ENHANCING READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS THROUGH CARD SORT METHOD IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL INDONESIAN LANGUAGE LEARNING

Reading comprehension is a critical component of literacy development and academic success,particularly in elementary school where students establish foundational skills for lifelong learning.However, Indonesian students often face challenges in understanding texts due to conventional,teacher-centered approaches that limit engagement and active participation. This study investigatesthe effectiveness of the Card Sort method as an innovative instructional strategy to enhance readingcomprehension skills in Bahasa Indonesia learning. Employing a quasi-experimental design witha pretest–posttest control group, the research involved 56 Grade V students in Makassar, dividedequally into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received instruction usingthe Card Sort method, while the control group was taught through conventional approaches. Datawere collected through reading comprehension tests and classroom observations. Quantitativeresults indicated that the experimental group achieved significantly higher posttest scores than thecontrol group (p < 0.05), with a large effect size, demonstrating the substantial impact of the CardSort method. Within-group analysis also showed that the experimental group improved moresignificantly than the control group. Qualitative findings revealed higher levels of studentmotivation, engagement, and collaboration in the experimental group. These results confirm thatthe Card Sort method not only enhances comprehension but also fosters active participation andcooperative learning. The study concludes that Card Sort is a simple, flexible, and effectiveinstructional strategy for addressing literacy challenges in Indonesian elementary schools, withimplications for teaching practice, curriculum design, and educational policy.