Enhancing Letter Name and Sound Recognition Skills Through Gamified Intervention Among Kindergarten Learners

Early literacy development remains a critical concern in kindergarten education, particularly in the acquisition of letter name and sound recognition skills essential for reading readiness. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a structured gamified intervention, the Letter Hunt Game, in improving these foundational literacy skills among kindergarten learners, particularly those with limited prior preschool exposure. A quantitative quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was employed involving 30 kindergarten learners from three public elementary schools. A researcher-made test was administered before and after a five-week intervention, and data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and paired-samples t-test. Findings revealed a substantial improvement in learners’ performance, with mean scores increasing from 2.03 (low) in the pretest to 4.03 (high) in the posttest. The results showed a statistically significant difference (t = -41.71, p < .05), indicating strong learning gains and more consistent performance across participants. The findings suggest that the gamified intervention was highly effective in enhancing letter name and sound recognition skills. The use of structured, interactive, and engaging learning strategies can significantly improve early literacy outcomes. These results highlight the potential of gamified instruction as a practical approach in kindergarten classrooms, particularly for learners needing additional support in foundational reading skills.