Influence of Phonics Instructional Method on Learner Acquisition of English Language Reading Skills in Tuition Centres in Pre-primary Institutions in Dagoretti North, Nairobi County

Abstract

Phonic Instructional Method enhances proficiency in English language reading skills by adopting approaches which anchor phonemic awareness, fluency in text reading and reading comprehension. When synthetic, analytic, analogy and embedded teaching approaches are efficiently adopted in class instruction, learners become linguistically advantaged to acquire ELRS. However, ineffective adoption of PIM disadvantage learners by impeding understanding due to reading difficulties such as substitution or addition. The study assessed the extent to which adoption of PIM influence learner acquisition of ELRS in tuition centres in Pre-primary, Dagoretti North. The study emphasized on acquisition of ELRS by examining synthetic, analytic, analogy and embedded teaching approaches as sub-components of PIM and adopted Social-Constructivist theory by Vygotsky (1978), emphasizing on social interaction, and scaffolding at ZPD for enhanced achievement. Adopting a quasi-experimental research design, the study sampled 40 learners and 15 teachers using purposive sampling. Data was collected using questionnaire for teachers, pre-test and post-test for learners with 12 weeks intervention between tests and lesson observation schedule. Data was analyzed using inferential statistics. Particularly, T-test to establish the differences in mean between test scores and level of significance of PIM approaches in influencing acquisition of ELRS. The study determined a positive relationship between PIM and learner acquisition of ELRS, particularly when analytic and analogy approaches were used. However discussion on synthetic and embedded generated T-values of -1.815 (df=36 & p=0.078) and -0.479 (df=36 & p=0.635),which suggests up to 95% chance that synthetic and embedded phonic approaches were not significantly associated with improved acquisition of ELRS. Teacher Reponses and lesson observation indicated that learners may benefit more when a complementary approach to integrate different strategies during teaching is adopted.