Development of Montessori-Based Addition Teaching Aid to Enhance Arithmetic Skills of First-Grade Students at MI Al-Maarif 02 Singosari, Kabupaten Malang

<p>This study aims to develop a Montessori-based learning tool to help first-grade students better understand the concepts of addition and subtraction. The research employs a Research and Development (R&D) method with the Borg and Gall model, adapted to six stages: research and data collection, planning, initial product development, preliminary field testing, product revision, and main field testing. Product validation was conducted by experts in content, media, and pedagogy, showing that the tool is highly valid for classroom use. Field trials at MI Al-Maarif 02 Singosari, using a pre-test and post-test design, demonstrated a significant improvement in students' arithmetic skills, with average scores increasing from 70.34 to 94.83. The N-gain analysis showed a score of 0.78, indicating high effectiveness of the learning tool in enhancing students' abilities. This study suggests that the Montessori-based learning tool significantly improves students' understanding of basic mathematical concepts in a fun and comprehensible way.</p>