Enhancing Reading Skills in EFL Young Learners with Mild Intellectual Disabilities through Music Intervention

Abstract

Children with Intellectual Disability (ID) often encounter challenges in developing crucial cognitive-linguistic functions, particularly reading comprehension skills. Moreover, music therapy has demonstrated effectiveness across diverse subjects and participant groups. Examining the existing literature on the influence of music therapy on the improvement of language skills among EFL young learners with mild intellectual disabilities in the Iranian context reveals a noticeable scarcity of research in this area. To address this gap, this study aims to investigate the influence of music on the reading comprehension abilities of Iranian EFL primary learners with mild intellectual disabilities using an experimental design. To this end, thirty-five participants were recruited from a special education institution. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine potential statistically significant differences between the control and experimental groups. The findings revealed a significant improvement in post-reading test scores among students in the experimental group compared to those in the control group. Moreover, no statistically significant differences emerged when analyzing the data based on gender and age stratifications. These results provide valuable insights for stakeholders, emphasizing the efficacy of incorporating music to enhance reading comprehension in children with mild intellectual disabilities.