Ihya Ulum: Early Childhood Education Journal

Enhancing Gross Motor Skills of Early Childhood Through the Colour Ball Challenge Play Framework

Daffa Shoutul Haq — 2026-07-30

Gross motor skills are a crucial foundation for early childhood development, yet they are frequently marginalized by early academic pressures such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Colour Ball Challenge Play Framework in enhancing the gross motor skills of young children. Method: Utilizing a Classroom Action Research (CAR) methodology based on the Kemmis and McTaggart model, this study involved 17 children aged 3–4 years (10 boys and 7 girls) at Al Aqsha Integrated Islamic Playgroup Ngadiluwih. Data were collected using a structured observation rubric covering four manipulative movement indicators: holding a ball, throwing to a target, positioning the support leg, and kicking to a target. The data were then analyzed using descriptive comparative analysis across pre-intervention, Cycle I, and Cycle II phases. Findings: The baseline assessment showed a low initial mean score of 8.58, with a classical mastery rate of only 23.53% (4 children). Following the implementation of the colour-based play framework in Cycle I, the mean score improved to 9.53 with a 41.18% mastery rate. After optimizing the visual cues and instructions in Cycle II, children's performance escalated sharply, achieving a mean score of 13.71 and a classical mastery rate of 88.24% (15 children), successfully surpassing the 75% success threshold. Conclusion: The integration of cognitive colour recognition within a structured physical play framework significantly accelerates children's dynamic balance, muscle memory, and focus. This framework serves as an accessible, cost-effective, and playful pedagogical model for early childhood physical education.

The Effect of Using Picture Word Card Media on the Expressive Language Skills of Children Aged 5-6 Years

Dayang Fazira — 2026-07-30

This study aimed to analyze the effect of using Picture Word Card media on the expressive language skills of children aged 5-6 years. Expressive language skills are an essential aspect of language development that supports children’s ability to express ideas, feelings, and thoughts verbally. This study employed a quantitative approach using a quasi-experimental method with a Nonequivalent Control Group Design. The independent variable was Picture Word Card media, while the dependent variable was children’s expressive language skills. The population consisted of 28 children, with a sample of 20 children selected through purposive sampling and divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 10 children in each group. Data were collected through observation, tests, and documentation. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential statistics, including normality and homogeneity tests, N-Gain analysis, and an Independent Samples t-Test. The results showed that the experimental group demonstrated greater improvement in expressive language skills than the control group. The N-Gain results indicated that the improvement in the experimental group was categorized as high, while the control group was categorized as moderate. Furthermore, the Independent Samples t-Test showed a significant difference between the two groups (t = 4.459, p = 0.001 < 0.05), indicating a significant effect of Picture Word Card media on children’s expressive language skills. These findings imply that Picture Word Card media can serve as an effective alternative instructional medium for supporting the development of expressive language skills in early childhood education.

Internalization of Cultural Educational Values in Character Formation in Early Childhood

Luthfi Azmiyah — 2026-07-30

Instilling educational cultural values ??for early childhood is the main foundation in shaping character because there are still children's behaviors that are not fully aligned when applying the values ??that have been given. This study aims to describe the educational stages of instilling cultural values ??on early childhood character formation in Ananda Telkomas Makassar Kindergarten through a qualitative descriptive approach. School principals, educators, and students were made subjects in this study, while the process of obtaining data was carried out using observation, interviews, and documentation which was then processed using the Miles and Huberman model. The findings of the study show that value instilling is applied through the combination of learning activities and daily routines, such as praying, saying greetings, marching in an orderly manner, and maintaining cleanliness, with educators acting as the main example. The implementation received support from a supportive school atmosphere and the participation of parents, although obstacles were still found in the form of unstable implementation of values ??and differences in the condition of children's backgrounds. The characters that emerge include discipline, responsibility, honesty, caring, and the ability to work together. Therefore, instilling values ??that are carried out in a sustainable manner and integrated into daily activities is considered to be able to help the formation of early childhood character optimally.

