84 Journal of ICSAR ISSN (print): 2548-8619; ISSN (online): 2548-8600 Volume 5 No 2, July 2021: 84-88 Increasing Basic Reading Skill for Children with Learning Difficulties through SILABA Method Fatmawati, Marlina Universitas Negeri Padang, Padang, Indonesia Email: fatmawati@fip.unp.acid Abstract: This research is motivated by the problems found in five students with learning difficulties in grade two. This study aims to prove the effectiveness of the SILABA method in improving beginning reading skills for children with learning difficulties. This study used an experimental method in the form of a pre-experimental design or a quasi-experimental with the type of one-group pretest-posttest design. This research conducted pre-test, treatment, and post-test. The treatment was given with the SILABA method and continued by giving a post-test to see the ability after treatment. The pre-test and post-test values were processed and compared using the Mann-Whitney to test the research hypothesis. The results of this study were obtained based on data analysis seen from the pre-test value. The data was processed using the Mann-Whitney test. It was obtained that Uhit = 2.5 and Utab = 2 with n = 5 at a significant level of 95% and = 0.05. The alternative hypothesis is accepted because Uhit > Utab, so it is proven that the SILABA method is effectively used to improve early reading skills for children with learning difficulties. Suggestions in this study are expected that schools can develop students’ initial reading skills using the SILABA. Keywords: beginning reading, SILABA method, children with learning difficulties INTRODUCTION Learning difficulties are something that students in elementary school often experience. Several opinions explain children with learning difficulties including, Jamaris (2014); learning difficulties are “difficulties experienced by a child due to problems experienced by the brain in receiving, processing, analyzing, and storing information.” Learning difficulties or learning barriers can be categorized into learning problems that result in various psychological problems. Children who have learning difficulties will be seen when children fail in some subjects but excel in other subjects. According to Abdurrahman (2012), specific learning difficulties are: Special learning difficulties appear as an actual disability condition in people who have average to superior intelligence, good sensory systems, and sufficient opportunities to learn. It is in line with the opinion of Chard, Vaughn, & Tyler (2002), which stated that students with learning or reading disabilities demonstrate difficulties in the area of fluency. Students with learning disabilities have a problem in basic psychological involved in understanding and using the language verbally or in writing. This finding was similar to that of Tindal, Nese, Stevens, & Alonzo (2016), who found that performance on measures of oral reading fluency correlated significantly with special education status. These conditions vary in manifestation and degree. Beginning reading begins in the early grades of elementary school; at this time, children begin to learn letters, syllables, then simple sentences; early reading is an early skill that must be learned and mastered by children. According to Dalman (2013), preliminary reading is “an initial skill that must be learned or mastered by the reader. Beginning reading is the initial level for people to be able to read.” Hidayat (2014) revealed that pre-reading is an early reading given to children in grades I and two as a basis for further lessons. Beginning reading learning is given in low grades, namely in grades I and II. The aim is for students to have good basic reading skills to prepare for the advanced reading stage. According to Dalman (2014), the purpose of teaching advanced reading is for children to be able to read fluently before they enter advanced reading or comprehension. In the fourth grade of elementary school, they are no longer allowed to read beginning or mechanics because, in high grade, they must enter the stage of reading comprehension. Early reading teaching is adjusted to the abilities and mental development of students. Based on the above opinion, it can be interpreted that preliminary reading is the essential ability of advanced reading ability, which aims to be able to read combinations of letters into meaningful words until the meaningful words are arranged into simple sentences. Good readers read with sufficient rate to process words effortlessly and think about what they read (Paris, 2005) 85Fatmawati, Marlina, Increasing Basic Reading Skill for Children with Learning Difficulties through . . . Learning to read in grades I and II is an early stage of reading learning which is the basis for reading in subsequent classes. Beginning reading skills will significantly affect advanced reading skills. As the ability that underlies the next ability, the initial reading ability requires the teacher’s attention. If the basis is not strong, students will have difficulty having adequate abilities at the advanced reading stage. Therefore, teachers who teach in grades I and II must try seriously to provide an adequate basis for reading skills to students. It will be realized through the implementation of good learning. To carry out learning well, there needs to be good planning regarding the material, methods, and development. However, many students sit in the lower classes, namely grades I and II, experience problems and obstacles in reading. However, they do not get special attention from their class teachers, so that the situation continues to the following classes. Through the process of identification and assessment of grade II children with a total of 19 students. Researchers identified by using interview techniques, observation. The researchers interviewed class teachers, GPK teachers, and parents. From the results of interviews that researchers conducted with classroom teachers and GPK teachers, some students had problems reading in the class where some of these students were known only to recognize a few letters of the alphabet and not can merge sounds from a combination of several letters, it is proven that children always forget to mix the sounds of a combination of letters that have been spelled. For example, children are often reversed in distinguishing the letters b and d, m and w, and p and