Teachers’ Perceptions on the Use of Songs and Rhymes in Teaching Phonics to Grade 1 Pupils

Authors

  • Winelyn B Demonteverde Northeastern College
  • Celso C Dumalig Northeastern College

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55927/fjmr.v5i7.143

Keywords:

Phonics Instruction, Songs and Rhymes, Teachers’ Perceptions

Abstract

This study examined teachers’ perceptions on the use of songs and rhymes in teaching phonics to Grade 1 pupils using a descriptive-correlational design. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire administered to seven teachers from selected elementary schools in Taytay, Rizal. Findings revealed that teachers strongly agreed on the effectiveness of songs and rhymes in improving pronunciation, phonemic awareness, engagement, and classroom behavior, with an overall mean of 4.27. Statistical analyses further indicated significant relationships between teachers’ perceptions and their demographic profiles, including sex, age, teaching experience, and educational background. Overall, the study concludes that songs and rhymes are valuable instructional tools that enhance phonics learning and contribute positively to early literacy development.

References

Abdon, M. M., & Barrios, A. (2022). Phonological awareness intervention in mother tongue among Filipino kindergarten learners. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 12(2), 399-411. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v12i2.45802

Barron, K., Smith, L., & Johnson, P. (2019). Effects of training phonological awareness on children's reading skills. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 187, 104–120. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0193397319300310

Bautista, L. M. (2019). Music‐assisted phonics instruction among early grade teachers: Basis for an enhanced reading program. Philippine Journal of Education and Literacy, 7(2), 55–70.

Bermudez, R. S. (2025). Utilization of phonics approach and reading skill levels in Filipino of Grade 2 learners: Foundation for an enhanced school reading program. International Journal of Education Humanities and Social Science, 8(2), 282–302

Bolduc, J., & Lefebvre, P. (2012). A music training program on phonological awareness and early literacy skills of kindergarten children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27(3), 466–474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2011.12.003

Bryant, P. E., Bradley, L., Maclean, M., & Crossland, J. (1989). Nursery rhymes, phonological skills and reading. Journal of Child Language, 16(2), 407–428. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000900010485

Dees, L., & Cooper, P. K. (2025). Effects of a phonics-integrated music rhythm intervention on reading fluency and accuracy with children. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 19, 1636278. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1636278/full

Dela Cruz, J. M. (2023). Teachers’ perceptions on the use of Filipino folk songs in teaching phonics and reading comprehension. Philippine Journal of Basic Education, 5(1), 45–59.

Delos Santos, R. T., & Cruz, A. M. (2023). Developing kindergarten learners’ phonemic awareness through contextualized play-based activities

Dinoro, A. D., Diestro, A. M., Valera, C. B., Erande, E. F., & Lee, O. M. (2023). Reading strategies used in Philippine basic education: Basis for the formulation of a comprehensive reading program. Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.32996/jeltal.2023.5.1.9

Eccles, J., Pope, D. G., & Staver, K. (2020). The effects of musical rhythm on phonological awareness in early literacy instruction. Early Education and Development, 31(8), 1257–1275. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2020.1724883

Eccles, R. M., van der Linde, J., Le Roux, M., Holloway, J., MacCutcheon, D., Ljung, R., & Swanepoel, D. W. (2020). Effect of music instruction on phonological awareness and early literacy skills of five- to seven-year-old children. Early Child Development and Care.

Flaugnacco, E., Lopez, L., Terribili, C., Montico, M., Zoia, S., & Schön, D. (2015). Music training increases phonological awareness and reading skills in developmental dyslexia: A randomized control trial. PLOS ONE, 10(9), e0138715. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0138715

Gerry, D., Unrau, A., Trainor, L. J., & Thomson, E. (2012). Active music classes in infancy enhance musical, communicative and social development. Developmental Science, 15(3), 398–407. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2012.01142.x

Gordon, R. L., Fehd, H. M., & McCandliss, B. D. (2015). Does music training enhance literacy skills? A meta-analysis of reading-related outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1777. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01777

Gonzales, R. A. (2021). Instructional innovations among primary teachers: Basis for a pedagogical enhancement program. Philippine Journal of Basic Education, 4(2), 45–58.

