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

Abstract

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.