Strengthening Literacy Among Elementary School Students Through the Artificial Intelligence-Based Learning Platform “APEL” (Children Who Love Literacy) in the Upper Classes of SDN 61 Singkawang

The low reading comprehension ability of upper-grade students at SDN 61 Singkawang is the main background of this study. Based on the 2025 Education Report, students’ competencies in understanding, interpreting, and evaluating texts remain relatively low. This condition encourages the development of APEL (Anak Pecinta Literasi), an AI-based learning platform integrated into the PUDING website, designed with a self-regulated active learning approach as a virtual tutor. This study aims to explain the implementation and measure the impact of the platform on strengthening students' literacy competencies. The method used is a qualitative descriptive approach. The learning process is carried out in four stages, namely exercises in identifying the main idea, analyzing the elements of 5W+1H, understanding the intrinsic elements of the story, and developing paragraphs. The results of the study indicate an increase in active participation and student learning independence. The instant feedback feature and the available learning records allow teachers to monitor student progress more accurately and continuously. Teachers also responded positively to the application of this technology. The main factor supporting success is the role of AI as a personal companion, while the biggest challenge comes from limited internet access. This research concludes that the APEL platform has the potential to be a creative solution for overcoming literacy problems through systematic, autonomous, and reflective habituation.