Enhancing Kindergarten Letter Recognition Through Play-Based Learning


Authors : Caballo, Jaraima Tarahumara Twyla; Castor, Heart Angela C.; Lazatin, Honey Mae C.; Tabafa, Love Joy C.; Escarlos, Gladys S.

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 5 - May


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/mexwr9hk

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25may1755

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : CABALLO, J.T.T., CASTOR, H.A., LAZATIN, H.M., and TABAFA, L.J., Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon, Enhancing Kindergarten Letter Recognition Through Play-Based Learning. Adviser: Gladys S. Escarlos, PhD This study investigated the effectiveness of a play-based learning intervention, the Letter Jump Game, in enhancing letter recognition skills among kindergarten learners at Musuan Integrated School. The research aimed to address the limitations of traditional instructional strategies in early literacy by introducing an interactive and developmentally appropriate approach tailored to young learners. Specifically, it sought to determine whether the integration of kinesthetic movement and cognitive engagement through play could improve learners’ ability to recognize uppercase and lowercase letters. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was employed. Fifteen purposively selected kindergarten pupils aged 4 to 6 years old participated in the study. Pre-test and post-test assessments measured their letter recognition levels before and after a three-week intervention period, during which the Letter Jump Game was implemented three times per week. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired samples t-tests. Results showed an increase in mean scoresfrom 12.33 to 14.47 for lowercase letters and 14.20 to 15.47 for uppercase letters, indicating improved recognition skills. However, these improvements were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Despite this, qualitative observations noted increased engagement, confidence, and participation, especially among kinesthetic learners and those who initially struggled. The study concludes that while the intervention did not yield statistically significant results, it demonstrated practical benefits in promoting early literacy skills through active learning. The findings support the integration of play-based and kinesthetic strategies into early childhood instruction and recommend further research with larger samples and extended durations to validate the approach’s effectiveness.

Keywords : Play-Based Learning, Letter Recognition, Kindergarten, Kinesthetic Learning, Early Literacy.

References :

