The development of Thai consonant reading and writing skills through brain-based learning integrated with Thai alphabet animated songs for early years students in multilingual classrooms at an international school

Abstract

The purposes of this research were: 1) to study the current instructional practices in teaching reading and writing Thai consonants for multilingual students in international schools; 2) to design a brain-based learning approach using Thai alphabet animation songs to enhance reading and writing skills among multilingual preschoolers; and 3) to examine the effectiveness of the instructional model by comparing students' performance with the 80 percent criterion after implementing the brain-based learning approach integrated with Thai alphabet animation songs. The population of this study consisted of 100 preschool students aged 3–6 years. The sample group included 60 students in Reception level during the 2024–2025 academic year. The research instruments included: 1) interview questions for Thai language teachers in international schools; 2) twenty brain-based instructional plans using Thai alphabet animation songs (20 hours in total); 3) seven original Thai alphabet animation songs; and 4) an assessment form for evaluating early childhood learners' skills in reading and writing Thai consonants. This study employed an exploratory mixed methods research design. Qualitative data were collected to explore concepts, understandings, and issues related to the phenomenon under study, which were then used to develop quantitative instruments. The data were analyzed using content analysis, means, standard deviation, and a one-sample t-test. The results showed that: 1) The current instructional practices in international schools revealed that teaching Thai language to multilingual students is highly contextualized. Teachers require instructional media that are appropriate for students who do not use Thai as their primary language. 2) The designed brain-based learning model using Thai alphabet animation songs was found to be appropriate and effective. The songs were created in an enjoyable rhythmic style and integrated with related hands-on activities, making the learning experience engaging and suitable for students with diverse language backgrounds. 3) The results of the instructional implementation showed that the students' average post-test scores significantly exceeded the 80 percent criterion at the .05 level of statistical significance (t = 3.616, df = 59, p < .05).