ENGLISH FRANCA: Academic Journal of English Language and Education Vol. 6, No. 1, 2022, IAIN Curup P-ISSN 2580-3670, E-ISSN 2580-3689 DOI: 10.29240/ef.v6i1.4210 Using A Cognitive Therapy to Enhance Slow Learners’ Competence: Teacher’s Strategy Rabi’atun Adawiyah Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara rabiatunadawiyah@uinsu.ac.id Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara sholihatulhamidah@uinsu.ac.id ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to look at the capacity of slow learners in elementary school to improve their memory using cognitive therapy. The study was carried out at SDLB Gunung Louser Gayo Lues, the key organizer of inclusion. This study's sample consisted of pupils who are classified as slow learners among children with special needs (slow learners). This study's sample size was 20 students. In qualitative research, data is collected in natural settings and from original sources. More participatory observation (participatory observation), in-depth interviews (in-depth interviews), and recording are used in data collecting procedures. In addition, data collection techniques in qualitative research can also be done by recording data in intensive field notes. Based on the results of data analysis, it was found that there were differences in children's memory abilities before being given therapy with after being given therapy to slow learner children in elementary school. So the hypothesis proposed is that there is a difference in children's memory abilities before being given therapy with after being given therapy to slow learner children in elementary school children. Keywords: The ability of memory, cognitive therapy, slow learner INTRODUCTION Every human being can remember, but each individual will have different memory abilities (individual differences). In this process, the incoming stimulation is stored in memory, but not all incoming stimuli are stored in memory. This of course depends on how much a person's attention to the stimulus received by the individual. The memory mailto:rabiatunadawiyah@uinsu.ac.id mailto:sholihatulhamidah@uinsu.ac.id 20 | ENGLISH FRANCA, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2022 process will take place when there is attention from the individual to a stimulus. Individuals will have attention to light, sound, smell, physical contact with other people and certain objects, and other visual forms. The existence of the ability to remember in humans shows that humans can store and reproduce what they have experienced. What has been experienced by humans is stored in the process of thinking and if one day it is needed again then what has been stored will be reappeared. But not everything that has been experienced will remain embedded in his memory and can be brought back because memory is a limited ability. Furthermore, Santrock, J.W. (2008) states that when it comes to memory, it will be different between individuals. Sooner or later a person enters what is learned is a memory property related to the ability to enter. The amount of material that can be memorized or can be entered so that it can be recalled is part of the memory span of the individual. Slow learners have been alluded to in international literature using various terms, such as slow learners Borah (2013) and low achievers. In the learning process, the most decisive thing is the memory ability of students, because most of the school lessons are remembered. Remembering plays an important role in everyday life. However, what is more, important in the role of the learning process is the ability of students to reproduce the knowledge they have received, for example during an exam, students must reproduce the knowledge and understanding gained during the lesson. This will be seen in children who have learning difficulties in the criteria of slow learners (slow learners). These children will have difficulty remembering, as revealed in research. Based on the results of the identification of learning disabilities in elementary school children, most of the children experience a slow learner condition. To get an improvement in the lives of children who have learning disorders can occur if (1) the introduction of the nature of the disorder is so complex (cognitive, biological, and social aspects are considered) and (2) a more precise analysis of the child's learning environments have a learning disorder. Based on the description presented, the researcher put forward the hypothesis that there is a difference in memory abilities in children after being given cognitive therapy for slow learners’ children. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Learning is a necessary but difficult process that one must pursue throughout one's life. Change is unavoidable in the education industry, Rabi’atun Adawiyah & Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay: Using A Cognitive Therapy to Enhance Slow Learners’ Competence: Teacher’s Strategy-21 just as it is in any other field. In the educational world, educators also have an important role. Educators serve as the controller and decision- makers in the teaching and learning process. They are responsible for the success of the teaching and learning process. From the way the teacher teaches their students to the way, the teacher manages their pupils in class (Apriani, 2017). While educators have praised technology advancements, many schools continue to promote the traditional one- size-fits-all educational method. The disadvantage of this approach is that not all students can acclimatize to a rigorous and fast-paced learning environment. As a result, there is a gap between their true potential and their performance level, and these children are characterized as slow learners. Contrary to common assumption, slow learning is not a learning disorder. It refers to a student who may master all academic abilities more slowly than the average student. A slow learner requires more time, repetition, and resources from teachers in order to succeed. These students do not have intellectual disabilities, but they take longer to learn and comprehend topics. Parental and teacher criticism should