Increased Brain-to-Brain Synchronization During Literary Arabic Storytelling Following a Dialogic Reading...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Linguistics

Background:

• Arabic presents unique linguistic challenges with distinct literary (LA) and spoken (SA) forms.
• Maintaining children's attention during early literacy acquisition is crucial for cognitive development.
• Dialogic reading (DR) is a promising intervention for enhancing early language and cognitive skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of DR in LA on joint attention in preschoolers.
• To assess the effects of DR on neural synchronization between LA and SA.
• To evaluate behavioral outcomes including executive functions and processing speed.

Main Methods:

• Employed hyperscanning electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure neural activity in 13 preschoolers and their mothers during storytelling.
• Utilized behavioral and inhibition tasks to assess cognitive functions.
• Analyzed EEG data for synchronization patterns between LA and SA.

Main Results:

• Post-intervention, a reduced neural synchronization difference between LA and SA was observed.
• Significant improvements in listening comprehension, executive functions, and processing speed were noted.
• Enhanced inhibition correlated with a smaller neural disparity between SA and LA.

Conclusions:

• DR effectively supports early language development in Arabic-speaking children.
• The intervention reduces the neural gap between literary Arabic (LA) and spoken Arabic (SA).
• DR shows potential for fostering holistic cognitive and linguistic growth in young learners.