Early Literacy Challenges : Assessing English Letter-Sound Knowledge Post-COVID-19 in Malaysia

The development of reading skills relies on understanding the connection between letters and their sounds, which is crucial for decoding and encoding words, as well as enhancing reading fluency and comprehension. In Malaysia, where students are expected to excel in both English and Malay, limited letter-sound knowledge can hinder literacy development and widen the gap between policy and practice. This issue was further magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic and prolonged school closures, disrupting students’ exposure to English. This study assessed the English letter-sound knowledge of 11-year-old students in a primary school located in Sarawak, Malaysia, using the Phonics Adventure module on the READi website, an interactive assessment tool that evaluates phonics proficiency. A total of 54 students participated, completing tasks that measured their ability to identify and produce letter sounds. The findings revealed that while students demonstrated strong letter-name recognition, their letter-sound knowledge was weak, indicating challenges in phonemic awareness. This suggests that the pandemic-related school closures resulted in significant learning disruptions involving phonics acquisition, which is foundational for reading development. Addressing these gaps through targeted interventions is essential to support literacy recovery efforts.