Innovating Inclusive Literacy Instruction: Rethinking Single-Method Approaches for Learners with Diverse Abilities

Abstract

Reading instruction plays a crucial role in shaping learners’ academic achievement, language
development, and long-term cognitive outcomes. However, in many multilingual and low-resource
educational settings, teaching approaches remain dominated by a single method, often phonics-only
or comprehension-only approaches, that fail to meet the diverse needs of learners with varied
linguistic, cognitive, and socio-cultural backgrounds. This literature review aims to analyse the
challenges associated with single-method reading instruction and the essential need for multifaceted,
inclusive, and adaptive literacy frameworks. The study used a descriptive qualitative literature
review, drawing on national and international research from 2000 to 2025. A systematic search
identified 28 relevant studies, which were grouped and analysed using thematic synthesis. The themes
highlight that single-method instruction limits reading comprehension, excludes learners with
disabilities, and reduces learner engagement. Conversely, multifaceted approaches that integrate
phonics, guided reading, vocabulary development, bilingual instruction, sociocultural relevance, and
multimodal access lead to improved literacy outcomes, particularly for learners with disabilities and
multilingual learners. The review concludes that adopting multifaceted literacy instruction requires
stronger teacher training, improved curriculum design, and inclusive policy support.