The The Effect of Read-Act-Tell Strategy in Early Childhood Care and Development

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of the Read–Act–Tell (RAT) strategy in enhancing the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) of preschool pupils at Sir Arthur E. Cooper Elementary School. The RAT strategy integrates three stages—reading stories, dramatizing events, and retelling narratives—to foster comprehension, creativity, and communication skills. Grounded in Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, the strategy emphasizes active, play-based, and socially mediated learning experiences that are developmentally appropriate for young learners. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was employed, involving 44 preschool pupils assessed across multiple developmental domains: gross and fine motor skills, self-help skills, receptive and expressive language, cognitive development, and socio-emotional growth. Standardized ECCD checklists and classroom observation tools validated by the Department of Education were used to measure progress. Results revealed significant improvements in language comprehension, expressive communication, and socio-emotional interaction, alongside notable gains in cognitive and motor development. The findings demonstrate that the RAT strategy is an effective pedagogical approach for bridging literacy gaps among preschool learners, particularly those struggling with reading and self-expression despite prior exposure to early childhood programs. By combining storytelling, dramatization, and retelling, the strategy nurtures imagination, confidence, collaboration, and holistic growth. This study underscores the importance of integrating interactive, multimodal strategies into preschool instruction to strengthen literacy foundations, promote school readiness, and support the broader goals of quality early childhood education.