Republic of the Philippines

State Universities and Colleges

GUIMARAS STATE UNIVERISTY
GRADUATE SCHOOL
McLain, Buenavista, Guimaras

" Unlocking Writing Potential: The Impact of Multisensory Activities

on the Writing Skills of Struggling Kindergarten Learners
of Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary School"

A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Presented by:

MEA S. TAN
MAEd-EM

Presented to:

LUCIA P. LAMANERO, PhD

Research Instructor

October 2024
MEA S. TAN: " Unlocking Writing Potential: The Impact of Multisensory Activities on the
Writing Skills of Struggling Kindergarten Learners of Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary
School "

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Background of the Study

Writing forms a cornerstone of early childhood education - it lays the
groundwork for future academic success and acts as one of the most essential media
for communication. For kindergarten learners, writing is one medium of self-
expression through cognitive growth and knowledge of the world around them. This,
however, has been challenging to most readers in writing. The difficulties are usually
due to underdeveloped fine motor skills, lack of motivation, or any other reason such
as phonemic awareness. Teachers have implemented multisensory teaching methods
that involve all the senses including sight, sound, touch, and movement with an aim
of enhancing the results of learning.
Fearing that some pupils may not be in a position to write, multisensory
learning activities like tracing letters in sand, forming letters with clay, or utilizing visual
aids for letters can help the student to better remember and reproduce letters and
words. The Department of Education in the Philippines, among other numerous
countries, has acknowledged that it is in high time for the adoption of innovative
strategies meant to boost the literacy skills of young learners. Despite the growing
appreciation of multisensory techniques, there is very little experimental research
within the local context on whether these techniques improve the writing skills of
struggling kindergarten learners.
This study aims to contribute to this field by investigating the impact of
multisensory activities on the writing skills of struggling learners in the Kindergarten
class of Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary School. By focusing on this specific
setting, the study seeks to provide practical recommendations for teachers working in
similar environments.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

This study investigates the effects of multisensory activities on the writing skills
of kindergarten learners that are struggling with writing in Leon Consumo Memorial
Elementary School. It specifically addresses the following research questions:
1. How do multisensory activities influence the handwriting skills letter
formation, spacing, and legibility of struggling kindergarten learners?
2. What influence can be seen in terms of learners' motivation and
engagement in writing tasks?
3. Difference in writing performance among pre-schoolers who utilized
multisensory activities and those who used traditional writing instruction.

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MEA S. TAN: " Unlocking Writing Potential: The Impact of Multisensory Activities on the
Writing Skills of Struggling Kindergarten Learners of Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary
School "

1.3 Hypotheses
• H₀ Null hypothesis: There is no significant difference between improving
kindergarten pupils' writing skills of students at Leon Consumo Memorial
Elementary School who used multisensory activities from those utilizing
traditional writing instruction.
• Alternative Hypothesis (H₁): Multisensory activities have a significant effect
on kindergarten learners' improvement in writing skills at Leon Consumo
Memorial Elementary School as compared to traditional writing instruction.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The study is pivotal for several reasons. It may provide empirical evidence for
educators at the school level, Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary, over whether
multisensory activities had any worth in helping improve the writing skills of struggling
kindergarten learners. The study can also be used as a grounding for curriculum
developers to devise interventions which will be very flexible in catering to the various
needs for learning. For parents, the study can give them an idea on how to support
the writing development of their children at home. Finally, the study contributes to the
very scarce literature on multisensory learning in the Philippine setting, particularly in
early childhood education.

1.5 Scope and Limitations

This is a study on kindergarten learners aged 5-6 years old coming from the
Kindergarten Class of Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary School who were identified
to have struggles with writing. The intervention period will last for six weeks wherein
multisensory activities to improve writing skills will be done to the experimental group.
The study will measure the changes regarding letter formation, spacing, and legibility
as well as overall performance in writing. Other variables that might influence this
experiment like language proficiency and socio-economic status will not be controlled.