be avoided at all costs. These negative comments impair children's learning by instilling in them the belief that they are incapable of learning. To accommodate students' ability to remember the lessons given not only use lectures which some students will have difficulty with, especially for children who experience learning barriers such as slow learners, for we need learning methods and methods that prioritize aspects of learning that are fun but without aware that children are brought to active and creative learning patterns so that children's psychological development can develop, especially for children who are slow learners (Sugianto, et. al, 2021). The approach to learning through behavior change should be explained through observable experience. Behavior is described as everything that is done and seen directly by students that will affect mental processes in children. The learning process carried out can be in the form of associative learning when children associate or associate pleasant events with learning at school so that they make children more active in managing their cognitive and psychomotor development. Thus the learning process by doing cognitive treatment can stimulate the ability of children who are slow to learn to develop their memory skills, so that children's abilities no longer experience delays in receiving lessons, especially in remembering lessons. The goal of this study was to see how 22 | ENGLISH FRANCA, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2022 cognitive therapy affected the memory skills of slow learner children in elementary school. By holding this research is expected to provide benefits, namely: (1) Broaden the knowledge of psychological theory, especially related to memory and cognition problems; (2) Improve children's memory skills, and slow learners, through cognitive therapy; (3) Can provide input to the world of education on methods and models of effective learning. The ability to accept what has been experienced by the individual is the ability to think and the ability to remember. People can remember an event, then it is stored and the event is brought back, which is a process of remembering. Memory is the ability of the soul to learn (learning), retain (retention), and bring back (remember) the things of the past. Quick memory means it is easy to memorize something without encountering difficulty. Faithful memory is what has been received will be stored properly, and will not change, so it remains under the circumstances when it was received. Strong memory means that it can keep an impression for a long time, it is not easy to forget. Large memory means that it can store many impressions. Ready memory means that it is easy to reproduce the impression it has received. From the description above, it can be stated that memory is a process of the individual's ability to receive input and then record or store in the mind and re-create things that have been remembered. There are several types of people who receive a stimulus, namely: 1. Visual type, namely the person will be faster to receive external stimuli by looking at objects. 2. Audio type, namely people will more quickly receive stimuli from outside by listening to the object. 3. Textual type, namely people will more quickly receive stimuli from outside by touching the object. 4. Mixed type, namely people are faster in receiving the stimulus through a combination of the three types above. Divide memories based on the length of time the stimulus can be reappeared, namely: 1. Short Term Memory (Short Term Memory). Short-term memory (short time memory) is a storage system that can store a limited amount of information for a few seconds. This is the part of memory, where the information that is now a thought is stored. A person's mind consciously on some events will persist in short-term memory. When a person stops thinking about something, the information will be removed from memory. Rabi’atun Adawiyah & Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay: Using A Cognitive Therapy to Enhance Slow Learners’ Competence: Teacher’s Strategy-23 2. Long Term Memory. Long-term memory is part of a person's memory system, where information is stored for long periods. Long- term memory has a large capacity, storing information for a very long time. Many theories hold that individuals never forget information in long-term memory; rather, the individual simply loses the ability to locate information in memory. Investigating memory provides several methods for researching memory problems, namely; 1. The learning time method is a method to investigate memory skills by seeing the extent of the time required by the subject to master the material well. 2. Relearning Method, which is a method to investigate memory by relearning material that has reached certain criteria. 3. The reconstruction method is a method in which the subject is asked to reconstruct the material that has been given to certain criteria. For example, the subject reconstructs the arrangement of images that have been cut into pieces. 4. The introduction method is a method of recognizing the material that has been given to the subject. The subject is given a material then to find out how far the material can be remembered, it is given a multiple-choice form to choose the right one. 5. The remembering method is a method for recalling the material that has been given. For example, the subject is asked to answer questions in the form of an essay or an essay. 