Enhancing English Vocabulary Reading Skills Through Audiovisual Phonics Instruction
A Classroom Action Research on Students with Specific Learning Difficulties
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56916/jirpe.v4i3.1640Keywords:
Audiovisual phonics, Vocabulary reading, Learning difficulties, Multisensory instruction, Classroom action researchAbstract
This study aims to improve English vocabulary reading skills among junior high school students with specific learning difficulties through the implementation of an audiovisual phonics-based instructional method. Conducted as a Classroom Action Research (CAR) using the Kemmis and McTaggart model, the research involved four Grade VII students at SMP Negeri 1 Kaliorang during the 2024/2025 academic year. The intervention was delivered in two cycles, each comprising planning, action, observation, and reflection phases. Instructional strategies were designed to enhance phoneme recognition, sound-symbol correspondence, and contextual vocabulary acquisition through multimodal media, including slow-paced videos and interactive visual aids. Data were collected via pre- and post-tests, observation sheets, and student participation checklists. The results showed consistent improvement in students’ vocabulary reading performance, with all participants exceeding the 80% mastery threshold by the end of Cycle II. Teacher implementation scores rose from 77% to 97%, while student engagement increased significantly across sessions. The findings suggest that audiovisual phonics instruction, when combined with structured scaffolding and adapted media, can effectively support vocabulary development among students with reading difficulties. However, further research is recommended to validate the method’s effectiveness in broader and more diverse educational contexts.
References
Abidjanova, S. (2024). Examining difficulties in academic English: Vocabulary complexity, writing conventions, and critical reading skills. Talqin va tadqiqotlar ilmiy-uslubiy jurnali, 2(56), 89–93. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/examining-difficulties-in-academic-english-vocabulary-complexity-writing-conventions-and-critical-reading-skills
Adewale, H. G. (2025). Phonics-based strategy on reading performances of pupils with learning disabilities in Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria. Journal of New Perspectives in Educational Research, 1(01), 29–42. https://jeredajournals.com/index.php/JoNEPER/article/view/305/11
Aguiar, L., & Brady, S. (1991). Vocabulary acquisition and reading ability. Reading and Writing, 3(3), 413–425. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00354971
Akçamete, G., & Dağli Gökbulut, Ö. (2018). Opinions of classroom teachers on reading comprehension difficulties, inclusion education, and co-teaching. Quality & Quantity, 52(Suppl 1), 791–806. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-017-0664-7
Altrichter, H., Kemmis, S., McTaggart, R., & Zuber‐Skerritt, O. (2002). The concept of action research. The Learning Organization, 9(3), 125–131. https://doi.org/10.1108/09696470210428840
Bozorgian, H., Fallah, S., & Taghizade, M. (2025). EFL teacher code-switching in early adolescent vocabulary learning. Teaching English as a Second Language Quarterly, 44(2), 101–117. https://doi.org/10.22099/tesl.2025.51723.3354
Bulté, B., Housen, A., & Pallotti, G. (2025). Complexity and difficulty in second language acquisition: A theoretical and methodological overview. Language Learning, 75(2), 533–574. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12669
Christensen, C. A., & Bowey, J. A. (2005). The efficacy of orthographic rime, grapheme–phoneme correspondence, and implicit phonics approaches to teaching decoding skills. Scientific Studies of Reading, 9(4), 327–349. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532799xssr0904_1
Cohen‐Mimran, R., & Share, D. L. (2025). The phonology‐morphology seesaw: Morpho‐lexical knowledge replaces phonological awareness as the key predictor of word reading fluency by grade 4. Reading Research Quarterly, 60(3), e70020. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.70020
Coleman, M. B., Fowler, K., Parater, A. L., Riley, M. J., Park, Y., & Moore, T. C. (2021). Combining teacher‐led and technology‐assisted instruction to improve phoneme blending to read words for elementary students with disabilities. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 37(3), 759–772. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12521
Collins, M. F. (2010). ELL preschoolers’ English vocabulary acquisition from storybook reading. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25(1), 84–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2009.07.009
