<![CDATA[Literal reading comprehension is a fundamental literacy skill that elementary school students need to master as the basis for developing higher order reading comprehension. However, preliminary observations revealed that students experienced difficulties in identifying characters, determining settings, sequencing events, finding explicit information, identifying main ideas, and recognizing the moral values of children's stories. These problems were associated with low reading interest, limited vocabulary, and teacher-centered learning practices that provided insufficient opportunities for students to actively construct meaning from texts. This study aimed to describe the preparation and implementation of the Read Aloud approach and to examine its effectiveness in improving students' literal reading comprehension of children's stories. The study employed a quantitative approach using a quasi-experimental method with a Pretest-Posttest Control Group Design. The participants consisted of 33 fifth-grade elementary school students, including 17 students in the experimental class and 16 students in the control class. Data were collected through reading comprehension tests, classroom observations, interviews, and documentation. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, normality tests, homogeneity tests, paired sample t-tests, independent sample t-tests, and N-Gain analysis. The findings indicate that the Read Aloud approach significantly improved students' literal reading comprehension. Students in the experimental class achieved higher learning gains than those in the control class. Furthermore, classroom observations demonstrated that the approach encouraged active participation, classroom interaction, and deeper engagement with children's stories. Therefore, the Read Aloud approach can be considered an effective instructional alternative for improving elementary school students' literal reading comprehension in Indonesian language learning. Keywords: Read Aloud, literal reading comprehension, children's stories, elementary school, Indonesian language learning.]]>
