<![CDATA[Phonological awareness, the ability to notice and manipulate the sound units of spoken language, is one of the strongest foundations of early reading. In Indonesian early childhood education, however, pre-reading activities often move quickly to letter drills, while the oral sound play that prepares children for letters receives less systematic attention. Islamic early childhood education (PIAUD) already possesses rich oral traditions, including Islamic children’s songs, rhymes and the rhythmic recitation of prayers, which could serve this purpose. This study aims to formulate a developmental framework for building Indonesian phonological awareness through Islamic songs, rhymes and syllable play for children aged 5–6 years. Using an integrative literature review design, it applies thematic analysis to international research on phonological awareness, reading acquisition across orthographies, music and phonological development, and bilingual literacy, together with recent studies published in this journal. The review yields four findings: phonological awareness predicts later reading across languages; the transparent orthography and simple syllable structure of Indonesian make syllable awareness a natural entry point; music and rhythm support phonological awareness, especially for larger sound units; and play-based, meaningful activities sustain young children’s engagement. The study proposes a four-level progression from word and rhyme, to syllable, to initial sound and phoneme, and finally to letters and reading. It contributes a practical framework for PIAUD teachers and recommends empirical testing through classroom action research and quasi-experimental designs.]]>