Hennessy, S. (2017). Integrating music in early literacy instruction: Teacher confidence and classroom practice. International Journal of Early Years Education, 25(3), 235–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2017.1329712

Labrador, P. R. (2020). Challenges of novice teachers in implementing multisensory reading strategies in early literacy classrooms. Asia Pacific Research Journal for Teacher Education, 5(1), 22–34.

Mahmood, F. (2025). Impact of musical rhymes on students learning in kindergarten. International Journal of Early Childhood Education, 14(1), 12–25. https://www.sciencepg.com/article/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20251401.11

Mercado, J. L. (2020). Teaching approaches in early literacy: Practices of Grade 1 teachers in Laguna. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, Arts and Sciences, 7(1), 23–29.

Moreno, S., Marques, C., Santos, A., Santos, M., Castro, S. L., & Besson, M. (2009). Musical training influences linguistic abilities in 8-year-old children: More evidence for brain plasticity. Cerebral Cortex, 19(3), 712–723. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhn120

Nadera, M. D., Tangca-ag, E. G., & Tatel, L. E. (2018). Phonics instruction to enhance phonological awareness among struggling readers. International Conference on Peace Studies, Education, and Social Sustainability (ICPS). https://conference.uii.ac.id/icps/article/view/36

Omaga, R. S. (2019). Early childhood teachers’ perspectives on play-based and music-integrated literacy instruction. Journal of Philippine Educational Research, 7(3), 102–117.

Paquette, K. R., & Rieg, S. A. (2008). Using music to support the literacy development of young English language learners. Early Childhood Education Journal, 36(3), 227–232. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-008-0277-9

Pascual, J. M. (2025). Developing Kindergarten learners’ phonemic awareness through contextualized play-based activities. Journal of Early Childhood Education Research, 10(2), 55–72.

Ramos, C. L., & Castillo, M. E. (2022). Music-assisted phonics instruction in rural public schools of Nueva Ecija. Central Luzon Education Research Review, 10(2), 67–81.

yes, J. P. (2024). Utilization of the phonics approach and reading skill levels in Filipino of Grade 2 learners: Foundation for an enhanced school reading program

Santos, M. L. (2024). Efficacy of the phonics song intervention approach on kindergarten reading proficiency in Sapangbato Elementary School

Sapangbato Elementary School. (2024). Phonics song intervention and its impact on pupils’ reading proficiency. Unpublished classroom-based research report.

Sasam, M. P., & Arazo, L. M. (2023). Using multimedia songs to develop phonemic awareness among kindergarten learners. Journal of Early Literacy Studies, 8(1), 23–38.

Standley, J. M. (2008). Does music instruction help children learn to read? Evidence of a meta-analysis. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 27(1), 17–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/8755123308322270

Tapic, L. C. (2024). Effectiveness of song-inspired instruction on vocabulary development of early grade pupils. Philippine Educational Research Journal, 12(4), 55–70.

Tierney, A., & Kraus, N. (2013). The ability to move to a beat is linked to the consistency of neural responses to sound. The Journal of Neuroscience, 33(38), 14981–14988. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0612-13.2013

Torgerson, C., Brooks, G., & Hall, J. (2019). Phonics instruction for reading: An overview of systematic reviews. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 607–631. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10648-019-09515-y

Trainor, L. J., & Corrigall, K. A. (2010). Music acquisition and effects of musical experience. In M. R. Jones, A. N. Popper, & R. R. Fay (Eds.), Music perception (pp. 89–127). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6114-3_4

Villanueva, F. G. (2024). Teachers’ experiences in implementing rhyming-based literacy programs in Pangasinan. Journal of Elementary Education in Practice, 4(2), 15–29.

Villanueva, B. O., & Bacani, M. R. (2024). Efficacy of the phonics song intervention approach on Kindergarten reading proficiency in Sapangbato Elementary School, School Year 2023–2024. Global Scientific Journal, 12(8).

Zuk, J., Benjamin, C., Kenyon, A., & Gaab, N. (2014). Behavioral and neural correlates of executive functioning in musicians and non-musicians. PLOS ONE, 9(6), e99868. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0099868

Zuniga, F., & Moore, S. (2021). The use of rhymes and jingles to improve phonemic awareness: A foundation for early childhood literacy development in Belize. International Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 21(3), 305–321.

Published

2026-07-30

Issue

Section

Articles