EXAMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MULTISENSORY MAGNETIC LETTER MEDIA FOR ENHANCING EARLY READING SKILLS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Abstract

Early reading skills significantly influence children's early literacy and school readiness.. However, early reading instruction in many early childhood education settings is still predominantly delivered through conventional methods that provide limited opportunities for active and meaningful learning experiences. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of magnetic letter media in improving the early reading skills of Group B children at TA Al Amin, Batu City. The study employed a quantitative approach using a quasi-experimental design with a nonequivalent control group design. The participants comprised 22 children, divided into experimental and control groups.. Data were collected through pretests and posttests, classroom observations, and documentation. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, normality and homogeneity tests, paired-sample t-tests, independent-sample t-tests, and N-Gain analysis with the assistance of SPSS version 25. The findings revealed that the mean score of the experimental group increased from 26.36 on the pretest to 31.82 on the posttest, while the control group improved from 25.27 to 28.82. Furthermore, the independent-samples t-test indicated a p-value of 0.036 (p < 0.05), demonstrating a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups after the intervention. These findings suggest that magnetic letter media effectively enhance children's early reading skills, particularly in letter recognition, syllable reading, and simple word reading. This study contributes to the development of interactive and multisensory literacy instruction strategies that are developmentally appropriate for young children and may serve as an alternative learning medium for early childhood educators.