Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to analyse the reality of the ability to read the beginning of the text of Islamic religious education and character in elementary school students in Salotungo, Soppeng Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method with many participants, as many as 10 people consisting of the schoolmaster, teachers and students. Data sources consist of primary and secondary data with data collection techniques obtained through observation, interviews and library research. The data is analysed through the stages of data collection, data reduction, data presentation and withdrawal, verification or conclusion. Research findings indicate that early reading skills have different stages of cognitive development. Therefore, early reading skills have differences, and reading materials must be adapted to develop optimally. Reading the beginning is very influential on reading the text, so reading the beginning requires serious attention. Nevertheless, students have a firm basis for reading the beginning of Islamic religious education books and student characters at this stage. Another finding is that the reality of early reading ability is determined mainly by professional teachers, primarily Islamic religious education and character education, because there are differences in the language of the Qur'an that are not shared with other textbooks. Improving the ability to read the beginning of Islamic Religious Education and Character Education textbooks in elementary schools can be done by providing class comfort, building student learning concentration with read-repeat-speech techniques and improving the learning system with more varied methods.

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