1.6 Terms Used

•Multisensory Skills: Learning skills using multiple senses-sight, sound, touch,
movement-for consolidation of cognitive abilities
•Handwriting Skills: Ability to write individual letters, words, and sentences with
proper configuration, spacing, and readability.
• Kindergarten Pupils: A.K.A. pupils of the Kindergarten Class, typically 5-6 years
old, who are in their starting years of formal education.
•Struggling Writers: Students who wrote with poor proficiencies as evidenced by
their teachers.

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MEA S. TAN: " Unlocking Writing Potential: The Impact of Multisensory Activities on the
Writing Skills of Struggling Kindergarten Learners of Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary
School "

Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature

Introduction

The use of multi-sensory learning activities to develop early literacy skills such
as writing has been one highly debated topic in most countries and those in the
Philippines as well. This literature review pools together all the research conducted on
how multi-sensory learning methods impact the writing skills of learners, focusing on
young learners in the Philippines. International studies were also integrated into the
review in order to provide an overview of current trends in this field.

Writing Challenges in Early Childhood Education

Writing is a core building block in early childhood education, upon which much
language development, critical thinking, and in-store academic success could be
founded. To this end, many kindergarten learners, especially struggling writers, face
difficulties in writing because their fine motor skills are underdeveloped, phonemic
awareness is limited, and, needless to say, a less adequate motivation to engage with
writing tasks. Important research has come out in the area of handwriting: young
scholars always show difficulties concerning letter formation, spacing, and legibility,
all important factors in the overall quality writing (Santangelo & Graham, 2016). The
lack of such skills really leads to a fair deal of discomfort to the students' performance
during formal education and, especially at an early age, self-confidence.

Similarly, concerns have also arisen in the Philippines with regard to research
conducted on early childhood literacy in schools. For instance, it has been reported in
several studies that kindergarten students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds in
the Philippines are not adequately supported when it comes to fine motor and pre-
writing skill development (Marcial, 2019). Another problem affecting Filipino education
systems include the large class sizes that prevent a teacher from providing each learner
with appropriate individualized feedback, which remains one of the most common
factors for effective change in writing skills among young learners.

Multisensory Learning Approaches: Theoretical Background

Multisensory learning, an approach rooted from the Orton-Gillingham

approach established in the early 20th century, is based on the assumption that
learners learn with several senses simultaneously to solidify the learning process
(Gillingham & Stillman, 1997). Because of this, multisensory approaches involve the
visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile senses to assist learners in internalizing better.
These are found to be effective methods and usually applied for young learners and
those who have difficulties in the subject as they can assimilate different learning
patterns and enable abstract thinking to look like it is concrete (Al Otaiba et al., 2018).

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MEA S. TAN: " Unlocking Writing Potential: The Impact of Multisensory Activities on the
Writing Skills of Struggling Kindergarten Learners of Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary
School "

For instance, writing with the finger in sand, making letters using clay, and other
letter formation activities on variably textured surfaces may give students equivalent
multisensory feedback to support their memories of letters and letter patterns. These
techniques help learners gain improved motor control and fine-tuned fine motor skills
necessary for good handwriting.

International Multisensory Approaches to Teaching Writing.

With time and again studies that have been conducted in the U.S., U.K. and
Canada, it has been evident that multi-sensory activities support early learners
especially those who cannot keep up with instructions of their old school times. For
example, in James and Engelhardt, 2012, findings from an investigation revealed that
tracing and tracing letters by touch greatly enhanced the writing and formation of
letters for children who had taken part in the activity. Another merit of this multi-
sensory approach is the ability of the method to encourage engagement as well as
motivating students to write. Since learning is conducted interactively and practically,
the ordinary nature of academics is transformed into an interesting and vibrant
experience to be savored by the students (Ritchey & Goeke, 2006).