q. Judging from the level of ability for Indonesian, the initial reading ability is in first grade, so in class II, the child should have the ability to read short texts fluently, following the Indonesian language competency standards for class II in the reading aspect, namely, understanding short texts by reading fluently and reading. Poetry, with basic competence, namely, summarizing the contents of a short text that is read by reading fluently. Based on the problems described above, researchers are interested in dealing with children’s problems in mixing sounds because looking at the reading skills possessed by second-grade elementary school children in general. Children should be able to read fluently. Therefore researchers are trying to find solutions to solve problems. Children in blending sounds by utilizing several letters of the alphabet that are known to children, thus researchers are trying to find the proper learning method to overcome children’s problems so that they can make children motivated in learning and children become happier learning to read and the learning objectives to be achieved can be achieved according to with what is expected. Among the many available pre-reading methods, the researcher feels that the SILABA method is appropriate for children with learning difficulties in beginning reading. The SILABA method is one of the methods used in providing Beginning Reading and Writing learning for low-grade children in elementary schools. Mustahsin (2015) suggests that the SILABA method is an MMP learning process with syllables, such as ba, bi, bu, be, bo, ca, ci, cu, ce, co, and so on. These syllables are then assembled into meaningful words. Meanwhile, Hidayat (2014) argues that the SILABA method is “the process of learning to read the beginning which begins with the introduction of syllables such as ba, bi, bu, be, be, bo, ca, ci, cu, ce, co and so on. are assembled into meaningful words. This method is coupled with the syllable stripping method and the word institution method, all of which continue the syllable method. The syllabic method is often also referred to as the syllable method or synthetic method. Teaching reading starts from teaching syllable sounds and then teaches words, phrases, and sentences. Based on the above opinion, it can be interpreted that the syllabic method is a syllabic method that presents words into syllables and then assembles syllables into words with the aim that students who have not been able to read words can read words. Furthermore, the learning process with this method introduces syllables such as ba, bi, bu, be, bo, ca, ci, cu, ce, co, and so on. The syllables are then assembled into meaningful words such as i-bu, i-ma, u-bi, bo-bo, ma-ma, etc. METHOD The research method used in this study is the Quasi-experimental method (Pseudo Experiment). This method is used to determine whether the syllabic method effectively improves early reading skills for children with learning difficulties in grade II. Nazir (2011) defines a quasi-experimental research method as “research that is close to a real experiment where it is impossible to control/manipulate all relevant variables, there must be a compromise in determining internal and external validity following existing limitations.” Meanwhile, Darmawan (2014) argues that “quasi- experimental variables are not carried out purely or fully, but are reduced or only partially displayed.” The purpose of quasi-experimental research is to obtain information that approximates information obtained by actual experimentation in conditions that do not allow to control and/or manipulate all relevant variables. Thus, it can be interpreted that quasi-experimental research is research by conducting experiments on experimental groups. 86 Journal of ICSAR; Volume 5 Number 2, July 2021: 84-88 Table 2. Pretest and Posttest scores No Subject Pretest (X1) Posttest (X2) 1 ZSK 33 83 2 ADT 16 58 3 RFA 0 41 4 SYF 41 75 5 YSN 33 33 Total 123 290 Table 3. Rank Analysis Data No Subject Value Rank 1 ZSK 83 1 2 SYF 75 2 3 ADT 58 3 4 SYF 41 4,5 5 RFA 41 4,5 6 ZSK 33 7 7 YSN 33 7 8 YSN 33 7 9 ADT 16 9 10 RFA 0 10 Tabel 4. Penghitungan R1 dan R2 No Subject X1 X2 R1 R2 1 ZSK 33 83 7 1 2 ADT 16 58 9 3 3 RFA 0 41 10 4,5 4 SYF 41 75 4,5 2 5 YSN 33 33 7 7 Total 123 290 37,5 17,5 Each experimental group is subjected to specific treatments with conditions that can be controlled. The quasi-experimental model used is experimental pre- test-post-test control group or one pre-test group post- test control group design with two kinds of treatment. The pre-test and post-test values that have been obtained will then be tested for hypotheses using the Mann-Whitney test. The Mann Whitney test used is as follows Information: U1/U2 = Utes Coefficient; R1 = ranking / pretest ranking; R2 = ranking / posttest ranking. While the hypothesis criteria used are as follows: H0 is accepted if the value of Uhit < Utab, then the SILABA method is not effective for improving the reading ability of children with learning difficulties H0 is rejected if Uhit > Utab, then the syllabic method is effective for improving the reading ability of children with learning difficulties. FINDING AND DISCUSSION Finding Description of Research Result Data Activities are carried out during breaks and after learning. Data collection was carried out following the research instruments and data collection techniques that had been determined. The data obtained by the researcher was based on the students’ ability to read words consisting of a combination of vowels and bilabial letters, which were processed according to data analysis techniques using the Mann-Whitney test formula. According to Sugiyono (2015), “the values obtained are then processed using the Mann Whitney test formula.” In order to make the data processing more manageable, the pre-test and post-test scores must be entered into a table to see the initial and final abilities of the subjects being studied. Therefore, during the pre-test and post-test, the material given was to test how the subject’s initial and final abilities were treated with the syllabic method of reading words. The results of data collection in reading words can be seen in the following table 2. Data Processing After obtaining the values from the pretest and posttest results, the next step is to determine the rank of each research subject before being given treatment (X1) and