conduct larger-scale studies with more diverse samples and control groups to validate the intervention’s effectiveness and generalizability.
2. Integrate into Curricula: Advocate for the integration of arts-based pedagogical approaches into national education policies and teacher training programs to support the achievement of SDG 4 for all learners.
3. Conduct Longitudinal Research: Implement long-term follow-up studies to assess the lasting impact of such interventions on academic achievement, social integration, and overall well-being.
4. Inform Policy: Use the evidence from this and future studies to promote policies that fund and support targeted, culturally responsive educational programs for migrant, refugee, and other vulnerable child populations, in direct pursuit of SDG 10.

Analysis of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article primarily addresses issues related to two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 4: Quality Education: The central theme of the article is improving the educational outcomes of a specific group of children. It focuses on literacy, a fundamental component of quality education, and explores an intervention designed to enhance reading fluency and academic success for elementary school students. The study’s emphasis on creating effective and inclusive learning strategies for children facing language barriers directly aligns with the goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article highlights the educational disparities faced by children from immigrant backgrounds in South Korea. It states that these children “often attend under-resourced schools and encounter language barriers, both of which contribute to lower academic achievement in reading.” By developing and testing an intervention aimed at closing this achievement gap, the study directly confronts the issue of inequality of outcome based on origin and migrant status. The goal is to empower a vulnerable group and promote their social and academic inclusion.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s focus, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
   • Explanation: The study focuses on elementary school students and aims to improve their reading fluency, which is a critical and “effective learning outcome” for primary education. The intervention is designed to help immigrant children achieve proficiency levels comparable to their peers, thus promoting “equitable” education.
2. Target 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations.
   • Explanation: The article explicitly identifies “children from immigrant backgrounds” as a group facing educational challenges. This group falls under the category of “children in vulnerable situations.” The study’s purpose is to find ways to ensure they have an equal opportunity to achieve positive educational outcomes.
3. Target 4.6: By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy.
   • Explanation: The core of the research is an intervention to improve “reading fluency,” “reading accuracy,” and “phonological awareness,” which are foundational literacy skills. Improving these skills in children is a direct contribution to the broader goal of achieving universal literacy.
4. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
   • Explanation: The article notes that the intervention aims to stimulate “interest in and motivation for reading” and improve “communicative confidence.” The qualitative results show that children reported increased enjoyment and “ease in using Korean during musical activities,” which are steps toward social and academic inclusion. The article also cites research that music participation supports “social adaptation in newly arrived immigrant students.”
5. Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome…
   • Explanation: The premise of the study is the “lower academic achievement in reading” experienced by immigrant children, which is an inequality of outcome. The intervention is a specific action designed to reduce this inequality by improving their reading skills and bringing their performance closer to proficiency benchmarks.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions and uses several specific quantitative and qualitative indicators that can measure progress towards the identified targets.

1. Indicators for Literacy and Learning Outcomes (Targets 4.1, 4.6, 10.3):
   • Quantitative Reading Fluency Scores: The study uses the “Reading Fluency and Comprehension Test” to measure changes. Specific metrics include:
     • Word Reading Fluency: Measured by pre- and post-test scores, with the article noting that after the intervention, “all eight participants scored at or above 80%, which is considered adequate proficiency.”
     • Sentence Reading Automaticity: Measured in words per minute for both narrative and expository texts. The results show “significant improvement” in this area.
     • Sentence Reading Accuracy: Measured as a percentage of correctly read words. The article reports “significant gains were observed for expository texts.”
     • Sentence Reading Prosody: Measured using a scoring system where “scores increased significantly across both text types.”
2. Indicators for Social Inclusion and Attitudes (Target 10.2):
   • Reading Attitude Scores: The study used standardized scales to measure changes in attitude:
     • Reading Interest Scale: This tool measured “enjoyment, perceived value, and reading self-efficacy,” with results showing a “statistically significant improvement” overall.
     • Reading Habit and Perception Inventory: This tool assessed changes in daily reading habits and self-awareness. The article notes positive shifts, such as one participant changing their response from “I do not need to read Korean language books” to “I want to read the books because they are fun.”
   • Qualitative Interview Data: The post-intervention interviews provide indicators of engagement and inclusion. Themes identified include:
     • Enjoyment and Engagement: Six of eight participants reported enjoying the activities, with one stating, “reading is hard, but when we sing, it feels less difficult.”
     • Language Use and Expression: Participants reported increased confidence and ability in using Korean, with one sharing, “When I made songs, I could speak in longer sentences than before.”

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: frontiersin.org