Phonemic Mastery for Elementary Students: A data-driven approach to addressing early literacy gaps

This study examined the effectiveness of a reading intervention in improving the foundational reading skills of Key Stage 1 learners. It focused on letter and sound recognition, blending and segmentation, and word reading. A pre-test and post-test research design was employed to determine changes in learners’ reading performance before and after intervention. The pre-test findings showed low reading proficiency, with learners experiencing difficulties across three reading skills. These findings highlighted the need for systematic literacy instruction. Following the intervention, improvements were observed in reading skill areas. The greatest improvement was noted in blending and segmentation, indicating that phonemic awareness activities helped learners develop their ability to identify, manipulate, combine, and separate sounds. Improvement was also observed in letter and sound recognition and word reading, although word reading remained an area requiring support. The comparison of pre-test and post-test results showed a positive improvement in reading performance. Statistical analysis further revealed a significant difference between learners’ pre-test and post-test performance, indicating that the intervention contributed to improved foundational reading skills. The findings suggest that explicit and developmentally appropriate reading instruction can positively influence early literacy development. The study recommends sustaining structured reading interventions that emphasize phonemic awareness, phonics, blending, segmentation, decoding, and word reading. Regular progress monitoring and differentiated instruction should be implemented to address individual learning needs. Collaboration among teachers, parents, and stakeholders should also be strengthened to reinforce reading practice at school and at home. Overall, early literacy intervention can help learners develop stronger reading skills, confidence, and independence.