ABCD APPROACH: A LADDERIZED INTERVENTION

PROGRAM IN DEVELOPING THE PHONEMIC

AWARENESS OF LILY’S NON-DECODERS

PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL

Volume: 16
Issue 7
Pages: 805-809
Document ID: 2023PEMJ1502
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10557619
Manuscript Accepted: 12-27-2023
 Psych Educ, 2024, 16(7): 805-809, Document ID:2024PEMJ1502, doi:10.5281/zenodo.10557619, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article

ABCD Approach: A Ladderized Intervention Program in Developing

the Phonemic Awareness of Lily’s Non-Decoders
Jane Love D. Velila*
For affiliations and correspondence, see the last page.

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that the ABCD Approach: Addressing the Basic Core of Developmental
Reading could assist the six identified non-decoders of Grade III - Lily at Asinan Elementary School in developing
their phonemic awareness for the school year 2022 - 2023. The ABCD Approach employs board ladder game as
intervention material. It is a six week intervention program with five-level intervention strategy which consists of:
Letter Ladder, Syllabic Ladder, CVC Ladder, Long Vowel Ladder, and Blended Ladder, with Blended Ladder serving
as the game's final level. To validate the results of this study, the researcher used the pre-test and post-test results in
the EGRA toolbox, which were shown in a table, as well as the researcher's interview and observation. This study's
findings revealed a significant increase in developing phonemic awareness among the six non-decoders. The
participants have advanced from the emerging to the independent level. This study highlights the importance of game-
based interventions by emphasizing their capacity to enhance retention, involvement, and interpersonal relationships.

Keywords: non-decoders, phonemic awareness,board ladder games

Introduction
Reading is at the core of all learning. Phonemic awareness is one of its components. The foundation for phonological and phonemic
awareness is typically laid in kindergarten and Grade one. However, as we all know, the disruptions in learning caused by COVID-
19 have had a significant impact on our pupils, and that includes my Grade Three class. I was surprised when I administered the EGRA
toolkit for our pre-test in September 2022 because some of them couldn't identify letter names and letter sounds.

I approached one of my pupils and asked him what were the factors that affect his reading deficiency. He was a bit hesitant but then
he replied, “Ma’am, wala man gud ko gitudlo-an ni Mama sa balay adtong nagmodule pa ta maong di jud ko kaila sa mga letra.”
(Ma’am, my mother didn’t teach me when we had our module that is why I don’t know the letters.) “Pirmi man gud busy sila mama,
Ma’am. Wala na silay panahon tudlo-an ko.” (My mother is always busy, Ma’am. She does not have time to teach me.), he also added.
When I heard his reply, I was both disappointed and concerned.

Although he is already in third grade, he still finds it difficult to recognize the names of the letters and the sounds, albeit he should be
able to read phrases and paragraphs. I was really alarmed. However, I felt inspired to help him with his reading so that he would be
prepared for the next grade level.

Alphabet knowledge is essential for learning to read and spell in English (Adams, 1990; Ehri, 1987, 1998; Piasta & Wagner, 2010).
Along with oral language and phonological awareness, it represents one of the most important emergent literacy skills acquired by
young children (Whitehurst & Lonigan, 1998; Piasta & Wagner, 2010). Moreover, letter-sound knowledge (also known as 'graphemic
knowledge') assists students in decoding written language and teaching themselves new words because students can use letter-sound
patterns to say unfamiliar words (Ehri, 2005). Difficulties with these skills are a defining feature of the struggling reader.

This is in line to the Deped Memorandum 173, series of 2019 Hamon: Bawat Bata Bumabasa (3B's Initiative), the school and teacher
are responsible for making every learner a proficient reader and assisting learners in developing their reading skills. Consequently, I
should devise some strategies for meeting the phonemic awareness needs of my Grade 3 students.

Reading is one of the most challenging abilities to teach and master. As Barack Obama famously observed, "Reading is the gateway
skill that makes all other learning possible." That is why I conducted this study to address my third-grade class's reading deficiencies.
My pupils won't be able to move on to the next level if this isn't fixed, thus there is a pressing need for intervention.

