The Eskami Method

Early reading competence serves as a critical foundation for literacy development in the early years of schooling. This study explores the effectiveness of the ESKAMI approach—an instructional model encompassing spelling, syllables, words, sentences, and singing—in fostering initial reading proficiency among first-grade learners in Gowa Regency, Indonesia. The ESKAMI framework incorporates phonological and multisensory strategies that synergize cognitive, emotional, and musical dimensions to reinforce literacy acquisition. Employing a one-group pretest/posttest design, the intervention was implemented across six learning sessions involving 21 participants. Assessment procedures were adapted from the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), focusing on five key domains: phonological awareness, letter recognition, letter–sound correspondence, word reading, and oral reading fluency. Data analysis included normality testing, paired-samples t-tests, and effect size estimation using Cohen's d. Findings revealed a marked improvement in students' reading performance, with the mean score increasing from 79.76 (SD = 7.98) to 95.62 (SD = 4.50), t(20) = 13.59, p

Early childhood · Early literacy · Literacy · Phonics · Phonological awareness · Word recognition · Child Development and Education · Language Acquisition and Education · Reading and Literacy Development