The impact of theory of mind training on the reading proficiency of children aged 4 to 5 years

Early literacy is essential for the enhancement of language skills in young children. A bidirectional relationship may exist between Theory of Mind (ToM) and reading comprehension. This study utilized an empirical research methodology to investigate the connection between reading comprehension and ToM. The sample consisted of 62 children aged 4 to 5 years, who were randomly assigned to either experimental or control groups. The experimental group received training in Theory of Mind, and the effects of this training on their reading comprehension were evaluated. The results revealed a significant increase in ToM levels in the trained group compared to their pre-training assessments. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between ToM scores and reading ability scores, with the trained group exhibiting significantly higher reading ability scores than the untrained group. Therefore, ToM training can effectively improve children’s reading skills.