OPTIMIZING CHILDREN'S LITERACY CULTURE THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF LITERACY ACTIVITIES IN KAROYA VILLAGE

Abstrak

Background. Developing a sustainable literacy culture is essential for strengthening children’s reading comprehension, communication skills, creativity, and capacity to process information.

Aims. This community service program aimed to strengthen children’s literacy culture in Karoya Village, Cipicung District, Kuningan Regency, by implementing participatory, engaging, and context-based literacy activities while optimizing the role of the Cahaya Qolbu Village Library as a community learning space.

Methods. The program employed a participatory-educational method with a qualitative approach consisting of four stages: initial observation, planning, implementation, and evaluation. The primary participants were students in Grades 3–5 of SDN 1 Karoya and SDN 2 Karoya, while selected activities also involved early childhood learners. The interventions comprised village library management, reading aloud, interactive book reviews, book-based creative projects, story writing, literacy visits, and literacy appreciation. Program outcomes were assessed qualitatively through observation, question-and-answer sessions, students’ work, interviews, and documentation. The findings indicated increased student enthusiasm and active participation in literacy activities, greater confidence in reading and expressing opinions, improved engagement in understanding and communicating information from reading materials, and enhanced creativity through book-based projects and writing activities. The program also strengthened the utilization of the village library as a shared learning environment.

Conclusion. These findings demonstrate that literacy development is more effective when reading is integrated with discussion, writing, creative production, and direct interaction with accessible community literacy resources. However, the sustainability of these outcomes requires continuous mentoring and collaboration among schools, families, library managers, the village government, and the wider community.

Implementation. The program provides a practical community-based model for transforming village libraries from passive book-storage facilities into active and sustainable literacy-learning spaces.