<![CDATA[Background: Early reading was a critical foundation for children’s literacy development, particularly in helping them recognize the relationship between letters and sounds as the basis for decoding. Limited mastery of these early reading skills may increase the risk of reading difficulties, including dyslexia. Objectives: This study aimed to describe teachers’ profiles, knowledge, phonics teaching practices, and factors influencing the implementation of phonics in early reading instruction for children aged 6–7 years. Methods: This study used a quantitative approach with a descriptive design. The respondents were 35 teachers who taught children aged 6–7 years and were selected using purposive sampling. The instrument consisted of a teacher profile form and a checklist covering teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, phonics teaching practices, and factors influencing the implementation of phonics. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Most teachers have more than five years of teaching experience (69%); however, 53% have never attended phonics training and 86% have never attended early reading training. Teachers’ knowledge of phonics varies, with very low and low categories each accounting for 23%. Phonics teaching practices are also not optimal, as 43% of teachers are in the very low category. The main implementation barriers are the need for further phonics training and difficulties in teaching speech sounds. Conclusion: Phonics-based early reading instruction needs to be strengthened through practical teacher training, learning media, instructional guidelines, and early reading identification to support the prevention of reading difficulties and dyslexia risk. Keywords: Dyslexia Risk, Early Reading Instruction, Elementary School, Phonics Method, Teacher Practice.]]>
