Effectiveness of Phonological-Based Instruction in the English reading context of class II students

This action research (AR) focused on the effectiveness of phonological-based instruction (PBI) in improving the English reading skills of Grade Two students. The 12-week PBI intervention focused on important phonological sub-skills, including phoneme isolation, onset-rime awareness, syllable awareness, phoneme blending, and phoneme segmentation. We employed a mixed-methods approach involving 52 Grade 2 students from Nagor Middle Secondary School, divided into an Experimental Group (EG) of 26 students and a Control Group (CG) of 26 students. Data were collected through an English Achievement Test (EAT) and semi-structured interviews. The EAT measured five areas: alphabet sound, blend recognition, blended reading, syllables, and text reading. Two English teachers participated in the interviews. The quantitative paired samples t-test analysis revealed a significant improvement in post-test scores (M = 73.71%) compared to pre-test scores (M = 42.51%), t(25) = -14.641, p < 0.001, indicating the gains were statistically significant. Qualitative feedback from English teachers who all teach other primary classes also confirmed that PBI has a positive impact on students' reading abilities. Thus, the findings confirmed that PBI is very effective in improving young learners' reading abilities and is recommended as a viable alternative to traditional reading instruction methods in primary classrooms.