6. Paired association method, which is a method for remembering the materials given in pairs, is intended to determine the ability to remember the given stimulus pair. By knowing the method used to investigate a person's memory ability, it will be easier to research a person's memory ability. Ivan Pavlov, a Russian psychologist, was the first to suggest classical conditioning. This is a sort of learning in classical conditioning in which an organism learns to associate or associate a stimulus. Neutral stimuli are connected with meaningful stimuli in classical conditioning and stimulate the potential to elicit the same reaction. To comprehend classical conditioning theory, one must first comprehend two types of stimuli and two types of responses: unconditioned stimulus (US), unconditioned response (UR), conditioned stimulus (CS), and conditioned response (CR) (Santrock, 2008). Operant conditioning was 24 | ENGLISH FRANCA, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2022 first proposed by Skinner. Operant conditioning is a form of learning in which the consequences of behavior result in changes in the probability data of the behavior to be repeated. Cognitive therapy is done by stimulating a person's behavior. According to Santrock (2008), applied behavior is the application of operant conditioning principles to change human behavior. There are three important applied behaviors in the field of education, namely: 1) increasing desired behavior, 2) using encouragement and formation, 3) and reducing unwanted behavior. He further suggested strategies to improve the expected behavior of children, namely 1) choosing effective reinforcement, 2) making reinforcement continuous and timely, 3) choosing the best reinforcement schedule, 4) and using negative reinforcement effectively. There are four skills to improve student learning, namely: listening, planning, working, and checking. According to Meichenbaum, in modifying cognitive behavior, students can be taught how to use self- instruction, this can be done by including dialogue and interaction between teachers and students, modeling, motivational strategies, feedback, and task alignment according to student development. The challenges faced by slow learners Schools are typically of physical age to guarantee equal growth and are built on the assumption that students of the same grade level have the same intelligence, aptitude, and potential. Simultaneously, the curriculum is often overburdened and tough, making it impossible for the system to appropriately adjust to the growth of individual children. It also admits the general inadequacies of the educational pedagogical method. As a result, it was recognized very early on that poor prior preparation of pupils to learn to read was the main cause of learning problems in later grades, Wray and Medwell (2019). Aside from school- related variables, racial, ethnic, social, economic, linguistic, and civil law inequalities, as well as student family circumstances, were limited to their sluggish growth in school. Accountable for success. Students from poor circumstances, for example, frequently lack access to formal school instruction, as well as learning tools and constructive interactions that may help them develop their thinking abilities. However, underline that the problem is readily rectified by determining the source of the delayed learning and taking necessary action. The purpose of regular classroom learning is to acquire new abilities based on previously taught principles. When the bulk of the pupils learns at a higher rate, the slow learner is likely to fall behind. This results in a knowledge gap in basic concepts and skills, as well as Rabi’atun Adawiyah & Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay: Using A Cognitive Therapy to Enhance Slow Learners’ Competence: Teacher’s Strategy-25 decreased understanding ability across a broad range of academic disciplines. A child who is sluggish to learn has not just academic but also social and personal difficulties. They struggle to connect with other kids their age and are usually excluded from extracurricular activities, sports, and other activities. This aggravates the issue since they are more prone to suffer worry and, as a result, have a negative self-image. They may feel less than others as a result of their inability to keep up with their classmates' learning rates. This will have an impact on their self-esteem and confidence. There are several methods for assisting a youngster who is a slow learner. Here are a few techniques that have been shown to aid slow learners: 1. Praise and rewards: For sluggish learners, praise and rewards work miracles. It is critical to recognize even the slightest victory and provide rewards for each milestone to encourage them to continue learning. 2. Create realistic expectations and smaller goals: As a parent or instructor, you must understand what is achievable for your child and create objectives appropriately. 3. Encourage slow learners to learn from their mistakes: Slow learners should be encouraged to make errors and learn from them. They should be encouraged to discover and learn at their own pace until they reach their objectives. Parents and teachers should be vocal in their support for their children and teach them through speech tasks that are appropriate for their level of competence. 4. Encourage peer tutoring: One of the most successful solutions for sluggish students is peer tutoring. Slow learners should be encouraged to study in groups by their parents and teachers. The more a youngster interacts with peers his or her own age, the more confident he or she becomes. 5. Encourage multiple intelligence: It is critical to support the child if he or she has an interest in a co-curricular activity. This enhances their self-esteem, and they begin to feel accepted in society. 6. Encourage oral communication and interaction: It is important to encourage slow learners to speak up. Parents should inquire about their children's school days and engage them in discussions about TV shows, sports, and music. 26 | ENGLISH FRANCA, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2022 Teachers and parents should focus on developing the child's understanding capacity by delivering brief commands that may be repeated and obeyed from time to time to maintain a healthy level of confidence. Parents and educators must provide more assistance to slow learners. They often feel neglected and begin to despise school if sufficient direction is not offered. They adopt a negative outlook, which has an impact on their academic achievement. It is vital to maintain a positive attitude and give help to slow learners in order to prevent numerous factors that impede learning, such as distractions, disagreeable peers, a rapid classroom pace, and a competitive atmosphere. As a result, education can play a key role in assisting slow learners in becoming well-rounded persons. