Beyond Fluency: Diagnosing Reading Comprehension Difficulties in a Banjar–Indonesian Bilingual Elementary School Student

Ayu Anindia Hizraini 1 Indonesia , Ali Ridho 1 Indonesia , Rofi Shafwan 1 Indonesia
1 Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Kalimantan Selatan, Indonesia
Link Copied!
Published 2026-10-02
Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026) PAGES 372-383
DOI 10.51574/ijrer.v6i1.5402
Views / Downloads 0 0

Reading fluency is often assumed to signify successful reading development, yet students who read accurately may still struggle with comprehension. This qualitative case study diagnosed the reading comprehension difficulties of an Indonesian–Banjar bilingual fifth-grade student who demonstrated proficient oral reading fluency but persistent comprehension deficits, while identifying the underlying linguistic and environmental factors. Data was gathered through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews with the students, teachers, and parents, and document analysis. Credibility was established via source and technique triangulation, and data were analyzed using an interactive qualitative model. The findings revealed that despite adequate decoding skills, the participant experienced marked difficulties in identifying main ideas, inferencing, understanding vocabulary, answering critical questions, and retelling text. Limited Indonesian vocabulary, the dominance of the local Banjar language in daily communication, and a lack of cognitive reading strategies emerged as the primary contributing factors. Interpreted through the Simple View of Reading, Scarborough’s Reading Rope, and Sociocultural Theory, these results demonstrate that comprehension deficits can persist alongside fluent decoding when linguistic comprehension and strategic reading behaviors are underdeveloped. Consequently, supporting bilingual learners requires explicit vocabulary instruction, systematic strategy training, and robust school–family collaboration.

Hizraini, A. A., Ridho, A., & Shafwan, R. (2026). Beyond Fluency: Diagnosing Reading Comprehension Difficulties in a Banjar–Indonesian Bilingual Elementary School Student . ETDC: Indonesian Journal of Research and Educational Review , 6(1), 372–383. https://doi.org/10.51574/ijrer.v6i1.5402
More Citation Formats
Download Citation

