Enhancing Preschoolers' Letter Recognition Through Audio-Visual Mnemonics: a Quasi-Experimental Study

Objective: Recent studies have shown that literacy skills among primary schoolers in Malaysia are still unsatisfactory. One main contributing factor is their letter recognition skills, which are developed during preschool. Thus, this study explores this problem and introduces a method to improve this skill’s learning process via the audio-visual mnemonic (AVM) approach. The AVM combines story and image mnemonics by embedding audio and visual cues into images to suit the cognitive development level of preschool students and alleviate their learning difficulties. Theoretical Framework: The proposed AVM method incorporates concepts from the dual-coding (combination of audio and visual materials), phonological loop (incorporating short repeating audio cues), and story mnemonic (presenting the combined materials in a fun and memorable way, adding contextual cues) theories. This combination assists in memory retention and reduces the cognitive load processing during lessons. Method: This study implemented a one-group pre-test and post-test design to determine the effectiveness of the proposed intervention. Twenty preschool students exposed to phonics but not mastered letter recognition were selected and tested using the pre-test to measure their initial ability. Then, they were taught using the proposed intervention method for 35 one-hour lessons (spread across seven weeks). Following the intervention, the students were measured using the post-test. The pre-test and post-test results were analyzed using the paired t-test to measure whether the improvement was significant. The results reveal the effectiveness of AVM despite the lack of a control group. Results and Discussion: The results (M=25.55, SD=0.76, p<0.05) show that the students’ scores have improved significantly. The multisensory approach in the AVM method effectively underpinned letter recognition, as it relies on embedded narration and visual support. Findings show its worth, especially in preschoolers operating within Piaget's preoperational stage. Research Implications: These results support that audio-visual mnemonics may be a particularly efficient pedagogical tool in developing letter recognition knowledge within the frames of preschool education. Thus, it can be concluded that the proposed method can enhance the effectiveness of preschool teachers’ letter recognition and letter sound knowledge lessons. Originality/Value: The AVM method innovatively combines audio-visual mnemonics with principles of developmental psychology, offering an evidence-based strategy to enhance early literacy education and address the limitations of conventional teaching methods.