New research is redefining how we understand and treat dyslexia.
Across multiple peer-reviewed studies and EU-approved medical trials, rhythm-based interventions like Poppins are showing measurable improvements in reading fluency, accuracy, and phonological processing. These results show that treating dyslexia means going beyond reading practice to target the brain itself.
For decades, neuroscientists have explored how rhythm and timing shape language development. Research led by Dr. Michel Habib, Dr. Charline Grossard, and Dr. David Cohen has shown that rhythm perception and synchronization engage the same neural pathways used for speech and reading—especially within the arcuate fasciculus, a white-matter tract that connects auditory and language regions.
Children with dyslexia often show reduced connectivity in this pathway, affecting their ability to process the rapid changes in sound that support phonological decoding. By strengthening rhythmic timing, researchers hypothesized that it might be possible to improve the neural synchrony that supports fluent reading.
This theory guided the development of Poppins, a medical-grade intervention that merges rhythm, music, and multisensory literacy exercises to retrain the brain’s timing systems while reinforcing key reading skills.
A recent Phase III randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Scientific Reports, 2025) found that children using Poppins made significant improvements in reading accuracy and speed compared to a placebo game after only eight weeks of training.
An earlier feasibility and usability study (JMIR Serious Games, 2024) confirmed the accessibility and effectiveness of the rhythm-based design across more than 3,000 children, showing steady performance gains and strong motivation to engage in daily practice.
A new multicenter clinical trial is now underway in France to compare Poppins plus biweekly speech therapy sessions with traditional weekly therapy alone. The study will assess reading growth, family experience, and cost-effectiveness, with results expected in 2025.
These studies strengthen a growing body of evidence linking rhythm to reading. Neural imaging has shown that children with dyslexia often struggle to process the timing and rise-time of speech sounds. Rhythm training directly targets this deficit by helping the brain align auditory, motor, and linguistic signals.
In other words, rhythm acts as a “bridge” between sound and language—enhancing the brain’s ability to detect syllables, stress patterns, and phoneme sequences that underpin decoding and fluency.
For educators, this research marks a shift from simply teaching reading skills to training the systems that make reading possible.
By strengthening the brain’s timing and sequencing abilities, Poppins accelerates progress in phonological awareness, decoding, and fluency—the foundational skills for lifelong reading success.
“Dyslexia isn’t just a reading issue; it’s a timing and processing challenge in the brain. Rhythm gives us a way to treat it at its source.”
— Dr. Charline Grossard, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital & Sorbonne Université
With peer-reviewed validation and EU medical-device certification, Poppins represents one of the first clinically tested interventions designed to treat the underlying neurological factors of dyslexia, not just its symptoms.
Now, this proven rhythm-based approach is available to pilot in U.S. K–6 classrooms. Schools and districts can explore how Poppins fits within their existing literacy and intervention programs, providing students with a research-backed, engaging way to strengthen the brain pathways essential for fluent reading.
Eight weeks. Twenty minutes a day. Real, measurable growth.
Learn more at poppinslearning.io/research