Decades of research in cognitive psychology, music therapy, and education have increasingly pointed to music as a powerful tool to support students with dyslexia. Dyslexia, a neurological learning difference, primarily impacts reading, spelling, and phonological processing. Students with dyslexia often struggle to connect letters to sounds, segment words into parts, and fluently decode text—skills foundational to literacy. Traditional interventions tend to focus solely on explicit phonics instruction, but recent studies show that adding music-based interventions can significantly boost outcomes by targeting the brain systems responsible for rhythm, timing, and auditory sequencing.
One of the most cited studies in this field, a randomized controlled trial by Flaugnacco et al. (2015), demonstrated that students with dyslexia who participated in seven months of structured music training made significantly greater gains in phonological awareness and reading speed than those in a control group who received painting lessons. The music group improved their phonological awareness scores by 45%, compared to only 15% in the control group. These results were especially notable because they showed improvements in the exact areas where dyslexic learners tend to struggle most—processing, segmenting, and manipulating the sounds in words. The researchers concluded that rhythm-based training helped reinforce the brain's internal timing mechanisms, which are crucial not just for music but also for language processing and fluency.
Similarly, Habib et al. (2016) developed a program called Cognitivo-Musical Training (CMT), which focused specifically on improving the auditory and temporal components of speech through musical exercises. Their study found that children with dyslexia showed measurable improvements in categorical perception (the ability to distinguish subtle differences between speech sounds), temporal processing, and auditory discrimination after participating in CMT sessions. These areas are often underdeveloped in individuals with dyslexia, making it difficult for them to decode phonemes accurately and fluently. The musical exercises used in the study included rhythm tapping, pitch identification, and vocal imitation—all of which supported essential language-processing skills in a non-threatening and engaging way.
Eren (2017) conducted a case study on a child with dyslexia who participated in regular piano lessons. While this study focused on a single learner, the findings support the idea that music engages multiple brain regions simultaneously—including those associated with motor coordination, auditory perception, and visual processing. The child not only showed improvement in phonological skills but also demonstrated better emotional regulation and academic confidence. This multisensory engagement is one of the strongest arguments for using music with dyslexic students. Unlike traditional reading drills, musical activities incorporate movement, repetition, and emotion—all of which enhance memory retention and cognitive flexibility.
Bouloukou et al. (2021) further supported these conclusions through a study involving a broader population of elementary school students with dyslexia. They implemented a structured interventional music program within the classroom and observed improvements not only in reading and phonological awareness but also in overall learning behavior. The students showed increased focus, motivation, and participation—demonstrating that music can have both academic and behavioral benefits. Importantly, the music program was integrated directly into the school setting, making it a practical model for real-world implementation.
Lastly, a 2024 scoping review by Lewis and Kim provided a meta-analysis of recent literature on music interventions for children with specific reading disorders. The review found that rhythm-based and melodic interventions consistently led to improvements in phonemic awareness, reading fluency, and working memory. This study emphasized that music's structured nature—especially in rhythm and repetition—aligns well with the cognitive needs of dyslexic learners, who often benefit from explicit, consistent patterns in instruction.
Together, these studies present a compelling case: music is not just supplementary or enrichment—it’s an effective, research-backed intervention for dyslexic students. It supports both the neurological and educational needs of these learners, offering a more engaging, multisensory path to literacy. By incorporating rhythm, melody, and movement, teachers can tap into the auditory strengths of their students and help them build the reading foundations that traditional methods sometimes fail to reach, even if they aren’t a musical genius.