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The qualitative technique was applied in this investigation. Qualitative research seeks to comprehend the phenomena encountered by study subjects holistically, employing descriptions in the form of words and language in a specific natural setting, and employing a variety of scientific approaches (Lexy J. Moleong, 2012: 6). Sugiyono (2009: 9) also added that the results of qualitative research emphasize meaning rather than generalizations. Qualitative research in this study uses the case study method or case studies. The case study method is a way of examining social phenomena by analyzing one case in-depth and in its entirety. Based on the problems and formulation of the research problems raised, this research is categorized as experimental quantitative research, namely research conducted by applying a treatment and analyzed based on data to obtain results and conclusions. The sample is part of the population that will be the subject of research. The sample in this study were elementary school students who experienced slow learner disorders at SDL B G u nu ng Lo us er G a yo L u es . The basis for choosing the place of this research is: 1. SDLB G u n u ng Lo u s er G ay o L u es is an elementary school appointed by the Department of Education, Youth and Sports, SDL B G u nu n g Lo us er G a yo Lu es is an inclusive elementary school program, namely an elementary school with children with special needs. 2. The identification of children with special needs including slow learners has been carried out. Rabi’atun Adawiyah & Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay: Using A Cognitive Therapy to Enhance Slow Learners’ Competence: Teacher’s Strategy-27 In qualitative research, data is collected in natural settings and from original sources. More participatory observation (participatory observation), in-depth interviews (in-depth interviews), and documenting Sugiyono are used in data collecting approaches. (2009). In addition, data collection techniques in qualitative research can also be done by recording data in intensive field notes Lexy J. Moleong, (2012). Data collection techniques in this study are as follows: 1. Observation Observations in this study are participatory observations of participatory observations. Observations were made on the five components of the slow learner's learning strategy with their respective aspects, including a) pre-learning activities; b) information delivery; c) student engagement; d) learning assessment; and e) follow-up activities 2. Interview Qualitative research often incorporates observational techniques participatory with in-depth interviews. Interviews in this study were conducted with several sources who could provide in-depth information about the five components of the slow learner's learning strategy with each of its aspects, including a) preliminary learning activities; b) delivery of information; c) student participation; d) learning assessment, and e) follow-up activities. 3. Documentation The documentation technique in this study was used to complement the use of observation and interview techniques and to increase the credibility of the research results. The documentation in this study consisted of documents and photographs relating to the five components of the slow learner's learning strategy with each of its aspects, including a) pre-learning activities; b) information delivery; c) student engagement; d) learning assessment; and e) follow-up activities RESULTS & DISCUSSION A variety of worldwide literature discusses the significance of elementary education as the foundation for total human development, and notably as the foundation for national economic and social growth in reducing poverty and boosting the productivity of the country's workforce. The institution has proven it. Galton and Alan Blyth, 2018 (2018). According to the World Bank (1991), "as the gap between 28 | ENGLISH FRANCA, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2022 educated and uneducated people increases, this trend restricts international competitiveness and forces the vast majority of the world's population into poverty." (2). Primary education plays a vital part in Vietnam's Education Law (National Assembly 2005), where elementary schools are not only cognitive but also social, physical, emotional, and cultural. It is established from a standpoint that pupils must be trained. Qualifications for further education (2005 Education Act, Article 27). Vietnam has shown significant achievements in the statewide implementation of Universal Primary Education. Teachers in choosing learning methods in inclusive schools not only consider aspects of conformity with the subject matter and learning objectives but also consider aspects of the different characteristics of students and differences in the learning characteristics of students. Students have different characteristics, interests, talents, habits, motivations, social situations, family environments, and hopes for the future. Differences in students from psychological aspects such as being quiet, superactive, closed, open, cheerful, and moody, some even show behaviors that are difficult to recognize. All these differences will affect the determination of learning methods. The differences in the characteristics of students and the learning characteristics of students in inclusive schools are of course aimed at the differences between normal children and children with special needs. So, even though there are fewer children with special needs than normal children, teachers should not ignore them. Because they have the same learning rights as normal children, teachers must also modify the learning methods used so that they are more flexible and easily accepted by all students, both normal students and children with special needs. Learning activities must be designed by taking into account the weaknesses of the students. This means that the method used by the teacher must be able to overcome the weaknesses of students and take advantage