INTRODUCTION

Reading is a basic literacy skill and the foundation for students’ academic success in elementary education. Early reading competence, including decoding, phonological awareness and comprehension of simple texts, opens the door to knowledge in different subject areas and supports long-term academic achievement (Ergin et al., 2025; Lane et al., 2025). Two-syllable words are an important step in reading development at the elementary level because they serve as a bridge between letter recognition and meaningful word understanding. Students who develop adequate decoding skills early tend to have stronger reading comprehension and better academic performance in later grades (Ribeiro et al., 2025). Thus, improving students’ ability to read two-syllable words is an important component of effective literacy instruction. The early reading skills are important, but the reading difficulties are the continuing challenge among the elementary school students even in upper grades. Many students still have difficulties in simple word decoding, reading fluency, and understanding basic texts, even though those skills were expected to be mastered in earlier grades (Lee et al., 2025; Yustisia & Salsabila, 2023; Zhao et al., 2025). Such problems are often linked to poor phonological awareness and weak decoding skills that subsequently impact reading fluency, comprehension, classroom engagement, and students’ confidence in learning (Evilia et al., 2026; Hikmah et al., 2025). These results indicate that reading difficulties are not only a factor in academic performance but also in the social and psychological development of students.

Reading proficiency of students is significantly related to their overall academic achievement because they obtain and process information through reading in almost all subjects in school. Students with low reading ability may struggle with understanding written instructions, completing activities that require literacy, and developing higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and interpretation (da Silva et al., 2025; Zhang et al., 2026; Fan et al., 2025). Therefore, developing students’ reading competence is required not only for language learning but also for enhancing learning outcomes in the wider curriculum. One of the reasons that students struggle with reading is that teachers are still too often the center of instruction. The traditional reading instructions are typically one-way knowledge transfer with little opportunity for students to interact, discuss and learn collaboratively (Rosalia & Candraloka, 2023). Such approaches tend to overlook the differences in students’ learning readiness, cognitive skills, and learning preferences, leading to low engagement and limited reading gains (Hu, 2024; Kurth et al., 2025; Farisia et al., 2025). Learning needs in elementary classrooms are varied. Instructional models need to be more interactive and student centered.

Classroom observation in the fourth grade class of SDN 007 Long Mesangat showed that the reading instruction was still teacher-centered and there were few opportunities for students to interact, discuss, or solve the reading tasks collaboratively. As a consequence, many students still struggled to read and pronounce two-syllable words, as collaborative practice and peer-assisted learning were seldom used. Such a classroom situation implies the necessity for an instructional innovation that would actively engage students in the learning process and would allow them to interact and support each other in a structured manner. One possible alternative to deal with these challenges is the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) learning model. TPS is a cooperative learning strategy that involves students thinking on their own, talking about their ideas with their partners, and sharing their understanding with the rest of the class. TPS promotes active participation and meaningful social interaction . Previous studies showed that TPS increases students’ engagement, conceptual understanding, reading comprehension and self-confidence compared to traditional teaching methods (Rosalia & Candraloka, 2023; Chopra et al., 2025; Silfia et al., 2025). The structured interaction that is built into TPS enables students to construct knowledge together and also improves their decoding and reading comprehension skills.

Considering all of these things, this study aims to examine the application of the Think-Pair-Share learning model to improve the comprehension of reading two-syllable words of fourth-grade students with reading difficulties at SDN 007 Long Mesangat. The study is expected to provide empirical evidence of the effectiveness of TPS in supporting reading instruction, and to contribute to the development of more inclusive, interactive, and student-centered literacy practices in elementary education.

METHOD

This study used Classroom Action Research (CAR) Design to Improve Reading Comprehension of Two Syllable Words in Grade IV students who have difficulty reading by applying the learning model Think Pair Share (TPS). The research followed the spiral model of Kemmis and McTaggart where the teaching methods are continuously improved through the cycles of planning, action, observation and reflection (Kemmis et al., 2014; Mills, 2018). The intervention aimed to improve students’ accuracy in reading, fluency and comprehension of two- syllable words via the introduction of structured cooperative learning activities into classroom instruction. The research was carried out in the second semester of the academic year 2025/2026 at SDN 007 Long Mesangat, East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Participants were four fourth-grade students (3 boys and 1 girl) who exhibited reading difficulties based on preliminary classroom observations. The study was carried out over a period of approximately two months and consisted of two action cycles, each cycle having two to three instructional meetings. If the predetermined success indicators were not achieved, additional cycles were planned.

