Teachers’ Perspectives on The Efficacy of Jolly Phonics Chants for Promoting Reading Proficiency in Kindergarten Learners at Jumrus Witthaya School

This qualitative study investigated kindergarten teachers’ perspectives on the efficacy of Jolly Phonics chants in promoting reading proficiency among young learners at Jumrus Witthaya School in Thailand. Anchored in early literacy development and multisensory phonics instruction, the study sought to examine how teachers perceive the use of chants in supporting phonemic awareness, decoding skills, and learner engagement. A qualitative descriptive design was employed, involving nine kindergarten teachers selected through purposive sampling. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations, then analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and shared meanings across participants’ experiences. Findings revealed that teachers generally perceive Jolly Phonics chants as an engaging and developmentally appropriate instructional tool that enhances learners’ ability to recognize letter sounds, supports early blending skills, and increases participation and confidence. The rhythmic and repetitive nature of chants was identified as a key factor in strengthening memory retention and phonological processing. At the same time, teachers reported challenges related to learners’ short attention spans, first-language interference in pronunciation, and inconsistencies in implementation due to varying levels of teacher familiarity and training. To address these issues, participants employed strategies such as repetition, differentiation, multisensory reinforcement, and gradual progression from chanting to structured reading tasks. Taken together, the findings underscore the importance of teacher adaptability, structured phonics integration, and sustained professional support in maximizing the effectiveness of chantbased instruction in early literacy contexts