INTEGRASI GERAK DAN LAGU DALAM PEMBELAJARAN: SUATU UPAYA UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN MOTORIK KASAR ANAK

Abstract

Gross motor development plays an important role in early childhood as it provides the foundation for children to perform more complex physical activities and supports their health, independence, and self-confidence. This study aimed to improve the gross motor skills of early childhood children through movement and song activities. The study employed a classroom action research design conducted in two cycles, with each cycle consisting of three meetings, involving 18 children aged 5–6 years, including 11 boys and 7 girls. Data were collected through observation and documentation. The results showed an improvement in children’s gross motor skills, with the average achievement increasing from 27.8% in the pre-cycle to 50.0% in Cycle I and reaching 82.1% in Cycle II, indicating an overall increase of 54.3% from the pre-cycle to Cycle II. Improvements were also observed in each indicator, namely the ability to imitate movements increased from 33.3% to 87.0%, the ability to repeat movements increased from 27.8% to 81.5%, and the ability to express movements confidently increased from 22.2% to 77.8%. Since the success criterion of more than 75% was achieved in Cycle II, the study was considered successful. Therefore, it can be concluded that movement and song activities are effective in improving the gross motor skills of early childhood children, and they are recommended as an alternative learning strategy by incorporating variations of songs, the use of simple props, and positive reinforcement.