EFFECTS OF SYNTHETIC PHONICS STRATEGY ON PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS' ACHIEVEMENT IN LITE R A C Y SKILLS IN KATAGUM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BAUCHI STATE, NIGERIA

Observations showed that most primary school pupils in Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State cannot recognize words in print let alone read for meaning. In response to the occasion, this study investigated the effects of synthetic phonics strategy on primary school pupils’ achievement in literacy skills in Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Nigeria. Quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test research design of non-equivalent groups was adopted in the study. A sample of 64 primary four pupils was selected and assigned to the experimental (synthetic) and control (conventional) groups using simple sampling technique. Two research questions and two corresponding null hypotheses guided the study. Word Reading Achievement Test (WRAT) and Word Spelling Achievement Test (WSAT) were used as instruments for data collection. Data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions and ANCOVA to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The major finding revealed that there was a significant effect of synthetic phonics strategy on pupils’ achievement in phonemic awareness. The finding further revealed that synthetic phonics strategy significantly improved pupils’ achievement in letter formation. It was, therefore, concluded that if the strategy is adopted by the English Language teacher, pupils’ literacy skills will improve significantly. Based on the findings and conclusion of the study, it was recommended that teachers of English should model synthetic phonics package to beginning readers. It was also recommended among other things that curriculum designers should work in collaboration with English Language textbook writers to incorporate synthetic phonics activities into the primary school’s literacy programmes.