Enhancing Kindergartners’ Letter Sound Identification with the Phonics Play Approach (PPA): An Action Research Study

Ronald Macanip Quileste, Gavin Rafael J. Labial, Natasha Saa

Abstract

Studi penelitian tindakan ini mengevaluasi Pendekatan Bermain Fonik (PPA), sebuah intervensi berbasis permainan yang menggunakan materi berbiaya rendah (misalnya, kartu catatan, lembar kerja), untuk meningkatkan identifikasi bunyi huruf pada 23 siswa TK di kelas bilingual (Cebuano-Inggris) di South City Central School, Filipina, selama empat bulan (Agustus–November 2023). Berdasarkan teori efikasi diri Bandura (1997), PPA mengintegrasikan permainan berbasis cerita, lagu fonik, perburuan harta karun, dan permainan peran untuk meningkatkan keterlibatan dan kepercayaan diri, serta mengatasi perilaku menyimpang yang diamati selama pembelajaran fonik tradisional. Desain pra-tes/pasca-tes kelompok tunggal dengan tes 30 item, yang dianalisis melalui uji Wilcoxon signed-rank, menilai kemahiran fonik, sementara wawancara semi-terstruktur dengan seorang guru, yang dianalisis secara tematis, mengeksplorasi kelayakan PPA. Hasil menunjukkan peningkatan signifikan dalam pengenalan bunyi huruf (p = 0,001, r = 0,82) dan keterlibatan, terutama di antara siswa Maranao dengan kemampuan bahasa Inggris terbatas. Pendekatan non-digital berbasis guru PPA menawarkan model yang dapat diskalakan untuk lingkungan multibahasa dengan sumber daya terbatas di seluruh dunia, dari Asia Tenggara hingga Afrika sub-Sahara, yang sejalan dengan Tujuan Pembangunan Berkelanjutan 4 (UNESCO, 2023). Dengan mengisi kesenjangan dalam fonik berbasis permainan, PPA menginformasikan pelatihan guru dan mendorong literasi dini yang adil. Keterbatasannya meliputi desain sampel kecil dan kelompok tunggal.

This action research study evaluated the Phonics Play Approach (PPA), a play-based intervention using low-cost materials (e.g., flashcards, worksheets), to enhance letter sound identification among 23 kindergartners in a bilingual (Cebuano-English) classroom at South City Central School, Philippines, over four months (August–November 2023). Grounded in Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy theory, PPA integrated story-based games, phonics songs, scavenger hunts, and role-play to boost engagement and confidence, addressing off-task behaviours observed during traditional phonics lessons. A single-group pre-test/post-test design with a 30-item test, analysed via the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, assessed phonics proficiency, while semi-structured interviews with one teacher, analysed thematically, explored PPA’s feasibility. Results showed significant improvements in letter sound recognition (p = 0.001, r = 0.82) and engagement, particularly among Maranao students with limited English proficiency. PPA’s teacher-driven, non-digital approach offers a scalable model for resource-limited, multilingual settings globally, from Southeast Asia to sub-Saharan Africa, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (UNESCO, 2023). By filling gaps in play-based phonics, PPA informs teacher training and promotes equitable early literacy. Limitations include the small sample and single-group design.

Keywords

Phonics Play Approach; letter sound identification; bilingual kindergarten; self-efficacy; play-based learning

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.20961/inkuiri.v14i2.103452

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