The Use of Systematic Multisensory Intervention in Enhancing the Phonics Skills of Grade 7 Learners: A Dale's Cone of Experience Perspective

This study explored the persistent phonics challenges faced by Grade 7 students, often stemming from inadequate early literacy instruction. As learners progress through higher levels, foundational reading gaps hinder their fluency, comprehension, and academic performance. To address this issue, the study examines the effectiveness of a Systematic Multisensory Phonics Intervention designed for struggling secondary-level readers. A quantitative-descriptive research design was employed involving 50 Grade 7 students. Phonics proficiency was measured using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) before and after the intervention. The intervention included structured phonics instruction, sight word recognition through TikTok duet videos, and repeated reading strategies. Instruction targeted key phonics components such as vowel sounds, sound-letter relationships, phoneme segmentation, blending, and word recognition. Post-intervention results showed significant gains in all assessed areas—letter naming fluency, phoneme segmentation fluency, nonsense word fluency, and word reading fluency. Statistical analysis revealed a meaningful difference between pre- and post-test scores, supporting the effectiveness of the multisensory approach. The findings support integrating explicit, systematic phonics instruction reinforced by multisensory strategies into upper-grade curricula. This approach not only addresses existing literacy gaps but also boosts student engagement, confidence, and long-term reading success. The study emphasizes the value of innovative, sensory-based methods to enhance foundational reading skills in secondary education.