Volume 15

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF GESTURE-BASED PHONICS INSTRUCTION ON EARLY LITERACY SKILLS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CLASSROOMS

ABUSOMWAN, Titilayo M., ANOMA & Sylvester Ugochukwu

Abstract

Persistent challenges in early literacy outcomes and declining learner engagement under predominantly visual-auditory phonics instruction have prompted renewed interest in developmentally appropriate, multisensory approaches to reading instruction. This study examined the effect of Gesture-Based Phonics instruction on phonemic awareness, decoding, reading comprehension, and learner engagement among early childhood learners, integrating Montessori-aligned sensory principles. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed. The population consisted of kindergarten learners in early childhood education classrooms. A total of 150 learners aged 5-6 years participated, with 75 assigned to the Gesture-Based Phonics (GBP) group and 75 to the Traditional Phonics (TP) group across a 12-week intervention. Data were collected using a phonics achievement test validated by a phonics specialist, with a Cronbach Alpha score of 0.89, alongside learner engagement surveys and structured teacher observation rubrics. Results indicated that learners in the GBP group achieved significantly greater gains in phonemic awareness, decoding skills, reading comprehension, and engagement levels compared to those receiving traditional phonics instruction. The study recommends embedding gesture-based phonics strategies into core early literacy curricula, strengthening teacher professional development, encouraging parent-supported home-based phonics activities, and advancing longitudinal research on embodied phonics approaches across diverse educational contexts.

Keywords

Synthetic Phonics, Gesture-Based Phonics, Early Literacy, Embodied Learning, Jolly Phonics

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