Read and Play and Sounds2ReadTM

Read and play company was established in 2002 and set her goal to develop and distribute widely the break-through solution which has triple proved in studies as eliminates many deficiencies preceding to their appearance and help children around the world to cope with the task of first time , reading with pleasure, success and joy of learning via music. The innovation and originality of the company is based on development specific technology named Sounds2ReadTM.

Sounds2ReadTM method is an innovative easy Music notation system specific for early children. It enables to play from notation within short time (during few hours) together with its specific instruction method. Sounds2ReadTM (called before T.M.N. Toy-Musical Notes), enables teaching very young children (aged 3-4) to read and play concretely as first language script. This tool is efficient that helps developing basic reading abilities and helps so to learning readiness and reading of mother tongue very easily. The new technology is based on 3 Academic research studies conducted by reading and education experts, and on experience with 10.000 children (every year over thousand children) in the years of experiment preceding the academic studies.

Sounds2ReadTM Method can be applied in many ways. Some of them are developed and applied in Israel.: computer-games program, online game, musical toy, electronic keyboard etc. The first released application was game of enrichment “The House of Sounds including lessons and games and songs library to play in Sounds2ReadTM. The game provides enjoying and creative tool to learn and improve success in reading.

The Developers

Dr. Yehudit Carmon expert in reading and literacy for early children and musician (B.A. & M.A in Musicology, violin Academy) analyzed needed reading abilities for child’s success in first reading. Results of her studies and her experience brought her to the conclusion that the connection between music and reading is very effective.

Dr. Carmon developed and improved the innovative notation system Sounds2ReadTM over ten years in order to be especially suitable for preschoolers. The method was successfully tested in kindergartens and schools and has been proven to be most effective in developing and improving children’s reading skills in first grade.

Mr. Amihud Carmon (son of Yehudit) was the developer of computer program & games “The House of Sounds”, and also the co-establisher and first CEO of Read and Play.

Published Articles about Sounds2ReadTM

Up to now 5 articles were published in professional journals about the Sounds2ReadTM method. One article is in Hebrew:

  1. Carmon, Y., Wohl, A., & Even-Zohar, S. (2008). The musical notes method for initial reading acquisition. Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology [online], 7(1), 81-100.
  2. Carmon, Y., & Even-Zohar, S. (2008). Learning to Read via Musical Innovative Tool Integrated Computer Program Influences Learning and Reading Readiness and Closing Gaps Towards Schooling . Paper presented to EduLearn10 International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies 5 to 7 July 2010 Barcelona, Spain.
  3. Carmon, y., & Elkoshi, R,. (2010). The effect of learning notation by means of an innovative system on children’s Musical perception and symbolic behavior In: Min-Ad: Israel Studies in Musicology Online 2010.
  4. Carmon, Y., (2011) Assisting Children’s Reading Acquisition by Concrete Innovated Toy-Musical-Notes (later called Sounds2Read) Technology. Proceedings of INTED2011 Conference. 7-9 March 2011, Valencia, Spain. ISBN:978-84-614-7423-3
  5. Carmon, Y., (2013). Mediating Musical Lexical functions prepares children minds for Textual Reading. Pare prepared for: The Jerusalem International Conference on Neural Plasticity and cognitive Modifiability, June: 2-5, 20013, Jerusalem, Israel.

The idea behind Sounds2ReadTM

Scientific research studies prove that when a child learns first time to read it is the most difficult task for him and any further reading is much easier since first reading schemata has already been created in the first reading acquiring process.

Visions and goals

Read and Play company sets her goal to change the way children learn to read in the world, so children will be assisted in music on their way to read verbal text.

Via Sounds2ReadTM method children can acquire reading abilities and also musical abilities much easier and intuitively in the concrete mode that fits early children grasp.

We believe that music is international language, sympathetic, breaking walls and connect people. It also enriches and develops many basic skills added to reading, such as: socializing, emotionally, mentally, musically, mathematically and more.

We believe that every child deserves to know to read as base to learning and express his personality.

We believe that every child deserves also to know to play for his enjoyment and develop his creative abilities. With Sounds2ReadTM method, and the technology development of our time, the artificial intelligence, it is possible and even easy (for children), and we strive to enable it to every child!

