ENHANCING EARLY LITERACY: THE IMPACT OF PHONICS INSTRUCTION ON GRADE 1 LEARNERS TRANSITIONING FROM NON-ENGLISH KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS

This study examined the effectiveness of a phonics-based instructional program in improving the early literacy skills of Grade 1 learners from non-English kindergarten backgrounds at Rattana Auewittaya School, Fang, Chiang Mai, Thailand, during the academic year 2025–2026. A quasi-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design was employed involving 59 learners from two sections. A validated Early Literacy Assessment Test was used to measure phonemic awareness, letter-sound recognition, and word decoding skills. Descriptive statistics and a paired sample t-test were utilized to analyze the data. Results revealed that learners had a beginning level of early literacy skills in the pre-test (M = 4.08, SD = 1.76), which significantly improved to a proficient level in the post-test (M = 16.88, SD = 3.64). The computed t-value indicated a statistically significant difference at the 0.05 level, confirming the effectiveness of the phonics instruction program. The findings suggest that systematic phonics instruction significantly enhances early literacy skills and is particularly beneficial for learners transitioning from non-English kindergarten programs.