Research Questions

This research will be carried out in order to create an effective reading intervention program to improve the reading skills of my Grade
Three students. This will specifically seek answers to the following questions:

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 Psych Educ, 2024, 16(7): 805-809, Document ID:2024PEMJ1502, doi:10.5281/zenodo.10557619, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article

1. How does ABCD Approach help develop the phonemic awareness of my Grade Three Lily non-decoders?

Literature Review

It was clear that my Grade Three Lily non-decoder pupils have trouble giving letter names and letter sounds. Despite the grade level
they were in, they did not develop phonemic awareness. Poor phonemic awareness is the most frequent cause of reading difficulties,
according to David A. Kilpatrick. With this in mind, I developed the ABCD Approach: Addressing the Basic Core of Developmental
Reading, which I think will aid in teaching my pupils how to recognize letter names and letter sounds in more fun and engaging way.
The ABCD Approach was founded on Orton Gillingham's approach, which was developed specifically to assist struggling readers by
explicitly teaching the relationship between letters and sounds. Orton-Gillingham enables teachers to create an individualized,
structured, multisensory plan for teaching reading and vocabulary skills. It is a step-by-step learning process that involves letters and
sounds and encourages students to build on each smaller manageable skill learned along the way.

The activities in ABCD Approach are intended to assist my Grade 3 pupils in developing phonemic awareness through board games.
When we incorporate games into our teaching, pupils become more engaged. This intervention program is made up of five different
levels of board ladder games which consist of: Level 1: Letter Ladder, Level 2: Syllabic Ladder, Level 3: CVC Ladder, Level 4: Long
Vowel Ladder, and Level 5: Blended Ladder. This was a variation on the popular board game Snake and ladder. A dice, similar to the
traditional snake and ladder, was used to determine which spaces the learner's counter landed in. However, the players were not
presented with just pictures and a snake that could bite them. Each space contained letters and/or words that they recognized and/or
read. If the learner's counter lands at the bottom of a ladder, he then moved up to the top as he gave the correct response; otherwise,
he remained in his space. Depending on the level of the ladder game, it contained letters and three- to four-letter words. The winner
of the game was the first person to cross the finish line. An illustration below shows the level of each ladder that the learners will
undergo:

Figure 1. Intervention Process Flow of ABCD Approach (Addressing the Basic Core of Developmental)

Anyone who has a learner, who struggles to recognize letter names and sounds, as well as read simple words and phrases, would find
this intervention program to be of great assistance. This ladderized program's utilization of games made learning to read enjoyable
and interesting which acted as a bridge for learners to improve their reading abilities. So, the struggling readers would benefit much
from this. Phonemic awareness would be easy to learn. Also, this would aid in their readiness for the subsequent grade.

Methodology

Participants

This study's participants were the non-decoders in Asinan Elementary School's Grade Three Section Lily for the school year 2022-
2023. Six non-decoders were identified during the pre-test using the EGRA toolkit. They were all residents of Sitio Lantubo in Asinan,
Matanao, Davao del Sur. They were all unable to identify letter names and sounds. If you look at them during the class discussion,
they may have been appeared to be listening, but they were not. They were both sitting in their chairs, doing nothing. Despite being
present physically, they were absent mentally. They took a while to react when I asked them a question. However, they participated
fully and I saw the joy in their eyes if we played games as part of our class discussion. They therefore needed this ABCD Approach
as an intervention in order to enhance their reading abilities.

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 Psych Educ, 2024, 16(7): 805-809, Document ID:2024PEMJ1502, doi:10.5281/zenodo.10557619, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article

Procedure

Data were gathered using a variety of techniques to determine how the ABCD Approach helped the six non-decoders in Grade Three
- Lily develop their phonemic awareness. The improvements of the six non-decoders after the entire implementation of the 6-week
ABCD Approach employing the five-level engaging activities were demonstrated using the data from the pre-test and post-test in the
EGRA toolkit administration. This was shown in a table to further explain the effectiveness of the intervention program carried out.
The interviews also served as the foundation for background checks on how to cope with Grade Three Lily's six non-decoders.
Numerous observations of their relationships, behavior, and levels of participation throughout the program's execution were also made
in order to assess their progress.