after being given treatment (X2) to be analyzed using the Mann Whitney test formula. The results are as follows in table 3 and 4. Hypothesis Analysis and Testing After processing the data, the numbers will be processed using the formula. Furthermore, the data is included in the formula of the Mann Whitney test presented by Nazir (2009) with the formula: The calculations obtained that U2 = 2.5, taken from the smallest count value, then adjusted to Utab at a significant level of 95% and = 0.05 for n = 5, namely 2. It was based on hypothesis testing according to Nazir (2011), “if U> Utab then H0 is rejected”. So in the initial reading ability, U = 2.5 and Utab = 2 means U> Utab; thus, Ho is rejected, and Ha is accepted. So it can be concluded that the SILABA method effectively improves early reading skills for children with learning difficulties. DISCUSSION This study discusses the effectiveness of the SILABA method in improving early reading skills for children with disabilities. Before conducting this study, the researcher found five children who had difficulty in beginning reading. Then the researchers 87Fatmawati, Marlina, Increasing Basic Reading Skill for Children with Learning Difficulties through . . . made observations during the learning process. The observations showed that the learning process made it difficult for children to learn to read initially, which tended to be neglected, where the teacher only focused on delivering material using the lecture and assignment method. Children with learning difficulties in early reading should receive special attention and services because early reading is the basis for children to read further. As stated by Hidayat (2014), early reading ability is “a basic need because some information is presented in written form and can only be obtained through reading.” To meet these basic needs, a teacher must be creative in finding new ways or methods to increase the willingness and enthusiasm of children in beginning reading because the learning objectives will be successful if the strategy used by the teacher is following the character and learning provided (Zulmiyetri et al., 2019). Many methods are used for improving reading ability. One of the existing early reading methods is the SILABA method, which according to Tarigan (in Hidayat, 2014; Sutrina, 2013) the SILABA method is “a learning process for beginning reading that begins with the introduction of syllables such as ba, bi, bu, be, be, bo, ca. , ci, cu, ce, co and so on, then the syllables are assembled into meaningful words such as i-bu, o-ma, u-bi, and so on. In line with that, Amitya (2014) explains, “the SILABA method will make it easier for children who have difficulty in reading to learn the relationship between the combination of written letters and their sounds as well as proper word recognition.” therefore, this research will prove the truth. The implementation of the study went through several stages, namely pre-test, treatment, and post-test. The pre-test was conducted once to see the child’s initial ability to read at the beginning, where the child was given 12 words to read and then assessed using an assessment instrument if it was correct, it was given a score of one, and if it was wrong, it was given a score of zero. From the overall score, the final score of the pre-test was obtained with a result of 24.5%. Furthermore, treatment or treatment using the syllabic method is given to children for five meetings. There is no assessment at this stage. In the third stage, the post-test is the final ability of the child to read the beginning after being given treatment. In this case, the child is given 12 words that are the same as the words given at the pre-test, then assessed using an assessment instrument, if it is correct, it is given a score of one, and if it is wrong, it is given a score of zero. The final score of the post-test was obtained from the overall score with a result of 58%. The results of the pre-test and post-test were then tested using the U Mann-Whitney test. From the calculations carried out, it was obtained that Uhit = 2.5, which was taken from the smallest count value, then adjusted for Utah at a significant level of 95% and = 0.05 with n = 5, which is 2. Thus it can be seen that Uhit. Utab. Based on the hypothesis test, if Uhit > Utab, then Ha is accepted, and Ho is rejected. So it can be interpreted that the SILABA method is effectively used to improve early reading skills for children with learning difficulties. The SILABA will make it easier for children who have difficulty reading to learn the relationship between the combination of written letters and their sounds and proper word recognition. The advantage of the SILABA method in improving reading skills is that it can attract children’s attention so that when given learning, children can understand the material being taught. However, following the opinion of Shah (in Sugiharti, 2018), a teacher in delivering learning material requires an approach, strategy, technique, or learning that can improve children’s learning outcomes and make it easier for children to understand the learning delivered. The SILABA method includes several stages, where children are taught first to read the syllables ba, bi, bu, be, bo, ma, ma, mu, me, mo, pa, pi, pu, pe, po, and the next task is only to combine letters. Vowels into the syllable. So that children with learning difficulties will be able to scan words. CONCLUSION Based on the description in chapter IV, the SILABA method effectively improves early reading skills in children with learning disabilities. It is evident from the results of the calculation of the data processed using the Mann Whitney test formula, which produces Uhit> Utab so that Uhit = 2.5 is taken from the smallest count value, then adjusted for Utab at a significant level of 95% and = 0, 05 with n = 5 which is 2. So it is proven that Uhit > Utab is 2.5 > 2. Based on hypothesis testing, if Uhit > Utab, then Ha is accepted, and H0 is rejected. Thus it can be concluded that the syllabic method is effectively used to improve early reading skills for children with learning difficulties REFERENCES Abdurrahman, M. (2012). Anak Berkesulitan Belajar Teori, Diagnosis, dan Remediasinya. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta. Chard, D., Vaughn, S., & Tyler, B.-J. (2002). 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