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
  1. Akmar Muhamad Nasir, N., & Ab Rashid, R. (2026). Theories in Context: Understanding Language Learning Through Vygotsky, Cummins, and Translanguaging. In Navigating English Language Education in Malaysia: The Case of Thai-Speaking Minority Pupils (pp. 15-26). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-4364-9_2
  2. Alshehri, M. G., & Zhang, D. (2022). The lexical basis of second language reading comprehension: From (sub) lexical knowledge to processing efficiency. Language Learning, 72(2), 325-364. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12478
  3. Bonifacci, P., Viroli, C., Vassura, C., Colombini, E., & Desideri, L. (2023). The relationship between mind wandering and reading comprehension: A meta-analysis. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 30(1), 40-59. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-022-02141-w
  4. Butcher, K. R. (2024). Promoting understanding in digital contexts: using the construction-integration model as a framework for educational technology design and assessment. Discourse Processes, 61(6-7), 347-351. https://doi.org/10.1080/0163853X.2024.2357983
  5. Chen, M. (2026). Sociocultural Theory as a Framework for Understanding English as a Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning Through Virtual Reality Digital Content Creation. Navigating Theory, 379. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-9563-1_21
  6. Duke, N. K., & Cartwright, K. B. (2021). The science of reading progresses: Communicating advances beyond the simple view of reading. Reading Research Quarterly, 56, S25-S44. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.411
  7. Fethi, N., & Józsa, K. (2026). The Simple View of Reading as a cognitive framework for multilingual reading comprehension assessment. Frontiers in Education (Vol. 11, p. 1737066). Frontiers Media SA. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1737066
  8. Hoover, W. A. (2024). The simple view of reading and its broad types of reading difficulties. Reading and Writing, 37(9), 2277-2298. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-023-10471-x
  9. Hoover, W. A., & Tunmer, W. E. (2018). The simple view of reading: Three assessments of its adequacy. Remedial and Special Education, 39(5), 304-312. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932518773154
  10. Hwang, H., Choi, S., Guha, M., McMaster, K., Harsch, R., & Kendeou, P. (2024). Indirect and direct contributions of executive functions to reading comprehension. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 243, 105925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105925
  11. Kargiotidis, A., Tafa, E., Mouzaki, A., & Manolitsis, G. (2026). Predicting reading comprehension difficulties in the context of an extended simple view of reading model. Reading and Writing, 39(5), 1829-1848. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-025-10677-1
  12. Lampi, J. P., Armstrong, S. L., Talwar, A., & Magliano, J. P. (2025). Reading matters in supporting students: The role of complex literacy tasks in academic success. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 27(3), 880-901. https://doi.org/10.1177/15210251231214557
  13. Lee, K., & Lee, N. (2025). A geosemiotic analysis of the linguistic landscape in a touristified residential neighborhood. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 23(2-3), 247-266. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2025.2512349
  14. McCandlish, S. (2024). Teaching the Language Strand of the Reading Rope Through Mentor Texts. Word of Mouth, 35(4), 10-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/10483950231225114c
  15. Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis. Sage.
  16. Nawaz, M., Nizamani, M., & Hameed, R. (2024). Analyze how children acquire language and the cognitive processes involved, including the role of environmental and social factors. Bulletin of Business and Economics (BBE), 13(3), 239-247. https://doi.org/10.61506/01.00483
  17. Nugraheni, A. S., & Hasan, M. F. (2026). Indonesian language learning adaptation strategies in regional language environment: a phenomenological study in rural primary schools. Cogent Education, 13(1), 2635805. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2026.2635805
  18. Pisa, O. E. C. D. (2023). Results (volume I): the state of learning and equity in education. PISA. Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/53f23881-en
  19. Ramadhianti, A., & Somba, S. (2023). Reading comprehension difficulties in Indonesian EFL students. Journal of English Language Teaching and Literature, 6(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.47080/jeltl.v6i1.2477
  20. Razaq, Y., Satriani, S., Amiruddin, A., Bahri, S., & Hasbi, M. (2022). A Study Fable in Pair Work on ELT Learners' English Vocabulary Achievement: A Study Fable in Pair Work on ELT. ETDC: Indonesian Journal of Research and Educational Review, 1(3), 450-458. https://doi.org/10.51574/ijrer.v1i3.398
  21. Rosborough, A., & Wimmer, J. (2023). Vygotskian sociocultural theory for second language learners: Addressing in/commensurabilities with popular school-based curricula. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Applied Literature: Dynamics and Advances, 11(2), 183-204. https://doi.org/10.22049/jalda.2024.28049.1474
  22. Satriani, S., Hasbi, M., Razaq, Y., Muzkiyah, N., & Fahira, A. (2022). Reciprocal Teaching Strategy on Reading Comprehension: A Review for Prospective Teachers. ETDC: Indonesian Journal of Research and Educational Review, 1(2), 217-222. https://doi.org/10.51574/ijrer.v1i2.339
  23. Song, X., Razali, A. B., & Jeyaraj, J. J. (2025). How project-based learning improves college EFL learners’ critical thinking skills and reading comprehension ability: A case study. Language Teaching Research, 13621688251352275. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688251352275
  24. Talwar, A., Magliano, J. P., Higgs, K., Santuzzi, A., Tonks, S., O’Reilly, T., & Sabatini, J. (2023). Early academic success in college: Examining the contributions of reading literacy skills, metacognitive reading strategies, and reading motivation. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 53(1), 58-87. https://doi.org/10.1080/10790195.2022.2137069
  25. Taye, T., & Lodebo, T. (2026). The relationship between vocabulary learning strategies, reading comprehension, and motivation among secondary school EFL learners. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 13, 102516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2026.102516
  26. Truong, K. D. (2024). Mediation, emotion, and agency from an activity theoretical perspective as potential analytical tools for inquiry into language teacher cognition: clarifications and implications. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 9(1), 73. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-024-00296-8
  27. Tunmer, W. E., & Hoover, W. A. (2019). The cognitive foundations of learning to read: A framework for preventing and remediating reading difficulties. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 24(1), 75-93. https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2019.1614081
  28. Wang, X., & Reynolds, B. L. (2024). Beyond the books: Exploring factors shaping Chinese English learners’ engagement with large language models for vocabulary learning. Education Sciences, 14(5), 496. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14050496
  29. Yapp, D., de Graaff, R., & van den Bergh, H. (2023). Effects of reading strategy instruction in English as a second language on students’ academic reading comprehension. Language Teaching Research, 27(6), 1456-1479. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820985236
  30. Zahroh, N. F., & Kirani, E. D. (2024). Analisis kemampuan membaca pemahaman pada mahasiswa PBSI. Edukatif: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 6(2), 1051-1065.
  31. Zhang, S., & Zhang, X. (2022). The relationship between vocabulary knowledge and L2 reading/listening comprehension: A meta-analysis. Language Teaching Research, 26(4), 696-725. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/1362168820913998
  32. Zheng, H., Miao, X., Dong, Y., & Yuan, D. C. (2023). The relationship between grammatical knowledge and reading comprehension: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1098568. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1098568
  33. Zhu, T., Zhang, Y., & Irwin, D. (2024). Second and foreign language vocabulary learning through digital reading: A meta-analysis. Education and Information Technologies, 29(4), 4531-4563. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11969-1

Copyright (c) 2026 Ayu Anindia Hizraini, Ali Ridho, Rofi Shafwan

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Similar Articles

<< < 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.

Dimension Badge

Downloads

Downloads
Crossmark Badge
Crossmark Badge
Section
Articles
Keywords
Bilingual Context Case Study Reading Comprehension Difficulties Reading Fluency Vocabulary Knowledge