Ethical Considerations

The teacher-researcher cooperated with all applicable ethical and legal regulations for the conduct of the study in order to fulfill the
ethical considerations of the research. The rights of the participants were safeguarded at various crucial stages of this study. There
was no circumstance in which the participants suffered injury as a result of their involvement. Additionally, participants received the
utmost respect and assurance that their information would stay confidential. In accordance with their right to anonymity, the
participants' personal information was kept hidden and discreet during the whole conduct and completion of the study. The names of
the participants were not included in the data collected, which were presented as the study's findings. Finally, the researcher verified
that the outcomes were correct and precise.

Results and Discussion

In this section, the table of the pupils' pre-test and post-test results in the EGRA toolkit administration, the findings of interviews and
observations, and a reflection were discussed to assess the intervention's substantial influence in this research after it was implemented.

Pre-Test and Post-Test Results in EGRA Toolkit Administration

The EGRA toolkit had, in fact, ten components. However, only seven of its components were included in this study: Letter Name
Knowledge, Letter Sound Knowledge, Initial Sound Identification, Familiar Word Reading, Inverted Word Reading, Oral Passage,
and Reading Comprehension. Print Orientation, Listening Comprehension, and Dictation were the three remaining components that
have been excluded. Since the goal of this study is to develop phonemic awareness, these seven components were the only ones that
have been sought out.

As can be shown in the table below, all six participants fell into the emergent level (scores 0–50) in all of the components in the toolkit
during the Pre-test. This just demonstrated that the study participants had little, if any, phonemic awareness. However, as the
participants took their Post- Test, five learners have been classified as independent (scores 75-100) with just one beginning level
(scores 51-74) in Component 1: Letter Name Knowledge and Component 2: Letter Sound Knowledge. Meanwhile, four learners were
categorized as independent (scores 75-100) and two as beginning level (scores 51-74) in Component 3: Initial Sound Identification,
Component 4: Familiar Word Reading, and Component 5: Inverted Word Reading. Furthermore, in Component 6: Oral Passage and
Component 7: Reading Comprehension, four were at the independent level (scores 75- 100), one at the beginning level (scores 51-
74), and one at the emergent level (0-50).

Table 1. Pupils’ Pre-Test and Post-Test Results in the EGRA Toolkit

Pre-Test Post-Test
Components Emergent Beginning Independent Emergent Beginning Independent
Letter Name Knowledge 6 0 0 0 1 5
Letter Sound Knowledge 6 0 0 0 1 5
Initial Sound Identification 6 0 0 0 2 4
Familiar Word Reading 6 0 0 0 2 4
Inverted Word Reading 6 0 0 0 2 4
Oral Passage 6 0 0 1 1 4
Reading Comprehension 6 0 0 1 1 4

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Research Article

The post-test results of the EGRA toolkit revealed a substantial increase in the participants' level of reading proficiency after the
intervention had been implemented. Only one participant remained at the emerging level in two components, Component 6: Oral
Passage and Component 7: Reading Comprehension; all others have progressed to the beginning and independent levels. The
participant who made the smallest degree of improvement in reading experienced absenteeism due to the economic and psychological
hardships in his household. He routinely missed remedial sessions since his parents urged him to skip class in order to care for his
mother, who suffers from episodic emotional dysregulation. However, it was highly evident that incorporating games into learning is
beneficial because it enables learners to learn in the most enjoyable way possible. As a result, the intervention was nonetheless
effective in achieving its goal of developing phonemic awareness in the six non-decoders.

Reading enhances phonological awareness, but children learn best via play (Heidecker, 2021). That is why children require
collaborative and engaging activities, which allow them to exercise their phonological awareness abilities and strengthen their learning
via repetition. It became obvious children were capable of developing phonemic awareness and phonics abilities utilizing play-based
learning tools (Heidecker, 2021). Additionally, activities and games can be employed to increase student involvement and create
chances for manipulative integration (DeWitt, 2022).

Conclusion

Findings in Interview and Observation

Following the intervention, a casual interview was conducted with the participants to ask their opinions for the program in order to
learn more about their feelings. It was a lighthearted discussion to allow them to openly express their emotions and encourage truthful
responses. The primary goal of the approach was to check and validate if the intervention carried out was beneficial on their end. One
of the participants said, “Abi nakog lisod ma’am ba. Mahadlok ko basig dili ko kamao, pero dali ra man diay ma’am. Ganahan kaayo
ko kay nagdula-dula na me nakamao pa me mobasa.” (I thought it was difficult, Ma'am. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to carry it out,
but it was actually rather simple. I enjoyed it because we were just having fun while learning how to read.) The other participant also
added, “Ma’am, lingaw kaayo kay magcontesanay jud me kinsa madaug maong maningkamot jud me nga makaila sa letra ug mabasa
ang mga words nga matunong sa amoa.” (Ma’am, that was really enjoyable because we will compete to see who will win, therefore
we must work hard to identify the letters and read the words.)