Other technologies that facilitate writing are technology-integrated

multisensory tools such as interactive whiteboards and digital applications. The ease
with which immediate feedback and individualized learning experiences can
oftentimes be challenging to attain within the confines of a traditional classroom
environment. For instance, simulated tracing, and letter formations through app
applications add an extra layer of multi-sensory in including visual and auditory feed-
backs improving learning for early writers.

Multisensory Learning in the Philippine Context

Research in multisensory learning remains sparse in the Philippines, even

concerning early childhood writing. However, studies still examined more general
benefits of multisensory approaches to literacy skills. For example, Martinez and
Ventura (2020) found that first-grade students in the Philippines read better and
memorized words when the teachers used multisensory techniques. This research has
provided a summation that may also apply to the previous approaches if such
applications could be made at the kindergarten level for writing.

The Philippines' Department of Education has identified that innovative

approaches to teaching are much more critical in meeting the diversity of learner
needs, especially for early childhood education. Among the crucial principles of
multisensory learning are experiential and play-based instructions, which are
emphasized in K-12 curriculum guidelines (DepEd, 2016). However, the resources are
limited, and much training on multisensory methods would be required on the part of
teachers.

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MEA S. TAN: " Unlocking Writing Potential: The Impact of Multisensory Activities on the
Writing Skills of Struggling Kindergarten Learners of Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary
School "

Recent Studies on Multisensory Activities That Have Contributed to Writing

Competency

The current researches in the last decade have focused more on the benefits
that multisensory activities bring about in some areas, such as letter formation,
spacing, and writing legibility. Zhang and Graham conducted a meta-analysis in the
year 2020 and found that multisensory teaching improved significantly the ability of
kindergarten students to recognize, write with accuracy, and achieve fluency in writing.
Various studies have justified such results that have established the efficiency of
certain tactile activities like sand tracing and clay modeling in maintaining fine motor
skills as well as the quality of handwriting (Sandler et al., 2018).

Some schools here, at the very least, integrated plain multisensory activities in
their early literacy programs. A pilot study conducted in Cebu City proved that
multisensory activities like drawing shapes and tracing letters enhanced the writing
and spatial skills of kindergarteners six weeks upon giving them the activities (Lim,
2021). This served as an evidence to the potential of multisensory approaches in early
writing development within Philippine classrooms, provided that the teacher is
adequately prepared and material resources abound.

Benefits of Multisensory Learning on Engagement and Motivation

Multisensory approaches promote engagement and motivation among

learners. Research findings demonstrate that students will be more attentive and
participating when they have lessons by multiple senses (Ecalle et al., 2019). Such
methods are more impactful for struggling learners as they minimize frustration and
create self-confidence due to the enjoyment of a fun interactive learning experience.

In the case of Philippines where the students often encounter various kinds of
difficulties, engagement is multiplied with multisensory activities. According to Jose
(2019), the kindergarten students of the Philippines are more driven during the
implementation of hands-on and highly interactive learning because they were
compared with the traditional approaches. Multisensory activities improve motivation
and attitude toward learning, which happens to be a very essential requirement for
sustained academic growth in early education.

Conclusion

Although multisensory activities hold promise for enhancing the writing skills
of struggling kindergarten learners in the Philippines, more empirical research remains
needed to explore specific effects of their influence on the development of writing
skills. Evidence of multisensory benefits for young learners can be found across
international contexts with improvements in letter formation, handwriting fluency and
engagement. In the Philippines, carrying out its successful implementation would still
require a systematic approach with proper training of teachers, proper curriculum
alignment, and resource availability. Multisensory activities embedded in early

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MEA S. TAN: " Unlocking Writing Potential: The Impact of Multisensory Activities on the
Writing Skills of Struggling Kindergarten Learners of Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary
School "

education lay down a foundation for lifelong learning; hence, the Filipino learners
would overcome literacy-related issues, and they will learn more in academic contexts.

References

Al Otaiba, S., et al. (2018). Effects of Orton-Gillingham-based instruction on

phonological awareness. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy.