All rights of Sounds2ReadTM method deserves to “Read and Play” company,  2017

Reading Measures 

Vocal reading – percentage of well vocal read words without mistakes out of 66 words.

Acquired reading behaviors – the mean percentage of right learned strategies children used.

Fluent vocal story reading with velocity, without mistakes or hesitations, repeats or skips.  

Success in words reading – percentage of success in rightly decoding of new words and of automatically vocally read familiar words, vocally without mistakes

Whom does the method fit?

The method fits to aged 4-9 children who are standing to acquire reading or are in the process of learning to read. Since Sounds2ReadTM is international language, it fits world wide children of any language.

The origin of the method: 

Sounds2ReadTM method was developed by Dr. Yehudit Carmon, expert to literacy and early education, and musician (M.A in musicology and Academy in violin) and experienced many years in instruction domain.

Reading experts agree that the first time a child learns to read is his most difficult task and any reading later is much easier. Dr. Carmon analyzed the reading abilities, cleared the abilities that are transferred from 1st to 2nd reading and based on them her developing the Sounds2ReadTM musical reading method.  In this method, the child acquires first the basic music reading components, and expand them in his mother language reading.    The method was successfully experienced in schools and kindergarten, and via Academically research study  was proved as most efficient in developing reading abilities /skills of children.

Getting to know the method:

Methodology

Annual enrichment program of Sounds2ReadTM based on four basic stones:

The teacher– music certified teacher who gives warm personal attention to each of his pupils.

The book- exposing and realizing reading experience in specific learning booklet.

Musical instrument – Concrete playing on musical instrument and enjoyment of immediate results.

The computer – Personal games on special studying computer and accumulating prizes.

These basic stones, added to small learning groups, the learning strategies, and the very use of Sounds2Read method, assist children to achieve intensified readiness level at kindergarten and first grade.

The learning material of the method:

Dividing syllables; directions of reading; knowing the sounds with their names and symbols; The experience of reading the notes, Sequential reading; Distinguishing the pitch and duration of sounds; The experience of playing music; Having fun of writing music; and more.   

Skills developed by the system 

  1. Reading skills: Auditory memory; Understanding the alphabet principle, Collecting and combining data into meaning; directivity; Sequence and more.
  2. Musical skills: distinguishing between sounds, their pitch and rhythm (durations). Etc.
  3. Social and emotional souls: selfconfidence, self-esteem, Team work and more.    

MUSICALITY

Sounds2ReadTM is based on the natural development of a child, including exposure to sounds in playing and singing. Using music for developing cognitive, social and emotional skills is known and proved. In Sounds2ReadTM the musical benefits are channeled to specific development of the general reading abilities.  Knowing to read notes enables to be conscious about the changes of pitch and duration in tunes. These develops musicality and have very high correlation with consonants and vowels. Therefore, they’ve strong impact also on reading. The symbols’ system is built logically and hierarchic and therefore it eases to grasp the system of musical intervals and the absorption of the Musical Theory and Solfege.    

Personal & intuitive work 

Sounds2ReadTM method enables individual work with every child with most attention that need to his/her level and his/her optimal enhancement. Speedy enhancement is important also for child’s confidence and appreciating self-efficacy, which contribute the child’s motivation.

The reference materials and the specific music booklets to the method are directed to use in musical key-boards and repeat in singing. In so doing they direct the child to transfer from concrete (playing by fingers) into abstract (singing). This goes hand in hand with the natural development of the children and contributes to their reach for satisfaction, enjoyment and develop more the motivation to learn and read.

Creativity & self expression

Sounds2ReadTM encourages creativity and self-expression of the child.  The individual work or in small groups enable personal self-expression and develops the ability to work with a team while listening patiently to other children.

Brain work

Sounds2ReadTM integrates the developing of the left brain lobe which is responsible on the language skills and linear analytical thinking, together with developing the right brain lobe which is responsible on developing spatial, emotional and musical skills. This integrating develops in the child coordination and creates enjoyment in the process of playing/gaming and learning.   

Fun practice and motivation

In Sounds2ReadTM the child manages to identify and play fast familiar songs. The enjoyment and immediate gratification of identifying songs while playing them constitute an experience of reading comprehension for the child. The easiness and pleasure of these achievements encourages motivation to read and play.