Structural Analytic Synthetic Instruction With Letter Cards for Second-Grade Beginning Reading: A Classroom Action Study

Abstract

Beginning readers require coordinated knowledge of letters, syllables, words, and meaningful sentences, but conventional teacher-centred practice may provide insufficient manipulation and guided reconstruction of print. This classroom action study examined changes in the beginning-reading performance of 20 second-grade students at SDN 08 Tilamuta, Indonesia, during Structural Analytic Synthetic (SAS) instruction supported by letter cards. A baseline observation was followed by two cycles of planning, action, observation, and reflection. Students progressed from complete sentences to words, syllables, and letters, then reconstructed the elements into complete forms. Performance was rated for voice clarity, fluent reading, and reading confidence on a four-point rubric. Individual ratings were reanalysed with descriptive statistics, Friedman tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Holm adjustment, Kendall effect sizes, Cochran Q, and exact McNemar tests. The composite mean increased from 6.65 at baseline to 7.20 in Cycle I and 9.15 in Cycle II, chi-square(2) = 26.92, p < .001, Kendall W = .673. The proportion meeting all three criteria increased from 40% to 60% and 80%. Most improvement occurred between Cycles I and II; the baseline-to-Cycle I composite comparison was not statistically significant after adjustment. The findings indicate meaningful local improvement after iterative refinement, but the stated 90% mastery target was not reached. Causal claims remain limited by the absence of a comparison group and unreported measurement reliability.