Teachers' Efforts to Improve Early Childhood Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic Skills at Palam State Kindergarten

Abstract

Early childhood education plays an essential role in supporting children’s overall development, particularly in the cognitive domain. One of the fundamental abilities introduced during this stage is literacy and numeracy skills, commonly referred to as reading, writing, and counting (calistung). These skills should be introduced through learning activities that are appropriate for the developmental characteristics of young children, mainly through enjoyable and play-based learning experiences. This study aims to describe the efforts made by teachers to improve early literacy and numeracy skills of children at TK Negeri Palam. The research employed a qualitative approach using a descriptive method. Data were collected through classroom observations, interviews with teachers, and documentation of learning activities. The findings indicate that teachers play an important role in stimulating children’s literacy and numeracy development by applying various creative learning strategies, such as singing, storytelling, educational games, and the use of attractive learning media. The media used include letter cards, number cards, illustrated storybooks, and concrete objects found in the children’s surrounding environment. The implementation of play-based learning has proven effective in increasing children’s interest and participation in learning activities. However, several challenges were also identified, including differences in children’s learning abilities and limited learning support from the family environment. To address these challenges, teachers apply flexible teaching approaches, provide individual assistance when necessary, and establish collaboration with parents to support children’s learning at home. Therefore, literacy and numeracy learning in early childhood can be carried out gradually, in a fun manner, and in accordance with children’s developmental stages