Nahwu Teaching Strategy at Point Zero in Improving Reading Comprehension in Manhalun Nabighin Dormary School Medan

Abstract

Gaps in students' foundational Arabic knowledge often serve as a major obstacle in learning nahwu (Arabic syntax), necessitating a teaching strategy that accommodates beginners even those with no prior Arabic background. This study aims to describe the "Nahwu Titik Nol" (Zero-Point Arabic Syntax) teaching strategy and analyze its contribution to improving students' reading proficiency (maharah qira'ah) at the Manhalun Nabighin Dormitory in Medan. Employing a qualitative approach, the study utilized unstructured observations and in-depth interviews with four key informants: the dormitory head, an instructor, a current student, and an alumnus. The results indicate that a phased teaching strategy progressing from letter recognition to advanced syntactic rules and integrated with games and songs is highly effective in alleviating beginners' psychological barriers while enabling students to read unvowelized Arabic texts (kitab gundul) within two to three months. These findings underscore that reading proficiency is essentially a holistic process of synthesizing rules, sounds, and meanings rather than merely pronouncing letters meaning the program's success hinges on individual dedication and requires a review track for participants seeking deeper mastery.