Influence Game Zig-Zag Run To Skills Motoric Rough Children Aged 5-6 Years

Shalih Diva Azizah — 2026-07-30

The gross motor skills of children in the control group before and after being given a ball relay game, knowing the description of the gross motor skills of children in the experimental group before and after being given a zig-zag run game, and analyzing the effect of the zig-zag run game on the gross motor skills of children aged 5-6 years at Aisyiyah Bustanul Athfal Parangtambung Makassar Kindergarten. This study uses a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental research type and a Nonequivalent Control Group Design. The research sample consisted of 20 children divided into two groups, namely 10 children in the experimental group and 10 children in the control group. The data collection technique was carried out through observation using a gross motor skills assessment sheet which includes locomotor, non-locomotor, and manipulative aspects. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics through the Mann-Whitney test. The results showed that the gross motor skills of children in the control group increased after participating in the ball relay game, but the increase was still in the Less category. Meanwhile, the experimental group that received treatment in the form of a zig-zag run game showed a more optimal increase until most of the children were in the Very Good category. The results of the Mann Whitney test obtained an Asymp. Sig. (2-Tailed) value of 0.000 (<0.05), which indicated a significant difference between the experimental group and the control group. Thus, it can be concluded that the zig-zag run game has a significant effect on improving the gross motor skills of children aged 5-6 years at Aisyiyah Bustanul Athfal Parangtambung Kindergarten, Makassar.

Development of Pobara (Joyful Reading Tree) Media to Improve Letter Recognition Skills in Early Childhood: Integrating Islamic Pedagogical Values

Erika Melany — 2026-07-30

Letter recognition constitutes one of the most fundamental pillars of early literacy development in early childhood, as it underlies phonological awareness and later reading competence. In practice, however, letter-learning activities in many early childhood classrooms are still delivered through conventional, text-based, and repetitive methods that fail to sustain children's engagement and motivation. Within Islamic educational thought, literacy acquisition is also inseparable from the theological command to read (iqra') articulated in the first revelation of the Qur'an, positioning the pursuit of knowledge as an act of worship rather than a merely secular skill. Motivated by these considerations, this study aimed to develop POBARA (Joyful Reading Tree), a three-dimensional instructional medium designed to improve letter recognition skills among young children through developmentally appropriate, play-based, and multisensory activities. The study employed a Research and Development (R&D) approach adapted from the Borg and Gall model, encompassing five stages: research and information gathering, planning, preliminary product development, expert validation, and product revision. The resulting prototype, a tree-shaped medium equipped with detachable illustrated alphabet cards, was validated by two instructional media experts and two early childhood education experts using structured questionnaires analyzed through Aiken's V formula. Results showed that all validation indicators exceeded the minimum acceptable coefficient of 0.75, confirming that POBARA is structurally durable and pedagogically appropriate for classroom use.

The Utilization of The Snakes and Ladders Game to Develop Early Reading Skills in Children Aged 3-4 Years

Endra Eka Kasih — 2026-07-30

This study aims to describe the process and outcomes of using the snakes and ladders game to develop early reading skills in children aged 3-4 years. Early reading skills, including letter recognition and picture-word association, are foundational competencies that need to be introduced through enjoyable and age-appropriate learning media. This research employed a descriptive qualitative approach, conducted at Playgroup Laboratory School of Nusantara PGRI University Kediri, with data collected through observation, interviews, and documentation of learning activities from October 22 to November 6, 2025. The snakes and ladders game was adapted as a learning medium for letter recognition, implemented in sessions lasting 30-40 minutes at the end of each lesson. During the initial sessions, children demonstrated enthusiasm toward game-based activities such as rolling the dice and observing the pictures on the board, although their active involvement in naming letters remained uneven. This was attributed to the children's strong focus on the game mechanics itself and an insufficiently conducive classroom atmosphere. In subsequent sessions, notable improvements were observed in children's participation, their understanding of the game rules, their courage in pronouncing letters and picture names aloud, and their verbal interaction with the teacher. Teachers also reported measurable progress in children's letter recognition ability, their skill in matching pictures with flashcards, as well as improvements in concentration and self-confidence during learning activities. In conclusion, the snakes and ladders game proves to be an effective and promising learning medium, offering an enjoyable, concrete, and interactive approach to early reading development, while requiring careful classroom management and consistent teacher guidance to maximize its benefits.

