IMPROVING EARLY CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE SKILLS IN EARLY LITERACY ACTIVITIES THROUGH SAND MEDIA: A COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM AT TK TRISULA I, KEDIRI CITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70574/8e60kq71Keywords:
early literacy, language development, sand media, early childhood education, community serviceAbstract
Early literacy development is a fundamental foundation for children’s language acquisition and future academic success. However, learning activities that are monotonous and lack engaging media often reduce children’s motivation and participation in early literacy learning. This community service program aimed to improve the language skills of children aged 5–6 years in early literacy activities using sand as a learning medium at TK Trisula I, Kediri City, during the 2025/2026 academic year. The program employed an intervention-based approach using classroom action cycles consisting of planning, implementation, observation, and reflection. The participants were 12 children from Group B. Data were collected through observation sheets assessing three aspects of language skills: neatness, independence, and accuracy in recognizing and writing letters. The results showed a gradual improvement in children’s language skills across learning cycles. In Cycle I, the average achievement reached 60.42%, categorized as Developing as Expected. The findings indicate that sand media provides a meaningful, enjoyable, and sensory-rich learning experience that supports children’s early literacy development. This program concludes that the use of sand as a learning medium is effective in enhancing early childhood language skills and can serve as an alternative instructional strategy in early childhood education settings.
References
Bodrova, E., & Leong, D. J. (2019). Tools of the mind: The Vygotskian approach to early childhood education. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 47, 32–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.10.009
Cabell, S. Q., Justice, L. M., McGinty, A. S., & Zucker, T. A. (2019). Emergent literacy and early reading development. Reading and Writing, 32(4), 723–746. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-018-9877-4
Cameron, C. E., Brock, L. L., Murrah, W. M., et al. (2012). Fine motor skills and executive function both contribute to kindergarten achievement. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 27(4), 679–688. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2012.01.002
Dhieni, N., et al. (2020). Language Development Methods. Tangerang Selatan: Universitas Terbuka.
Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J. M., Golinkoff, R. M., et al. (2020). A new path to education reform: Playful learning promotes 21st-century skills. Child Development Perspectives, 14(2), 81–86. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12368
Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Educational Psychology Review, 27(3), 393–401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9312-4
Kuhl, P. K. (2010). Brain mechanisms in early language acquisition. Neuron, 67(5), 713–727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2010.08.038
Lillard, A. S. (2017). Montessori education and child development. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 153, 149–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2016.10.001
Lonigan, C. J., Burgess, S. R., & Schatschneider, C. (2018). Examining the simple view of reading with elementary school children. Developmental Review, 47, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2018.03.001
Romeo, R. R., Leonard, J. A., Robinson, S. T., et al. (2018). Beyond the 30-million-word gap: Children’s conversational exposure is associated with language-related brain function. Psychological Science, 29(5), 700–710. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617742725
Whitehurst, G. J., & Lonigan, C. J. (1998). Child development and emergent literacy. Educational Psychology Review, 10(1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022580826804.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Yoyok F., Aureola C.M.W, Mikielson J, Neza P.N., Yeti M.R.D., Jefanto T.A. (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
