EduPort #2025, #9(#2) | DOI: 10.21062/edp.2025.005

THE EFFECTS OF VISUAL ADAPTATIONS OF STANDARD MUSIC NOTATION ON A GIRL WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES PLAYING THE CIMBALOM

Kateřina Bazelová1, Liliana Belkin1,2, Lenka Kružíková1, Jiří Kantor1
1Pedagogická fakulta, Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, Česká republika
2School of Education, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom

The usage of visual adaptations of standard music notation (SMN) for students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) is a traditional part of musical instrument instruction. However, this area of music education is under-researched and based mostly on the empirical experience of teachers. In this single case study, we explored the effects of coloured backgrounds, enlarged notations and colour coding of mallets on sight-reading SMN of a musically gifted girl with SLD playing the cimbalom. A pseudorandomized series of tests for pitch-reading with visual adaptations was used in multiple measurements for 5 weeks. This was combined with a qualitative semi-structured interview conducted with the student and her mother. The girl's errors decreased during the testing sessions. Although there were only slight differences among the tested interventions (max. 2 errors), the overall improvement of SMN sight-reading had a notably positive impact on the girl. The intensive and targeted training of SMN (including visual adaptations) may have a positive impact on students with SLD. We recommend creating pitch/rhythm sight-reading assessments that will enable to maximize the effects of sight-reading interventions.

Keywords: dyslexia; specific learning disabilities; notation; music; cimbalom; enlarged notation; coloured background.

Published: September 1, 2025  Show citation

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Bazelová K, Belkin L, Kružíková L, Kantor J. THE EFFECTS OF VISUAL ADAPTATIONS OF STANDARD MUSIC NOTATION ON A GIRL WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES PLAYING THE CIMBALOM. EduPort. 2025;9(2):. doi: 10.21062/edp.2025.005.
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