of the strengths that exist in them. For example, students with visual impairments must emphasize the sound that can be heard, while the deaf students must emphasize visual activities that can be seen. For slow learners, the emphasis is on the simplicity of the delivery method so that it is easy to understand. The teacher can control the classroom atmosphere by mastering the material so that students pay attention and listen to how the teacher speaks. The teacher in delivering the material is the same between slow learners and normal students. However, the slow learners explain to them while being given examples, and after explaining the teacher always asks again what the teacher has said. When using the lecture Rabi’atun Adawiyah & Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay: Using A Cognitive Therapy to Enhance Slow Learners’ Competence: Teacher’s Strategy-29 method, the slow learner child was deliberately asked by the teacher to sit alone without a seatmate. This is intended so that teachers can provide direction, guidance, and special attention freely to slow learner children. Based on the findings of the data analysis, the hypothesis suggested is that there is a difference in memory capacity for slow learner children before and after treatment, specifically that slow learner children's memory ability is higher after treatment than before treatment. These findings show that there is a considerable gap between the memory abilities of slow learner children in elementary school students and that slow learner students have better memory skills after being given cognitive therapy than before being given treatment. This shows that giving special treatment to students who are slow learners influences students' memory abilities. This is as expressed by Santrock (2008), applied behavior is the application of operant conditioning principles to change human behavior. There are three important applied behaviors in the field of education, namely: 1) increasing desired behavior, 2) using encouragement and formation, 3) and reducing unwanted behavior. Furthermore, Santrock (2008) suggests strategies to improve the expected behavior of children, namely; choosing effective reinforcement, making reinforcement continuous and timely, choosing the best reinforcement schedule, and using negative reinforcement effectively. In modifying cognitive behavior, students can be taught how to use self- instruction Woolfolk, (2009). This can be done by incorporating dialogue and interactions between teachers and students, modeling, motivational strategies, feedback, and task alignment according to student development. Executive control processes (metacognitive strategies) such as planning, organizing, and adjusting are critical for individuals with learning impairments; other ways teach skills directly by leveraging memory (Deshler et al, in Woolfolk. (2009). Presley Woolfolk. (2009), developed a cognitive strategy model as a guide for developing students' metacognitive strategies. Research on learning strategies for slow learners was carried out at SDLB Leuser, especially in grades III and V. In both classes, there were children with special needs who were assessed as slow learners. The two classroom teachers who were the subject of the study faced different conditions from one another in designing and implementing learning strategies for slow learners. These conditions are the state of 30 | ENGLISH FRANCA, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2022 the classroom environment, the number of normal students and special needs in the classroom, the number of slow learners in the classroom, and the presence of a Special Guiding Teacher. The following table shows the presence of slow learners in grade III and class V based on the results of the assessment of children with special needs. Based on data from interviews, observations, and documentation results, the results of research on the learning strategies of slow learners in class III and class V at SDLB Leuser in terms of the five components of learning strategies are as follows: Implementation of Preliminary Learning Activities for Children’s Slow Learning The result is that instructors must address the issue of slow learners through their educational methodologies and classroom activities such as adaptation, developmental education, correctional education, and correctional education. Slow learners gain from learning time, repetition, resources, and other types of assistance and motivation that allow them the confidence to learn because of their cognitive, personal, and emotional traits. Leung (2006), Borah (2013), and Muppudathi (2014) These elements are included into intervention programs for slow learners. It gives instant response as well as continual monitoring. Recognize and correct fundamental misconceptions. Provide a practice drill for preparedness. And encourage them to work hard by coordinating their attention and conduct. Educators all across the world may use these similar aspects to learn slowly, including through tailored education programs, intelligent anti-habitual learning, and tutorial assistance systems. We offer or implement a variety of instructional initiatives for students. Skill-based training (Yadav and Tiwari 2017), the multi-model vs. uni-model approach, or the application of Gardner's multi-intelligence theory These coordinated academic intervention tactics have been shown to be helpful in enhancing conceptual grasp of what is being taught by slow learners and generating a good learning experience for them, to varying degrees. Furthermore, Wilder (2017) calls for the sharing of duties between teachers and parents, stressing that kids require parental assistance at home to improve their academic performance. I'm highlighting something. The preliminary learning activities in this study focused on five aspects, including a) giving apperception; b) explanation of specific learning objectives; c) checking of prerequisite skills; d) writing down the main points of the material in the form of a chart, and e) repetition of Rabi’atun Adawiyah & Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay: Using A