Wayang: How is it Used to Improve Children’s Language Skills?

Abstract

Language skills are the ability to express something in mind through communication. The development of language skills in early childhood is significant because it is a provision for children to communicate with people around them. This study aims to determine the improvement of children's language skills through the method of storytelling using wayang. The research method used was classroom action research. The subjects of the study were the second year students of kindergarten in East Java, Indonesia. The participants were 17 children consisting of 5 males and 12 females. The data collection technique includes assessment sheets, observations, and documentation. The children's language skills are seen in terms of 1) Children are able to be good listeners, 2) children are able to participate in the conversation, children are able to do self-expression. The research was carried out in 2 cycles starting with pre-cycle activities, cycle one, and cycle 2. The criteria of success set in this study are 75%. In the first cycle, the percentage of children's language skills attainment is 53%. Therefore, the second cycle was carried out with some revision on the method. The result shows an increase in children's language skills since they could reach 88%. This indicates that the purpose of storytelling using wayang can improve children's language skills.