Eccles, RenataVan der Linde, JeannieLe Roux, Maria (Mia)Holloway, JennyMacCutcheon, DouglasLjung, RobertSwanepoel, De Wet2020-11-202021Renata Eccles, Jeannie van der Linde, Mia le Roux, Jenny Holloway, Douglas MacCutcheon, Robert Ljung & De Wet Swanepoel (2021) Effect of music instruction on phonological awareness and early literacy skills of five- to seven-year-old children, Early Child Development and Care, 191:12, 1896-1910, DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2020.1803852.0300-4430 (print)1476-8275 (online)10.1080/03004430.2020.1803852http://hdl.handle.net/2263/77118Multiple studies and systematic reviews have shown that music instruction improves phonological awareness (PA) and early literacy skills in children, although findings vary. In meta-analyses, the reliability and significance of the transfer effect are reduced. The study evaluated the effect of varying durations of music instruction exposure, over a single academic year, on PA and early literacy of young children. Based on the exposure to music instruction, participants were assigned to either a low- or high-exposure group. Additional analyses were conducted for 17 age-matched pairs and to compare participants that only received class music to those that received additional music instruction. Between-groups comparisons showed no significant difference after a single academic year of music instruction. Within-groups comparisons identified more PA improvements in the high-exposure group. Exposure to music instruction for no less than one academic year, is required to conclusively evaluate the effect on PA and early literacy.en© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an electronic version of an article published in Early Child Development and Care, vol. 191, no. 12, pp. 1896-1910, 2021. doi : 10.1080/03004430.2020.1803852. Early Child Development and Care is available online at : http://www.tandfonline.comloi/gecd20.Phonological awarenessEarly literacyMusic instructionYoung childrenPostprint Article