The Use of Tune-and-Action Strategy to Enhance the Alphabet Knowledge of Learners with Intellectual Disabilities in Self-Contained Classroom

Foundational alphabet knowledge is often acquired slowly by learners with intellectual disabilities, creating persistent barriers to decoding and later reading development. This study examined whether a tune-and-action strategy could enhance alphabet knowledge among learners with intellectual disabilities in a self-contained classroom. A quantitative single-group pretest-posttest design was used with 15 learners aged 7–12 years at Ozamiz City Central School during School Year 2025–2026. The teacher-administered, 40-item Alphabet Knowledge Test assessed letter recognition, sound production, uppercase-lowercase matching, and letter-sound association across five vowels and five continuous consonants. During regular literacy blocks, target letters were presented through repetitive tunes or chants, visual letter cards, and corresponding body movements. Mean total scores increased from 15.73 (SD = 5.01) to 24.33 (SD = 9.55), a statistically significant difference, t(14) = -4.646, p < .001; Cohen’s d_z = 1.20, with an estimated 95% CI for the mean gain of 4.63–12.57 points. Aggregate correct responses increased most in letter recognition (+53), followed by sound production (+35), letter-sound association (+27), and uppercase-lowercase matching (+14). Disability classification was significantly and inversely associated with posttest performance (rho = -.824, p < .001). The non-significant profile findings are statistically inconclusive because of the small sample and low power, not evidence of uniform effectiveness across learner groups; no multiplicity correction was applied. Exact Cronbach’s alpha, the three-expert content validity index, Wilcoxon signed-rank statistic, classification-disaggregated gain statistics, and intervention dosage could not be independently recomputed from the source manuscript because the learner-level dataset and validation/fidelity records were not included. The findings therefore support the strategy as promising but preliminary, with interpretation limited by the single-site, uncontrolled design and absence of delayed retention assessment.

Alphabet knowledge, Intellectual disabilities, Multisensory instruction, Special education, Tune-and-action strategy

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