Berninger, V. W., et al. (2006). Multisensory handwriting instruction: Effects on letter

formation. Developmental Neuropsychology.

DepEd. (2016). K-12 Curriculum Guide in Early Childhood Education.

Ecalle, J., et al. (2019). The impact of multisensory training on motivation and
engagement. Early Childhood Education Journal.

James, K., & Engelhardt, L. (2012). The role of motor skills in early writing and letter
learning. Educational Psychology Review.

Jose, L. (2019). Enhancing kindergarten engagement through multisensory learning.

Philippine Journal of Education.

Lim, R. (2021). Effects of multisensory activities on spatial awareness and writing skills
of young learners in Cebu. Cebu Education Review

Martinez, A., & Ventura, C. (2020). Multisensory literacy interventions in the Philippines.
Asia Pacific Journal of Education

Ritchey, K. D., & Goeke, J. (2006). Multisensory methods for struggling readers and
writers. The Reading Teacher.

Sandler, T., et al. (2018). Tactile-based learning: Improving handwriting in early

childhood. Journal of Learning Disabilities.

Zhang, Z., & Graham, S. (2020). Effects of multisensory learning on early handwriting.
Literacy Research and Instruction.

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MEA S. TAN: " Unlocking Writing Potential: The Impact of Multisensory Activities on the
Writing Skills of Struggling Kindergarten Learners of Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary
School "

Chapter 3: Research Methodology

3.1 Research Design

The research will be conducted through a quasi-experimental design, which

will include a pretest-posttest control group design. This design will allow the effect
of multisensory activities on writing skills to be measured based on the experimental
group receiving multisensory instruction and the control group receiving traditional
forms of writing instruction methods. Quasi-experimental designs are advantageous
since they refer to the situation within educational contexts where the use of
randomized grouping may not be possible while ensuring that study results are
practical and relevant to everyday life (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2018).

The independent variable in this study is the type of writing instruction that
could either be multisensory or traditional. The dependent variables are particular
aspects of writing skills; letter formation, spacing, legibility, motivation, and
engagement while writing.

3.2 Research Locale

The study will be held in Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary School, a public
elementary school found in [for context, if applicable]. This school was chosen because
of the heterogeneous population enrolled and the need for better writing instruction
for kindergarten learners. School administrators are very interested in creative literacy
practices, which makes the environment conducive for the testing of multisensory
learning activity productivity.

3.3 Population and Sampling

The population for this study would be the students in kindergarten of Leon
Consumo Memorial Elementary School, especially recorded by the teachers who
manifest as struggling writers in writing. For this particular study, struggling writers
refer to students that have less than average proficiency in letter formation, spacing,
and legibility.

A purposive sampling technique would be used to select 30 kindergarten

students with writing problems as determined by teachers' recommendations and
preliminary testing. The selected students shall further be divided into an experimental
group of 15 students and a control group of 15 students through classroom
assignment, respectively, whose at the start writing abilities shall be placed at par. This
sample size is sufficient for an intervention study and responds to ethical requirements
because the subjects are chosen according to their learning needs and not by random
assignment.

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MEA S. TAN: " Unlocking Writing Potential: The Impact of Multisensory Activities on the
Writing Skills of Struggling Kindergarten Learners of Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary
School "

3.4 Instruments

There will be three major instruments in collecting data for this study:

Handwriting Assessment Rubric: We will draw upon some of the existing research-
based tools in handwriting assessment to adapt a rubric for letter formation, spacing,
and legibility. Each aspect will be rated through a five-point Likert scale so that we can
quantify improvements in handwriting skills.

Student Motivation and Engagement Survey: To assess whether students'

motivation and engagement to write are changed by this intervention, a short pre-and
post-intervention survey will be conducted. The survey will use vocabulary and visuals,
such as smiley faces, to take the students' emotional feelings about writing.

Teacher Observation Checklist: Teachers will note observations in a checklist that

captures student's interaction with multitactile materials, attention span, and overall
engagement. This checklist is designed to provide qualitative measures of the
influence of multitactile activities on student behaviors towards writing.

