Enhancing Thai EFL Primary Learners’ Word Reading Ability through Phonics Instruction

Reading words is essential to vocabulary and receptive and productive word recognition. Traditional English training in Thai elementary schools emphasizes memorization, which limits vocabulary expansion and decoding skills. This study aimed to investigate the effects of phonics instruction on Thai EFL primary learners’ English word reading ability and to examine learners’ attitudes toward phonics instruction in relation to their word reading development. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest with a non-equivalent control group was employed. 22 Thai first-grade EFL learners were separated into an experimental group (n = 12) that received phonics instruction and a control group (n = 11) that received traditional instruction for eight weeks. Descriptive statistics and independent- and paired-samples t-tests in SPSS were used to assess quantitative data from LSRT and WRT. Analyzing semi-structured interviews’ qualitative data with inductive thematic analysis. The quantitative results revealed that learners in the experimental group significantly outperformed those in the control group on both the LSRT and WRT in the posttest, with large effect sizes, indicating substantial improvements in letter–sound recognition and word reading ability. In contrast, gains in the control group were smaller and less consistent, particularly in productive word reading. The qualitative findings showed that learners developed generally positive emotional engagement toward phonics instruction. They reported increased confidence, enjoyment, and motivation in reading English words, despite some initial challenges related to cognitive load and pronunciation. The study recommends engaging phonics instruction for early primary English education to improve reading development and learner engagement for EFL teachers and curriculum designers.