Cognitive Therapy to Enhance Slow Learners’ Competence: Teacher’s Strategy-31 the previous material to relate it to the material to be studied. The following is a further description of the implementation of preliminary learning activities for slow learners in class III and class V in terms of these five aspects. a. Giving Apperception The method used by the three classroom teachers in giving apperception is the same for all students, including slow learners. Special Teacher One gives apperception through question and answer to connect the material with students' daily lives and allows students to ask questions about the learning material and invite all students to sing. Special teacher two provides apperception through questions and answers about the application of the material in everyday life, the benefits of the material in everyday life, and allows students to ask questions about learning materials. Special Teacher three gives apperception through question and answer to show examples of the application of the material in students' daily lives, invites all students to sing, and through stories. b. Prerequisite Skill Check The second aspect is checking the prerequisite skills. Prerequisite skills that slow learners must have at school in class III are adjusted to the ability of slow learners, while in class V the prerequisite skills that slow learners must have are the same as other students. However, Special Teachers provide an individual approach so that slow learners can achieve the same prerequisite skills as other students. The individual approach is to provide an understanding of the material that as much as possible can help slow learners to master the required prerequisite skills. Special Teacher one and Special Teacher three check the prerequisite skills of slow learners just like other students through an oral test or question and answer, while Special Teacher two checks the prerequisite skills of slow learners through light introduction questions both orally and in writing. Special teacher one carries out a question and answer activity with several students, including slow learners, while the Special Teacher three conducts questions and answers classically. If students, including slow learners, have not been able to master the prerequisite skills well, Special Teacher one and Special Teacher three provide repetition. 32 | ENGLISH FRANCA, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2022 c. Writing the Main Materials in the form of a Chart The third aspect is to write down the main points of the material in the form of a chart. Special Teacher one and Special Teacher two do not write down the main points of material that will be delivered in the form of a chart, while Special Teacher two writes down the main points of material that will be studied by students in the form of a chart on the blackboard. This can be shown by the following excerpts from interviews with Special Teachers, “Yes, there is Miss. Given first, according to the first theme, and then developed. It would be better if we use a concept or structure map, and the students will fill in what parts are conveyed.” d. Repetition of Material at the Previous Meeting The fourth aspect is the repetition of material from the previous meeting. The three classroom teachers who studied repeated the material at the previous meeting to link the material to be studied with the previous material. Before giving the repetition of the material, the three-class teachers also conducted a question and answer session with the students. Special Teacher one and Special Teacher two conduct questions and answer classically and individually with slow learners. For Special Teacher two, the results of observations also show that in giving repetition, Special Teacher three invites students to repeat or remember the sequence of unit length conversions by singing two syllables in each unit length. From this description, it can be concluded that the implementation of preliminary learning activities carried out by classroom teachers for slow learners is the same as preliminary learning activities for normal students and other special needs, except for Special Teacher three who provides an individual approach so that slow learners can master the same prerequisite skills as other students. CONCLUSION In the learning process, the most decisive thing is the memory ability of students, because most of the school lessons are remembered. Remembering plays an important role in everyday life. However, what is more, important in the role of the learning process is the ability of students to reproduce the knowledge they have received, for example during an exam, students must reproduce the knowledge and understanding gained during the lesson. This will be seen in children who have learning difficulties in the criteria of slow learners (slow learners). These children will have difficulty remembering, as revealed Rabi’atun Adawiyah & Sholihatul Hamidah Daulay: Using A Cognitive Therapy to Enhance Slow Learners’ Competence: Teacher’s Strategy-33 in research. The results of the identification of learning disabilities in elementary school children, most of the children experience a slow learner condition. Based on the results of data analysis, it was found that there were differences in children's memory abilities before being given therapy with after being given therapy to slow learner children in elementary school. So, the hypothesis proposed is that there is a difference in children's memory abilities before being given therapy with after being given therapy to slow learner children in elementary school children. To improve the expected behavior of children, namely 1) choosing an effective reinforcement, 2) making reinforcement continuous and timely, 3) choosing the best reinforcement schedule, and 4) using negative reinforcement effectively. Executive control processes (metacognitive strategies) such as planning, organizing, and adjusting are critical for kids with learning difficulties; some ways teach skills directly by employing memory Deshler et al, in Woolfolk. (2009). Presley Woolfolk. 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