Reading ability is a fundamental competency that determines students' success in understanding mathematics word problems. This study aims to examine the correlation between reading ability and the ability to solve mathematics word problems based on Indonesian language and mathematics test instruments among third-grade students of SD INPRES BTN IKIP II. This study used a quantitative approach with a correlational design. The population and sample consisted of 17 third-grade students selected through total sampling. Data were collected using two written test instruments: an Indonesian language test consisting of 10 items to measure reading ability, and a mathematics test consisting of 10 word problem items to measure problem-solving ability. Data analysis was carried out in two stages using JASP software. The first stage involved the Shapiro-Wilk bivariate normality test, which yielded a statistic of W = 0.943 (p = .363 > 0.05), indicating that the data were normally distributed. The second stage involved Pearson's correlation test, which produced a correlation coefficient of r = 0.957 with p < .001. This value falls within the 0.80–1.00 range, classified as a very strong positive correlation. Since p < .001 < 0.05, H₀ was rejected, meaning there is a significant positive relationship between reading ability and the ability to solve mathematics word problems among third-grade students of SD INPRES BTN IKIP II. These findings confirm that reading ability serves as a critical cognitive prerequisite for mathematical word problem solving, particularly at the lower primary level.
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