This study aims to develop and validate the effectiveness of gamification approaches in enhancing the word recognition ability of grade one learners at Bugtongbato Elementary School for the School Year 2024–2025. It employed the Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology. Following the administration of a diagnostic test, six least-mastered competencies were identified, prompting the researcher to address these gaps through gamification strategies. To target these specific areas, six gamified activities were developed to help struggling learners master the competencies. Prior to implementing the gamified approaches, learners’ pre-test scores fell under the low-level performance category, indicating a significant problem with their word recognition skills. However, after exposure to gamified instruction, learners achieved very high performance in the post-test. These results suggest that gamification is an effective strategy for improving the word recognition ability of grade one learners.