What Makes Children Read Fluently? Expert Consensus in Developing the KeBaL Model for Malaysian Preschools

Reading skills developed during the preschool years provide an important foundation for later academic learning, with oral reading fluency (ORF) recognised as a key indicator of successful reading development. Despite its recognised importance, preschool teachers continue to face challenges in implementing systematic oral reading fluency instruction. This study aimed to develop the KeBaL Model (Model Strategi Pengajaran Kelancaran Bacaan Lisan Bahasa Melayu Prasekolah) by obtaining expert consensus on its proposed components and elements.
The study adopted the Design and Development Research (DDR) approach and reports the findings of Phase Two (Design and Development). A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) involving nine experts identified six key themes related to oral reading fluency instruction. These themes were synthesised and mapped to the Sequential–Iterative Model (SIM) and Direct Instruction (DI) to develop the proposed KeBaL Model. The proposed model was subsequently evaluated by 15 experts using the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM). Data were analysed using the established Fuzzy Delphi acceptance criteria: threshold value (d ≤ 0.20), expert consensus (≥70%), and defuzzification score (A ≥ 0.50). The expert panel reached consensus on five learning objectives, three oral reading fluency elements (accuracy, reading rate, and prosody), seven reading content elements, seven teaching strategies, and three oral reading fluency assessment elements. One proposed reading content element, extensive reading, was rejected because it did not satisfy the established acceptance criteria. The accepted components and elements collectively form the KeBaL Model, a teaching strategies model that provides systematic guidance for planning, implementing, and assessing oral reading fluency instruction in Bahasa Melayu preschool classrooms. Future research should examine the classroom implementation and effectiveness of the KeBaL Model in improving children's oral reading fluency.

Oral reading fluency; preschool education; KeBaL Model; Design and Development Research

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