UM Surabaya Lecturer: This is the Importance of Growing Literacy Capabilities from an Early Age

• 02 Mar
• 2022

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UM Surabaya Lecturer: This is the Importance of Growing Literacy Capabilities from an Early Age

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• By Uswah Sahal
• Education
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Literacy skills play an important role in supporting children's school readiness. According to the Big Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI) literacy is defined in three senses. First, literacy is defined as the ability to write and read. Second, literacy is expressed as knowledge or skill in a particular field or activity.

Agus Budiman, Lecturer in Early Childhood Education (PAUD) at the University of Muhammadiyah Surabaya (UM Surabaya) explained the importance of instilling literacy from an early age amidst the onslaught of technology is very important. Seeing the great influence of technology on children's development, especially early childhood. It is not uncommon for young children to be able to use technology and many parents are worried about the effect of technology on children.

"At the age of 4-5 years, children are in an all-inquisitive phase, children are always curious about new things that catch their attention," said Budi.

He explained that in this phase there is a big danger from the child's routine in accessing the virtual world. It takes the role of parents in accompanying and full awareness of parents regarding the adverse effects that are caused if they are often used without assistance, especially the impact on their development and growth.

“Raising children is a big responsibility and not easy. Their inquisitive, impatient and creative character seems to overwhelm parents a little. Technology makes children always want to be satisfied quickly what they want and get, "he said again.

He further explained that the introduction of literacy for early childhood can be started with the habit of reading story books or fairy tales to children regularly by parents at home. Even though it seems like a simple activity, reading books to children is the first step in introducing them to the world of literacy.

“Cultivating a literacy culture in the digital era as it is today is very important. Literacy culture has a big role in training children's basic abilities to read, write and tell stories," he added.

At the end of his statement, he emphasized that instilling a culture of literacy in children from an early age will develop critical thinking skills in children and prepare children to enter the world of school.

"Introduction to literacy in early childhood can be done in stages by paying attention to the child's developmental stages, besides that parents have a very important role in instilling literacy in children's growth and development," he concluded.