Each action research cycle consisted of four phases: planning, acting, observing and reflecting. During the planning stage, lesson plans, instructional media, observation sheets and reading tests were prepared. The intervention was implemented in three subsequent phases, i.e., the Think-Pair-Share model, as follows: Think, where students practiced reading two-syllable words independently Pair, where students discussed and corrected each other's reading in heterogenous pairs Share, when pairs presented their reading to the class and received feedback from peers and the teacher The result of each cycle was systematically reflected and used to improve the instructional procedures implemented in the next cycle. Data collection was done through reading performance tests, classroom observation, and documentation. Students’ reading accuracy, fluency, pronunciation and comprehension of two-syllable words were assessed using reading tests at the end of each cycle. The researcher and the classroom teacher collaboratively used structured observation sheets to conduct classroom observations and evaluate the student participation and fidelity of TPS implementation. Supporting documentation included lesson plans, students’ work, field notes, attendance records and photographs of classroom activities . The research instruments were validated by expert judgment and inter-rater reliability was employed to ensure the consistency of the scoring of the students’ oral reading performance.

Data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative descriptive approaches. Quantitative analysis included the calculation of individual scores, class means, percentage of students achieving minimum mastery criterion (MMC) and comparison between pre-intervention, Cycle I and Cycle II conditions. The qualitative data obtained from observations, field notes and documentation were analyzed by using an interactive model of data reduction, data display and drawing conclusions. Success of the intervention was considered as active participation of at least 75% of the students in the learning process and reaching the pre-defined mastery criterion, together with improvements in reading accuracy, fluency and comprehension.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Preliminary classroom observations before the application of the Think Pair Share (TPS) learning model showed that the reading ability of fourth grade students at SDN 007 Long Mesangat was still relatively low, especially in reading two-syllable words. Most students had difficulty combining letters into syllables and syllables into meaningful words, resulting in slow, hesitant reading with many pronunciation errors. Moreover, although some students could read aloud words, they had difficulty in grasping and explaining the sense of the words. This points out that the students’ reading performance was largely limited to mechanical decoding rather than meaningful comprehension. Moreover, classroom observation revealed that the teaching was largely teacher-centred and the students’ participation was restricted, with minimal peer interaction during the learning activities. Hence, students with reading difficulties had limited support through collaborative learning, highlighting the need for a more interactive and cooperative instructional approach, such as the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) model, to enhance students’ reading comprehension of two-syllable words.

Pre-Cycle Reading Assessment Results

Before the implementation of the learning model Think-Pair-Share (TPS), a reading test in pre-cycle was given in order to find out the students’ initial ability in reading and understanding the two syllable words. The assessment looked at reading accuracy, reading fluency and word comprehension. The results suggested that all participating students exhibited reading skills below the school’s Minimum Mastery Criterion (MMC) of 75, indicating that additional instructional intervention was necessary prior to achieving satisfactory literacy results.

Table 1. Pre-Cycle Reading Performance

Table 1. Distribution of students’ reading scores before cycle Azkia Arifiyanti got the highest score, which was 68.00, but it was still lower than the established mastery criterion. Stefanus Alfredo Santos had the lowest performance (52.00), while the other students also did not reach the expected level of reading proficiency. The results show that the students had serious problems in correctly decoding and fluently reading two-syllable words. The majority of the students decoded letter by letter, read haltingly, and often mispronounced words. They also showed a poor understanding of word meanings, indicating that their reading skills were still at the level of mechanical decoding and not meaningful reading comprehension. Therefore their overall reading level was not adequate for them to learn effectively in the classroom activities. Classroom observations further revealed that low reading performance of students was associated with low participation during instruction. Learning activities were predominantly teacher-centred with few opportunities for collaborative learning or peer-assisted practice. While completing reading tasks, students had few opportunities to interact with classmates, which limited the opportunities for immediate feedback and support from peers.

Consequently, students with reading difficulties remained passive and showed little confidence in reading aloud when required. Overall pre-cycle results indicates that the initial reading ability of fourth grade students at SDN 007 Long Mesangat is very low compared to the expected standard with a mean score of 59.50 and the percentage of students who achieve a learning mastery is 0%. These results suggest that an instructional intervention that can facilitate active engagement, peer collaboration, and meaningful reading practice is needed. Therefore, in Cycle I the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) learning model was implemented to improve the students’ accuracy, fluency and comprehension in reading two-syllable words.