Dessemontet, R. S., de Chambrier, A. F., Martinet, C., Meuli, N., & Linder, A. L. (2021). Effects of a phonics-based intervention on the reading skills of students with intellectual disability. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 111, 103883. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2021.103883
Dilgard, C., Hodges, T. S., & Coleman, J. (2022). Phonics instruction in early literacy: Examining professional learning, instructional resources, and intervention intensity. Reading Psychology, 43(8), 541–575. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702711.2022.2126045
Felton, R. H. (1993). Effects of instruction on the decoding skills of children with phonological-processing problems. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 26(9), 583–589. https://doi.org/10.1177/002221949302600904
Filippini, A. L., Gerber, M. M., & Leafstedt, J. M. (2012). A vocabulary-added reading intervention for English learners at-risk of reading difficulties. International Journal of Special Education, 27(3), 14–26. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1001055.pdf
Gelzheiser, L. M. (1991). Learning sound/symbol correspondences: Transfer effects of pattern detection and phonics instruction. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 5(4), 361–371. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.2350050406
Hall, A. (2008). Specific learning difficulties. Psychiatry, 7(6), 260–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mppsy.2008.04.009
Hill, D. R. (2016). Phonics-based reading interventions for students with intellectual disability: A systematic literature review. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 4(5), 205–214. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1098568.pdf
Høien‐Tengesdal, I. N. G. J. E. R. D., & Tønnessen, F. E. (2011). The relationship between phonological skills and word decoding. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 52(1), 93–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.2010.00856.x
Hwang, H. B. (2025). Acceptance and use of app‐based language learning among young adolescents in a self‐directed context. TESOL Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3388
Indriani, I. S., Christianti, M., & Hayati, N. (2025). Application of phonics method for early literacy development of preschool children. Jurnal Pendidikan Progresif, 15(1), 119–138. https://doi.org/10.23960/jpp.v15i1.pp119-138
Jeffes, B. (2016). Raising the reading skills of secondary-age students with severe and persistent reading difficulties: Evaluation of the efficacy and implementation of a phonics-based intervention programme. Educational Psychology in Practice, 32(1), 73–84. https://doi.org/10.1080/02667363.2015.1111198
Jozwik, S. L., & Douglas, K. H. (2017). Effects of multicomponent academic vocabulary instruction for English learners with learning difficulties. Learning Disability Quarterly, 40(4), 237–250. https://doi.org/10.1177/0731948717704967
Kemmis, S., McTaggart, R., & Nixon, R. (2013). Introducing critical participatory action research. In The action research planner: Doing critical participatory action research (pp. 1–31). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4560-67-2_1
Khan, M., & Khan, R. (2021). Phonological awareness and phonics instruction: Inclusive practice that benefits all kinds of learners. Asia Pacific Journal of Developmental Differences, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.3850/S2345734121000076
Kormos, J. (2017). The effects of specific learning difficulties on processes of multilingual language development. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 37, 30–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2009.07.009
Lloyd Eldredge, J., Quinn, B., & Butterfield, D. D. (1990). Causal relationships between phonics, reading comprehension, and vocabulary achievement in the second grade. The Journal of Educational Research, 83(4), 201–214. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1990.10885957
Magnan, A., & Ecalle, J. (2006). Audio-visual training in children with reading disabilities. Computers & Education, 46(4), 407–425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2004.08.008
Ming, K., & Dukes, C. (2008). Fluency: A necessary ingredient in comprehensive reading instruction in inclusive classrooms. Teaching Exceptional Children Plus, 4(4), Article n4. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ967480.pdf
Nurdini, H., & Marlina, L. (2017). Vocabulary journal as a learning tool for students in learning vocabulary through reading at junior high school. Journal of English Language Teaching, 6(1), 283. http://ejournal.unp.ac.id/index.php/jelt
Olawepo, K. O. (2024). Effects of visual phonics and bottom-up strategies on the reading comprehension of students with hearing impairment in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State [Master’s thesis, Kwara State University].
