Table 3 Results of the included studies

Reading

-Study2:

Significant improvement

-Music group:

Greater improvement in pseudowords reading

-By ITT:

Non-significant in non-word accuracy, marginally significant in word accuracy, no observed improvement in text accuracy

-By CACE:

Significant in word accuracy and text accuracy

-Reading disability class:

Significant in WD, WK, and RC

-Control class:

Significant in WD and WK, made gains not significantly in RC

-Treatment class:

As in control class

-Study1:

Non-significant in no risk group and mild risk group and strong risk group

Phonological awareness

-Study (1):

Normalization in identification and discrimination, strong improvement in syllabic duration

-Study (2):

Higher than before in identification and discrimination, significant improvement in phonological tasks

-Music group:

Better performance in phonemic blending task

-By ITT:

No observed improvement

-By CACE:

Significant

-Study (1):

Significant improvement in all 3 groups

-Study (2):

Significant positive effect

Spelling

-Study (1):

Non-significant in no risk group, significant in mild risk group, and strong risk group

-Study (2):

Significant

Writing

-Study (2):

Significant improvement in letter sequence comparison, no change in contour discrimination

Arithmetic

-Both EA and LA: significant improvement in CB, DN, MC, RN, CE, and PS

-Only LA:

increased scores in PN

-Only EA: Increased scores in CD and WC

-By ITT and CACE:

Significant

Cognitive abilities

-Control (painting) group:

Greater improvement in visuo-spatial reasoning

Significant difference between experimental group and control group

Auditory attention

-Study (2):

Significant improvement

-Music group:

Larger effect

Rapid auditory processing

-Study (2):

Significant

Working memory

-Music group:

Greater improvement