Cycle I Results

Cycle I was designed using the results of the pre-cycle assessment that revealed that the students’ ability to read and comprehend two syllable words was still below the expected level. During the planning phase, the researcher prepared lesson plans using the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) learning model, developed instructional media in the form of two-syllable word cards and simple reading passages, prepared student worksheets, observation sheets and reading assessment instruments, and coordinated with the collaborating teacher on the implementation of the intervention and classroom observations. The intervention was conducted in two instructional sessions that followed the three stages of the TPS model: Think, Pair, and Share. In the Think stage, students worked individually on reading two-syllable words on word cards and attempted to guess their meanings. The goal of this phase was to enhance student’s early decoding skills and reading comprehension before working together. During the Pair phase, students worked in heterogenous pairs to compare their reading, identify errors in pronunciation and support each other to read unfamiliar words correctly. The teacher played the role of facilitator when he provided guidance and corrective feedback when necessary. Finally, in the Share stage, each pair shared the results of their discussion by reading the selected words aloud in front of the class. Other students were invited to respond, and the teacher confirmed the correct pronunciation and corrected misunderstandings. In general, the implementation of TPS was more interactive than that observed during the pre-cycle stage.

The students were seen to participate more actively in the learning activities. Most students were involved in individual reading tasks and peer discussion but their confidence in reporting the discussion results was heterogenic. Azkia Arifiyanti showed the highest participation level and was categorized as Active, while Stefanus Alfredo Santos was still relatively limited in classroom participation. The average score of student activity was 49.00 which meant that the overall classroom activity had increased to the moderately active category. Furthermore, based on the collaborating teacher’s observation, the TPS learning procedures were successfully implemented, reaching 84.38% of the expected instructional indicators.

Table 2. Student Activity and TPS Implementation during Cycle I

At the end of Cycle I, students were given a reading test to assess the reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension of two-syllable words. Assessment results showed that all the participants had improved as compared to pre-cycle condition. The class average increased from 59.50 on the pre-cycle assessment to 70.17, an average increase of 10.67 points. However, out of the 4 students, only 1 student reached the Minimum Mastery Criterion (MMC) of 75% so that the percentage of the classical completeness is 25%. While all three students had not yet met the mastery criterion, the three students demonstrated meaningful growth in reading performance from the first assessment.

Table 3. Comparison of Reading Performance between the Pre-Cycle and Cycle I

The results of Cycle I showed that the implementation of Think-Pair-Share learning model gave positive influence to the learning process and students’ reading achievement. Students were more involved in collaborative reading activities and showed more confidence in classroom interactions. However, the success criterion of the study has not been achieved yet. Only 25% of the students have reached the Minimum Mastery Criterion, which is still far below the predetermined target of 75%. Reflection on Cycle I also revealed some areas for improvement such as the lack of confidence of the students while presenting, decoding errors that still existed and the students’ lack of reading comprehension. Thus, the intervention was continued in Cycle II with enhanced teacher modeling, more intensive guidance with struggling readers, richer instructional media, and more reinforcement during pair discussions and presentations in class.

Cycle II Results

Cycle II was conducted based on the reflection of Cycle I that the students’ reading performance had improved, but the predetermined success criteria had not met yet. The level of classical mastery reached was only 25%, and some students still struggled to read two-syllable words accurately and confidently. In order to overcome these weaknesses, several improvements were made to the instructional process. These included revising the lesson plan to include more student-centered activities, using picture word cards to help students understand vocabulary, rearranging students into pairs so that they can get the most out of peer support, modeling pronunciation more clearly, giving more individual help to students who were having trouble reading, and improving the observation and assessment tools. These modifications were predicted to improve the effectiveness of the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) learning model in the second cycle.

The instruction procedures in Cycle II still had the same sequence of Think-Pair-Share (TPS) but the planned improvements were incorporated. In the Think stage, the teacher demonstrated the correct pronunciation of two-syllable words and then students practiced reading independently. Additional practice time provided students the chance to improve both decoding accuracy and comprehension prior to collaborative work. During the Pair stage, students discussed the assigned readings with their partners with more intensive guidance from the teacher, especially those who continued to struggle with reading. Students corrected each other’s pronunciation, improved their fluency in reading, and discussed the meanings of unfamiliar words. At the Share stage, each pair presented their reading to the class. The teacher provided immediate feedback and positive reinforcement to improve the students’ confidence and communication skills. Students were found to be much more enthusiastic, cooperative and confident during the learning process compared to Cycle I.

