Jurnal Kependidikan: Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran https://e-journal.undikma.ac.id/index.php/jurnalkependidikan/index Vol. 9, No. 2 : June 2023 E-ISSN: 2442-7667 pp. 511-520 Email: jklppm@undikma.ac.id Jurnal Kependidikan Vol. 9, No. 2 (June 2023) Copyright © 2023, The Author(s) |511 Unlocking the Potential of Second Grade Students : Emotional Quotient as a Catalyst for Early Reading Skills Development Rosdiah Salam, Rukayah*, Yusuf Denilson Rolinsa, Nur Abidah Idrus, Muhammad Faisal Elementary School Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, Universitas Negeri Makassar *Corresponding Author. Email: rukayah@unm.ac.id Abstract: This study aims to analyze the Emotional Quotient level, reading achievement level, and emotional quotient's effect on reading achievement in grade II students. This method of research was ex-post facto with a quantitative approach. The instrument used to measure students' emotional quotient levels was a questionnaire; meanwhile, the instrument used to measure students' reading achievement levels was documentation. Furthermore, the data analysis technique was descriptive analysis, then proceeded with the prerequisite analysis test, starting from the normality and linearity tests. Finally, the research hypothesis was tested using a simple linear regression test and the F test. The result was that most students have a relatively low EQ, so their reading achievement was relatively low too. The results of a straightforward regression analysis yield the equation Y = 45.788 + 0.406X, which showed that an increase in the reading performance score of 0.406 would occur for every additional unit of emotional quotient score. Thus, a significant positive relationship existed between kids' EQ and reading achievement. Self-awareness, mood management, self-motivation, empathy, and relationship management were essential considerations when increasing students' emotional quotient (EQ). While age, teaching strategies, the environment in which students learn, and parental and educational support for encouraging and assisting students in learning to read were among the elements that influence students' reading achievement. Article History Received: 12-04-2023 Revised: 16-05-2023 Accepted: 30-05-2023 Published: 16-06-2023 Key Words: Emotional Quotient; Reading Skills; Reading Achievement; Elementary School. How to Cite: Salam, R., Rukayah, R., Rolinsa, Y., Idrus, N., & Faisal, M. (2023). Unlocking the Potential of Second Grade Students : Emotional Quotient as a Catalyst for Early Reading Skills Development. Jurnal Kependidikan: Jurnal Hasil Penelitian dan Kajian Kepustakaan di Bidang Pendidikan, Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran, 9(2), 511-520. doi:https://doi.org/10.33394/jk.v9i2.7797 https://doi.org/10.33394/jk.v9i2.7797 This is an open-access article under the CC-BY-SA License. Introduction The learning process occurs at school, an important location for pupils to acquire knowledge. Along with a student's Intellectual Quotient (IQ), other variables like Emotional Quotient (EQ) and Social Quotient (SQ) are considered when determining the level of learning results (Dave et al., 2021; Owusu-Manu et al., 2019; Pishghadam et al., 2022). Students with high emotional quotients are excited about their studies, leading to satisfactory academic results. Students' emotional quotient directly impacts how they learn and are educated (Gavín-Chocano et al., 2020; González et al., 2021; Pozo-Rico et al., 2020). As a result, they can better control their emotions, stay motivated, get over irritation, and accomplish their goals. Students must gain knowledge through an effective learning process considering the EQ element to obtain satisfying learning results. Because without Emotional Quotient (EQ), pupils will feel empty and find it difficult to focus while learning, Intellectual Quotient (IQ) alone is insufficient to ensure a student's success in the teaching and learning process (Gavín ChoCano & Molero, 2019; Syaiful et al., 2020). Under these conditions, students frequently seek entertainment by playing video games rather than concentrating on their studies. They may even turn to shady tactics like