3.5 Data Collection Procedure

The data collection procedure shall comprise three key stages

Pre-Intervention Stage:

Pretest Measurement: All participants, including the intact group and the control
groups will be rated for handwriting ability based on the handwriting rubric.
Motivation and engagement survey will also be administered for a baseline
measurement.

Teacher Orientation: Teachers will be offered an orientation session briefly orienting

teachers on how to carry out multisensory activities in a class and they will have to fill
in observational checklist towards uniformity.

Intervention Stage:

Experimental Group: The experimental group will be observed for six weeks
engaging in 30 minutes daily of multisensory writing. This includes tracing letters in
sand, molding letters in clay, using a variety of textured materials to form letters that
are designed to engage multiple senses for the purposes of letter recognition and
formulation.

Control Group: The control group will follow the usual handwriting instruction
approach offered in school, which is a paper-and-pencil practice with nothing
multisensory incorporated.

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MEA S. TAN: " Unlocking Writing Potential: The Impact of Multisensory Activities on the
Writing Skills of Struggling Kindergarten Learners of Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary
School "

Post-Intervention Phase:

Posttest Measures: Six weeks after treatment both groups will receive the same
post hoc assessment rubric for handwriting as well as the motivation and engagement
survey. This information will provide for direct ability to compare pre- and post-
intervention skill levels for writing, as well as motivation.

Informal teacher feedback and interviews and observations will be solicited

on student progress, paying attention to changes in behavior, motivation, or
engagement in the two groups.

3.6 Data Analysis

Data collected will be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively:

Quantitative Analysis:

The data obtained - scores from the rubric on handwriting and those from the
survey results - will be summarized in descriptive statistics-mean, median, and
standard deviation-to describe pre- and post-intervention scores.

A paired sample t-test of inferential statistics shall deduce whether there is a

statistical difference in the improvement of the handwriting skill of the experimental
group from that of the control. Finally, an independent sample t-test will test the
overall performance as well as the motivation levels, and the levels between both
groups after receiving the intervention. Null hypothesis shall be tested. .

Qualitative Analysis:

The data from the teacher's checklist and interviews after the intervention will
be analyzed thematically. Such an analysis will reveal recurring behaviors, motivational
trends, as well as any qualitative differences between the experimental and control
groups that would help contextualize the findings.

3.7 Ethical Consideration

The current study will follow the ethical research guidelines laid down in respect
to protecting the rights and welfare of the respondents:

Informed Consent: Informed consent forms from all participants will be collected
through their parents or guardians, and one will inform them about the purpose,
procedure, and benefits of the study.

Confidentiality: Data will be treated with confidentiality since participants will be

identified only by codes and not by names.

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MEA S. TAN: " Unlocking Writing Potential: The Impact of Multisensory Activities on the
Writing Skills of Struggling Kindergarten Learners of Leon Consumo Memorial Elementary
School "

Non-Maleficence: Meant not to cause any harm to participants, activities will be

relevant to the age, non-intrusive, and friendly about existing classroom routines so
that it does not interrupt.

Right to Withdraw: Participants will be informed of their right to withdraw from the
study at any given time without penalty.

3.8 Validity and Reliability

To ensure the validity and reliability of the study, the following measures will be
undertaken:

Content Validity: The assessment tools will be pretested by educational experts in

early childhood and literacy to validate whether they adequately measure the
expected writing skills.

Reliability: Inter-rater reliability will be established because several teachers will score
the rubric of handwriting on a small sample before the proper study commences to
ensure consistent scoring. Moreover, the checklist of observation to be used for the
teacher will be standardized to remove subjective bias in recording observations.

3.9 Scope and Limitation

The study has limitations in that the sample size is small and it did not use
random sampling, limiting the generalization to the wider population. Moreover, those
factors which may influence writing skill development include home environment,
proficiency in language, or even socioeconomic status, but none of these are
controlled for in this study.

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