Cycle II was confirmed by classroom observation, which showed a significant improvement in student participation. All students participated actively in individual reading practice, peer discussions and classroom presentations. Their confidence to read aloud also increased a great deal than the last cycle. The average score of the students’ activities increased to 72.50; this shows that the students’ activities in the classroom were active. Moreover, the co-teacher’s observation showed that each part of the TPS instructional procedure was successfully implemented, with a 100% implementation rate, indicating that the instructional intervention was carried out as planned.

Table 4. Student Activity and TPS Implementation during Cycle II

At the end of Cycle II, the post-test indicated significant gains in students’ reading. All participants exceeded the 75 Minimum Mastery Criterion (MMC) and reached 100% classical mastery. The average class score increased from 70.17 in Cycle I to 83.33, with an average gain of 13.16 points. The highest score was obtained by Azkia Arifiyanti (90.00) and Stefanus Alfredo Santos who had the lowest score in the pre-cycle stage improved to 78.33, which reflects significant progress in reading accuracy, fluency and comprehension. These results suggest that the pedagogical modifications applied in Cycle II were effective in overcoming the shortcomings observed in the previous cycle.

Table 5. Comparison of Reading Performance Across the Research Cycles

Based on the results of Cycle II, it can be concluded that the implementation of the Think-Pair-Share learning model has succeeded in improving the learning process and students' reading achievement. Students became more active in participation and peer collaboration increased. Students became more confident while presenting in the classroom. Most importantly, all students have achieved the expected reading proficiency, which is indicated by the increase in the mean reading score from 59.50 in the pre-cycle assessment to 83.33 at Cycle II and the improvement in classical mastery from 0% to 100%. Classroom action research was stopped after the success of Cycle II because the success criterion that had been determined was at least 75% mastery.

Discussion

The result of this classroom action research showed that the implementation of Think-Pair-Share (TPS) learning model effectively improved the ability of fourth grade students with reading difficulties in SDN 007 Long Mesangat to read and understand two-syllable words. Not only assessment scores of students improved, but also the quality of the learning process. Across the two intervention cycles, students made incremental gains in reading accuracy, fluency, word comprehension, classroom participation, collaboration with peers, and confidence in reading aloud. These changes suggested that TPS offered a well-structured learning environment for students to read independently, receive support from their peers, and present their understanding to the class. The students’ reading performance in pre cycle was still quite low. The average score was only 59.50 and none of the four students met the Minimum Mastery Criterion of 75 (0% classical mastery). Students continued to have difficulty blending syllables into whole words, reading fluently, pronouncing words accurately, and understanding the meanings of the words they read. Classroom instruction was also primarily teacher-centered which reduced students’ chances to practice active reading and to collaborate with their peers. This condition is in line with the argument of Abliani et al. (2024) that teacher-centered learning tends to position students as passive recipients of information and does not provide sufficient opportunities for students to construct understanding through active engagement.

Following the implementation of TPS in Cycle I student reading performance began to improve The average score increased from 59.50 to 70.17 and classical mastery increased from 0% to 25%. The early gain implies that the planned steps of TPS were of benefit to students’ reading growth. During the thinking stage students were provided with time to individually identify, read and understand two syllable words. This individual preparation allowed them to work through the reading materials at their own speed. During the pair stage students discussed their reading with a partner, corrected each other's pronunciation mistakes and helped each other understand difficult words. The share phase allowed students to practice reading aloud and to communicate the results of their discussions to the class. These findings are consistent with Rosalia and Candraloka (2023), who found that TPS can enhance reading skills and student engagement through structured opportunities to think independently, discuss ideas collaboratively, and share learning outputs.

Although Cycle I showed improvement, the result had not yet reached the predetermined success criterion in that only one student reached the Minimum Mastery Criterion. Some students were still reluctant to read aloud, were not fully engaged in pair discussions and were still making errors in decoding and comprehending two-syllable words. These limitations indicated the need for further instructional adjustments for the first implementation of TPS. Cycle II thus included more explicit and repeated teacher modeling, illustrated word cards, more effective student pairing, more time for reading practice, intensive help to struggling students, and more motivation and reinforcement. These improvements were important because students with reading difficulties generally need explicit instruction, repetitive practice, concrete visual supports, and prompt corrective feedback.