  1. Alotaibi, M. (2024). The impact of game-based learning on the cognitive skills, engagement, and motivation of young learners. Journal of Education and Learning, 19(2), 350-362.  https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v19i2.2127354
  2. Brightwheel. (2024a, July 17). A Guide to Game-Based Learning in Early Childhood Education. A Guide to Game-Based Learning in Early Childhood Education. https://mybrightwheel.com/blog/game- based- learning
  3. Blubaugh, C. (2023, December 6). Letter recognition Strategies for Struggling Students- Mrs. B’s Beehive. Mrs. B’s Beehive. https://mrsbsbeehive.com/letter-recognition-strategies/
  4. Brodie, K. (2024, August 10). Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory: A Guide     for Early                Years. Early Years TV. https://www.earlyyears.tv/howard- gardners-multiple-intelligences- theory-a-guide-for-early-years/
  5. Bubikova-Moan, M., Wæraas, I. H., & Klette, K. (2019). How does the implementation of a play-based learning approach affect the learning environment and children’s learning outcomes? International Journal of Early Childhood, 51(1), 5-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13193-018-0278-6
  6. Cabug, V. M. E., & Hatague, K. V. (2023). PLAY BASED LEARNING: INTERVENTION IN IMPROVING LETTER SOUND RECOGNITION OF KINDERGARTEN LEARNERS. Cognizance Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 3(8), 1074–1086. https://doi.org/10.47760/cognizance 2023.v03i08.030
  7. Campbell, S. (2023, September 5). Letter recognition: Activities for mastering letter names and letter sounds - Campbell creates readers. Campbell Creates    Readers. https://www.campbellcreatesreaders.com/blog/letter-recognition- activities-for-mastering-letter-names-and-letter-sounds
  8. Cohen, S. (2019). The power of movement in learning. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
  9. Field, A. (2013). Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
  10. GUO, PU. (2024). Approaches to Enhance Game-Based Teaching Literacy for Kindergarten Major Students. Pacific International Journal.
  11. Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., & New, R. S. (2016). Einstein never used flashcards: How our children really learn—and why they need to play more. New York: Oxford University Press.
  12. Longcamp, M., Zerbato-Poudou, M., & Velay, J. (2018). The influence of writing practice on letter recognition in preschool children: A comparison between handwriting and typing. Acta Psychologica, 119(1), 67–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2004.10.01
  13. Majorano, M., Bastianello, T., Bodea-Hategan, C., Fantuzzi, P., Fontana, G., Hoste, E., Lombardi, M., Standaert, A., Talas, D., Trifu, R., Vescogni, L., & Persici, V. (2021). Early literacy skills and later reading and writing performance across countries: The effects of Orthographic Consistency and preschool curriculum. Child & Youth Care Forum, 50(6), 1063–1085.
  14. McClelland, M. M., Azevedo, R., & Foorman, B. R. (2015). Handbook of early literacy research: Bridging the gap between research and practice. New York: Guilford Press.
  15. Mercy, J. (2021). The challenges and benefits of play-based learning. Retrieved from https://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx? ArticleID=925
  16. Nassis, G. (2022, February 21). The Importance of Game-Based Learning in a Child’s Early Educational Development. The Importance of Game- Based Learning in a Child’s Early Educational Development. https://www.newpathlearning.com/the-   latest-news/the-importance-of- game-
  17. Pakpahan, F. H., & Saragih, M. (2022). Theory of Cognitive Development by Jean Piaget. Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2(2), 55–6 0.https://doi.org/10.52622/joal.v2i2.79
  18. Pica, P. (2017). Kinesthetic learning: Engaging the body to enhance learning. New York: Routledge.
  19. Richland, K. (2021, August 9). Letter Sound Jump: An Orton-Gillingham game. Structured  Literacy | Pride Reading Program.https://pridereadingprogram.com/letter-sound-jump-an-orton- gillingham
  20. Reading Rockets. (n.d.). Letter name and letter sound assessment. Reading Rockets.https://www.readingrockets.org/sites/default/files/migrated/pdfs/assessment_letter_sound.pdf
  21. Richland, K. (2021, August 9). Letter Sound Jump: An Orton-Gillingham game. Structured  Literacy | Pride Reading Program. game/?srsltid=AfmBOooVHImk7SbMmtkpTGiYmzicdhZh8w71gM8d_0 hK8Gg go0s7Fu7A
  22. St Laurent, C. W., Burkart, S., & Alhassan, S. (2018). Effect of a School- Base Physical Activity Intervention on number and letter recognition               in preschoolers. International Journal of Exercise Science, 11(5), 168–178. https://doi.org/10.70252/zoxy6774
  23. Samson, V. (2024b). Alphabet Hop Play-Based Activity: A Kindergarten Intervention for Letter Sound Recognition. Research Gate, 1– 15.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381376021_Alphabet_Hop_PlayBased_Activity_A_Kindergarten_Intervention_for_Letter_Sou nd_ Rec og nition
  24. Sakib, N. (2022). The Effect of Play-Based Learning on the Cognitive development of Kindergarten students. Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369927516_The_Effect_of_Pl ayBased_Learning_on_the_Cognitive_Development_of_Kindergarten_ Students
  25. Tahir, R., & Wang, A. I. (2022). Evaluating the effectiveness of game-based learning for teaching refugee children Arabic using the integrated LEAGUÊ-GQM approach. Behaviour & Information Technology, 43(1), 110–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2022.2156386
  26. Vinter, A., Bard, P., Lukowski-Duplessy, H., & Poulin-Charronnat, B. (2023b). Learning to name uppercase and lowercase letters in preschoolers and kindergarteners: An investigation of the effects of child- and letter- related factors. Early Education and Development, 35(7), 1570–1590. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2023.2252706
  27. Wibowo, S., Wangid, M. N., & Firdaus, F. M. (2024). The relevance of Vygotsky’s   constructivism learning theory with the differentiated learning          primary  schools. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 19(1), 431–440. https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v19i1.21197
  28. Zosh, J. M., Haring-Hidore, M. C., & Baer, J. (2017). Supporting emergent literacy: A practical guide for teachers (5th ed.). New York: Pearson.

CABALLO, J.T.T., CASTOR, H.A., LAZATIN, H.M., and TABAFA, L.J., Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon, Enhancing Kindergarten Letter Recognition Through Play-Based Learning. Adviser: Gladys S. Escarlos, PhD This study investigated the effectiveness of a play-based learning intervention, the Letter Jump Game, in enhancing letter recognition skills among kindergarten learners at Musuan Integrated School. The research aimed to address the limitations of traditional instructional strategies in early literacy by introducing an interactive and developmentally appropriate approach tailored to young learners. Specifically, it sought to determine whether the integration of kinesthetic movement and cognitive engagement through play could improve learners’ ability to recognize uppercase and lowercase letters. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was employed. Fifteen purposively selected kindergarten pupils aged 4 to 6 years old participated in the study. Pre-test and post-test assessments measured their letter recognition levels before and after a three-week intervention period, during which the Letter Jump Game was implemented three times per week. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired samples t-tests. Results showed an increase in mean scoresfrom 12.33 to 14.47 for lowercase letters and 14.20 to 15.47 for uppercase letters, indicating improved recognition skills. However, these improvements were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Despite this, qualitative observations noted increased engagement, confidence, and participation, especially among kinesthetic learners and those who initially struggled. The study concludes that while the intervention did not yield statistically significant results, it demonstrated practical benefits in promoting early literacy skills through active learning. The findings support the integration of play-based and kinesthetic strategies into early childhood instruction and recommend further research with larger samples and extended durations to validate the approach’s effectiveness.

Keywords : Play-Based Learning, Letter Recognition, Kindergarten, Kinesthetic Learning, Early Literacy.

Never miss an update from Papermashup

Get notified about the latest tutorials and downloads.

Subscribe by Email

Get alerts directly into your inbox after each post and stay updated.
Subscribe
OR

Subscribe by RSS

Add our RSS to your feedreader to get regular updates from us.
Subscribe