Developing and Grouping Icon-Based Letter Cues for Bahasa Melayu Learners with Dyslexia: A Formative Classroom Study

Letter learning is a foundational component of early reading and may require additional instructional support for learners with dyslexia. This study reports the formative development and grouping of icon-based letter cues for BACAdys Jilid 1, a structured Bahasa Melayu reading module. The present analysis included seven learners 7-10 years with formally identified dyslexia who completed an individual classroom-based visual recognition activity. Candidate cues were developed using familiar objects, actions, sounds or meaningful visual associations and, where appropriate, incorporated characteristics of the corresponding letter form. Each cue was presented individually and learners were asked, “Ini gambar apa?” (“What is this picture of?”). Recognition was classified descriptively as very fast, fast, moderate or slow while alternative naming, hesitation, incorrect identification and prompting were documented separately. Classroom recordings were reviewed to support the observation records. Findings showed that some cues were consistently recognised and named while others were understood at the semantic level but elicited broader labels or naming uncertainty. These patterns, together with cue-design considerations, informed the organisation of corresponding consonants into progressive instructional groups before formal letter and sound teaching. The study proposes a recognition-before-instruction approach and presents formative design evidence rather than evidence of intervention effectiveness.