I was thrilled to hear these remarks as it was clear that they had a great time during our intervention session. Their passion to learn
and anticipation to have fun during our remedial sessions were also quite apparent from their expressions. Hence, the intervention was
indeed effective based on their degree of involvement and the outcomes of their post-test.

Reflections

Phonemic awareness development through games is a dynamic and engaging technique to teaching children core reading abilities.
Phonemic awareness, or the capacity to identify and manipulate particular sounds in spoken words, is an essential prerequisite for
good reading and spelling. Integrating games into the learning process not only makes these skills growth more pleasurable for
children, but it also increases their motivation and engagement in the learning experience. Educators and parents may create an
atmosphere in which children actively and happily develop their phonemic awareness abilities by including fun into the learning
process. ABCD Approach: Addressing the Basic Core of Developmental Reading had a noticeable effect on non-decoders. The
participants had made exceptional growth in phonemic awareness, progressing from emergent to independent. This was due to the
intervention program's use of games (board ladder games) into the learning process. Participants have demonstrated a higher level of
engagement and enthusiasm to carry out the process of strengthening their phonemic awareness. They eagerly look forward to our
remedial sessions so that they could play the ladder game whilst developing their ability to read.

But nothing is flawless in our world. Upon putting the intervention into practice, a few drawbacks surfaced. Sometimes the players
became disinterested, particularly if it took them a long time to figure out which word was meant for them. There was no timer set.
Because of this, they took longer to recognize the letter or word, which made the other players impatiently wait for their turn. Another
issue that arose throughout the intervention's implementation was frequent absenteeism. Had it not been for the personal affairs
concerning their families, all of the participants would have had completed the intervention program and shown significant progress.
However, we could not hold all things up.

As a result, I strongly advise employing a timer or a minute sandglass to encourage players to work a bit harder to identify the letters
and/or words contained in the board ladder game while without taking up too much of the planned remedial time. Maintain open and
frequent contact with the parents or guardians as well. Explain the significance of remedial sessions, the specific areas that will be

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Research Article

addressed, and the possible influence on the learner's academic development. Encourage parents to actively support and emphasize
the value of school attendance.

In conclusion, including games into the development of phonemic awareness is a vivid and successful method that transforms the
learning experience for children. As we travel across the world of phonemic awareness games, it becomes clear that fun and instruction
are not contradictory, but rather effective friends on the path to literacy competency. The combination of play and learning in phonemic
awareness games goes beyond standard educational bounds, making literacy growth a dynamic and entertaining process.

References
DeWitt, Kelsey, “Phonological Awareness Activities for Students with Reading Challenges” (2022). Culminating Experience Projects.
186. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gradprojects/186

Ehri, L. C. (2005). Learning to Read Words: Theory, Findings, and Issues. Scientific Studies of Reading, 9(2), 167–188.
https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532799xssr0902_4

Elsberry, L., & Mirambeau, A. (2015). CDC evaluation coffee break: creating an effective dissemination plan. Division of Heart
Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Retrieved March 19, 2023
from https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/docs/cb_oct2015.pdf

Hamon: Bawat Bata Bumabasa (3Bs Initiative), no. 173, Department of Education (2019). https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-
content/uploads/2019/11/DM_s2019_173-1.pdf

Heidecker, Kristen, "Effects of Play-Based Learning on Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Skills" (2021). Dissertations, Theses, and
Projects. 481. https://red.mnstate.edu/thesis/481

Orton-Gillingham | The Orton-Gillingham Approach. (n.d.). Teresa Garretson Site. https://www.orton-gillingham.com/approach/

Piasta, S. B., & Wagner, R. K. (2010). Learning letter names and sounds: Effects of instruction, letter type, and phonological
processing skill. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 105(4), 324–344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2009.12.008

Affiliations and Corresponding Information

Jane Love D. Velila

Department of Education – Philippines

Jane Love D. Velila 809/809