Upaya Guru dalam Mengatasi Kesulitan Pemahaman Membaca Siswa Kelas III di Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Istiqomah Al-Ulya Jalan Sei Mencirim Dusun II Payageli Kecamatan Sunggal

Abstract

This study investigates students’ reading comprehension difficulties and examines teachers’ instructional efforts to address these challenges in Grade Three at Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Istiqomah Al-Ulya, North Sumatra. Employing a qualitative research design, the study involved twenty-six students consisting of thirteen boys and thirteen girls. Data were collected through classroom observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation, and were analyzed using data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification techniques. The findings reveal that students encountered several significant obstacles in reading comprehension, including limited vocabulary recognition, difficulty connecting textual vocabulary with prior personal experiences, challenges in understanding sentence meaning holistically, and problems retaining the main ideas of the texts read. To respond to these difficulties, teachers implemented various pedagogical strategies, such as applying diverse and engaging instructional methods, utilizing interactive learning media, and adopting a multisensory approach that actively involves students’ visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses. These efforts were found to contribute positively to improving students’ reading comprehension skills. The study concludes that varied, interactive, and sensory-based instructional strategies play a crucial role in overcoming reading comprehension difficulties among elementary-level students in Islamic primary education contexts.