The Effect of Magnetic Letter-Based Play Activities on Early Literacy Skills of Children Aged 5-6 Years

Zuhroh Fajriati — 2026-07-30

Early literacy skills are a critical foundation for children’s readiness to enter formal education. However, data show that Indonesia ranks 67th out of 81 countries in PISA 2022, indicating that literacy competency requires strengthening from the earliest stages of education. Initial observations revealed that of the 39 children in Group B, 5 had not recognized any letters at all, while 15 only recognized some letters; from this population, a purposive sample of 20 children exhibiting sub-optimal early literacy was selected and divided into an experimental group (n=10) and control group (n=10). This study aims to investigate (1) the description of magnetic letter media use, (2) children’s early literacy ability before and after treatment, and (3) the effect of play activities using magnetic letter media on early literacy skills. A quasi-experimental approach with a Non-Equivalent Control Group Design was employed. Data were collected through observation, tests, and documentation, then analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. Result showed that the experimental group’s mean score increased from 28.4 (pre-test) to 38.3 (post-test), a gain of 9,9 points, while the control group only increased by 2.6 points. The Wilcoxon test yielded a significance value of 0.005 (p < 0.05), confirming that play activities using magnetic letter media significantly enhance early literacy skills in children aged 5-6 years at Makassar of Islam Al-Abrar Kindergarten.

The Effect of the Traditional Boy-Boyan Game on the Gross Motor Skills of Children Aged 5-6 Years

Carma Astiana — 2026-07-30

Gross motor skills are a fundamental aspect of development that needs to be optimally stimulated in early childhood. This study aims to determine the effect of the traditional “boy-boyan” game on the gross motor skills of children aged 5–6 years. This study employed a quantitative approach using a Quasi-Experimental Design and a Nonequivalent Control Group Design. The sample consisted of 20 children selected through purposive sampling, divided into an experimental group of 10 children who received the modified traditional “boy-boyan” game intervention and a control group of 10 children who received the “engklek” game intervention, each for six sessions. The novelty of this study lies in the modification of the “boy-boyan” game using rubber balls and stackable donut rings to enhance safety and visual appeal for children while stimulating basic motor skills. Data were collected through tests, observations, and documentation, then analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. The results showed that the average gross motor skill score of the experimental group increased from 10.30 on the pre-test to 21.80 on the post-test, with 80% of the children achieving the “Very Good” category. The results of the Wilcoxon test showed an Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) value of 0.004 < 0.05, leading to the conclusion that the traditional “Boy-Boyan” game has a significant effect on the gross motor skills of 5- to 6-year-old children and is proven to be more effective than the “Engklek” game.

Deep Learning-Based Daily Activity Storybook for Early Childhood Literacy Skills

Nur Alim Amri — 2026-07-30

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of a deep learning–based daily activity storybook in enhancing early literacy skills among children aged 5–6 years. Employing a quantitative approach with a pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design, the research involved 22 children selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a validated and reliable literacy observation sheet (Aiken’s V = 0.84–0.95; a = 0.91; ICC = 0.84) measuring children’s ability to comprehend symbols, use vocabulary, and express ideas meaningfully. Statistical analysis using the Paired Sample t-test revealed a significant difference between pretest (M = 52.14, SD = 4.38) and posttest (M = 74.27, SD = 5.16) scores, t (21) = 13.42, p < 0.001, with a very large effect size (Cohen’s d = 2.86). The findings demonstrate that integrating deep learning principles into contextual storybooks substantially improves children’s functional and expressive literacy. The study’s novelty lies in combining literacy, communication, and experiential learning through a child-centered storytelling model. Practically, it offers teachers an innovative pedagogical tool aligned with the Merdeka Curriculum, fostering joyful and meaningful learning. This research contributes to strengthening the theoretical and practical foundation of deep learning–based literacy education in early childhood contexts.