PENGARUH SMART BOARD ABC KIDS TERHADAP KEMAMPUAN MENGENAL HURUF ANAK USIA DINI

Abstract

Letter recognition ability is a fundamental foundation of early literacy for early childhood language development, particularly among children aged 4–5 years who begin to show interest in symbols and language sounds. In practice, some children have not yet reached adequate letter recognition ability because learning media are less attractive and learning tends to be conventional. This study aimed to determine the letter recognition ability of children aged 4–5 years before and after the use of a Smart Board ABC Kids and to examine its effect at TK Aisyiyah Bustanul Athfal 3 Pontianak. The study employed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental method and a Nonequivalent Control Group Design. The sample consisted of 45 children, comprising 21 children in the experimental group and 24 children in the control group. Data were collected through observation using an instrument that had been tested for validity and reliability. Data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test and Mann–Whitney U Test because the data were not normally distributed. The mean score of the experimental group increased from 5.38 to 9.05, while the control group increased from 6.50 to 10.13. The Wilcoxon test indicated significant pre-test and post-test differences in both groups (p = 0.000). The Mann–Whitney U Test showed a significant difference in post-test scores (p = 0.040), but no significant difference in gain scores (p = 0.908). Thus, both the ABC Kids Smart Board and conventional learning improved children's letter recognition ability, while the magnitude of improvement between the groups did not differ significantly.