Rahmi, A., Nirwanto, R., & Qamariah, Z. (2025). Investigation of vocabulary learning strategies and the difficulty faced by the students of junior high school. Journal of English Language and Education, 10(3), 741–750. https://doi.org/10.31004/jele.v10i3.960
Ratanakul, K., Cleland, J., & Cohen, W. (2025). Phonological awareness skills in Thai‐speaking children: A scoping review. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 60(5), e70099. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.70099
Rezaei, A., Mai, N., & Pesaranghader, A. (2014). The effect of mobile applications on English vocabulary acquisition. Jurnal Teknologi (Sciences & Engineering), 68(2). https://doi.org/10.11113/jt.v68.2912
Ricketts, J., Nation, K., & Bishop, D. V. (2007). Vocabulary is important for some, but not all reading skills. Scientific Studies of Reading, 11(3), 235–257. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888430701344306
Saad, M. A. E. (2017). Are phonological awareness intervention programs effective for children with disabilities? A systematic review. Psycho-Educational Research Reviews, 6(3), 11–20. https://www.perrjournal.com/index.php/perrjournal/article/view/259
Scheffel, D. L., Shaw, J. C., & Shaw, R. (2008). The efficacy of a supplementary multisensory reading program for first-grade students. Journal of Reading Improvement, 45(3), 139–152. https://imse-production-010821.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/media/pdf/Greeley-CO-research.pdf
Schlesinger, N. W., & Gray, S. (2017). The impact of multisensory instruction on learning letter names and sounds, word reading, and spelling. Annals of Dyslexia, 67(3), 219–258. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-017-0140-z
Schmidt, R. J., Rozendal, M. S., & Greenman, G. G. (2002). Reading instruction in the inclusion classroom: Research-based practices. Remedial and Special Education, 23(3), 130–140. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325020230030101
Shankweiler, D., Lundquist, E., Katz, L., Stuebing, K. K., Fletcher, J. M., Brady, S., ... & Shaywitz, B. A. (1999). Comprehension and decoding: Patterns of association in children with reading difficulties. Scientific Studies of Reading, 3(1), 69–94. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532799xssr0301_4
Shore, J. R., & Sabatini, J. (2009). English language learners with reading disabilities: A review of the literature and the foundation for a research agenda. ETS Research Report Series, 2009(1), i–48. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2333-8504.2009.tb02177.x
Snowling, M. J. (2005). Specific learning difficulties. Psychiatry, 4(9), 110–113. https://doi.org/10.1383/psyt.2005.4.9.110
Spear-Swerling, L. (2019). Structured literacy and typical literacy practices: Understanding differences to create instructional opportunities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 51(3), 201–211. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059917750160
Susanto, H. (2021). A study on students' difficulties in learning vocabulary. Journey, 4(2), 46–50. https://doi.org/10.33503/journey.v4i2.1413
Suter, L., Berthele, R., & Thomas, A. (2025). The sequencing of pre- and post-viewing activities in a vocabulary learning study with adolescent French L2 learners. In Foreign language learning from audiovisual input: The role of original version television (pp. 69–92). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-91001-2_4
Swanson, H. L., Kong, J., Petcu, S. D., & Asencio Pimentel, M. F. (2020). Can difficulties in language acquisition and specific learning disabilities be separated among English learners? Exceptional Children, 86(3), 293–309. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402919893931
Tovey, D. R. (1980). Children's grasp of phonics terms vs. sound-symbol relationships. The Reading Teacher, 33(4), 431–437. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20195035
Trezek, B. J., & Wang, Y. (2006). Implications of utilizing a phonics-based reading curriculum with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 11(2), 202–213. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enj031
Veríssimo, L., Costa, M., Miranda, F., Pontes, C., & Castro, I. (2021, November). The importance of phonological awareness in learning disabilities’ prevention: Perspectives of pre-school and primary teachers. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 6, p. 750328). Frontiers Media SA. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.750328
Veuillet, E., Magnan, A., Ecalle, J., Thai-Van, H., & Collet, L. (2007). Auditory processing disorder in children with reading disabilities: Effect of audiovisual training. Brain, 130(11), 2915–2928. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awm235
Walley, A. C., Metsala, J. L., & Garlock, V. M. (2003). Spoken vocabulary growth: Its role in the development of phoneme awareness and early reading ability. Reading and Writing, 16(1), 5–20. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021789804977
Wang, Y., Spychala, H., Harris, R. S., & Oetting, T. L. (2013). The effectiveness of a phonics-based early intervention for deaf and hard of hearing preschool children and its possible impact on reading skills in elementary school: A case study. American Annals of the Deaf, 158(2), 107–120. https://doi.org/10.1353/aad.2013.0021
Wulandari, D., Narmaditya, B. S., Utomo, S. H., & Prayi, P. H. (2019). Teachers’ perception on classroom action research. KnE Social Sciences, 313–320. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v3i11.4015
Zhang, Y., & Zhang, Y. (2025). Exploring technology-assisted language learning innovations and effectiveness in enhancing English linguistics skills for college students. Education and Information Technologies, 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13563-z
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Nurhidaya, Pujaningsih
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