The instructional adaptations in Cycle II showed more significant improvements. The average reading score rose from 70.17 in Cycle I to 83.33 in Cycle II, and classical mastery went from 25% to 100%. All students scored above the Minimum Mastery Criterion. Student activity also improved with a mean activity score of 72.50 in the active category. Students were more excited about reading on their own, more co-operative in pair discussions and more confident in presenting their work in this cycle. The results of the improvement showed that the effectiveness of TPS was improved when the collaborative stages of TPS were supported by appropriate instructional media, intensive teacher guidance, sufficient practice, and immediate feedback. Therefore, the success of TPS was not only dependent on the pairing of students, but also on the quality of support given during the learning process.

The improvement in students’ reading performance can be explained by Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory which states that cognitive development takes place through social interaction and cooperation. In the first phase of the TPS students tried the reading task alone, then with a partner who could provide explanations, corrections and encouragement. This interaction set up a kind of scaffolding, with students who had better reading skills helping their peers who were still struggling. Teacher assistance also acted as scaffolding through the provision of pronunciation models, prompts, and corrective feedback. As students became more able the amount of assistance was slowly reduced allowing them to complete reading tasks more independently. The findings thus reinforce Jannah et al. (2023b) in their emphasis that socially mediated learning can facilitate students’ cognitive development and help them to perform tasks that may initially be difficult to do on their own.

TPS also supported the emotional and social aspects of reading instruction. In the early stages of the study, some students were not proactive and unwilling to read before the class due to lack of confidence and fear of making mistakes. Reading in a less threatening environment before sharing it publicly was possible for the students through the pair stage. This preparation lowered anxiety and increased students’ willingness to participate. Moreover, peer interaction created a supportive learning environment in which students felt comfortable making mistakes without feeling too judged. This is in line with Kombat et al. (2023) who found that TPS can improve learning motivation, classroom participation, and literacy awareness as students feel more comfortable and supported when learning with their peers.

In summary, the average score of students was improved by 23.83 points from 59.50 in pre-cycle to 83.33 in Cycle II. Classical mastery also went from 0% to 25% and eventually to 100%. The results show that TPS is effective in improving reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension of two-syllable words for students with reading difficulties. In addition to improving academic achievement, TPS increased students’ activity, cooperation, communication, and confidence. The results are in line with previous studies that have revealed the effectiveness of collaborative and peer-assisted learning in developing literacy among students who lack more instructional support (Fiqhiyah et al., 2025; Guenther & Abbott, 2024). Thus, TPS can be viewed as a proper alternative instructional model for elementary school teachers who aim to give more active, supportive and inclusive reading instruction.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results of classroom action research conducted in two cycles, the implementation of the Think-Pair-Share (TPS) learning model was effective in improving the ability to read and understand two-syllable words for fourth grade students with reading difficulties at SDN 007 Long Mesangat. The improvement was observed in the learning process and in the achievement of the students. The mean score increased from 59.50 in pre-cycle stage to 70.17 in Cycle I and 83.33 in Cycle II whereas classical mastery improved from 0% to 25% and ultimately to 100%. Students also showed gains in reading accuracy, fluency, word comprehension, classroom participation, peer collaboration, motivation and confidence in reading aloud. The results indicate that the systematic procedures of independent thinking, talking with a partner and sharing learning outcomes gave students with reading difficulties important support. The findings have important theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, the results support Vygotsky’s social constructivist position that emphasizes that learning is enhanced through social interaction, collaboration and support from more capable peers or teachers .

The TPS model allowed students to build initial understanding independently, enrich their reading via paired discussion and consolidate learning by sharing their results with the class. In practice, TPS can be employed as an alternative teaching strategy to establish an active, interactive, collaborative and student-centered reading atmosphere. The model also promotes peer-assisted learning, decreases students’ reliance on the direct help of a teacher, and enhances confidence, communication skills and elementary school students' basic literacy development with reading difficulties. Teachers are encouraged to use the Think-Pair-Share model in reading instruction, especially for students who have difficulty decoding, fluency, and word comprehension, while providing intensive guidance and engaging instructional media appropriate to students’ learning needs. Schools should promote literacy-focused instructional innovation by providing appropriate learning materials, graded reading materials, visual media and professional development in terms of cooperative and inclusive teaching strategies. Students should participate in active discussion, take advantage of peer-learning opportunities and develop a regular reading habit at school as well as at home. It is suggested that future researchers should use a larger group of participants, have a longer period of intervention, study other literacy skills such as advanced reading comprehension and writing, and compare TPS with other cooperative learning models to gain wider evidence on the effectiveness of TPS.