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1 Juli 2025, 31-38 Psychoeducation and Counseling on ChildrenAos Readiness for Entering Primary School at TK ABA UMP Bantul Rahma Widyana1*.
Santi Esterlita Purnamasari2.
Netty Widiastuti3 123Faculty of Psychology.
Mercu Buana University of Yogyakarta.
Indonesia *Correspondence email rahma@mercubuana-yogya.
ARTICLE INFO
Abstract Article history:
Received October Revised August 2025 Accepted September The purpose of this community service is to help evaluate and provide feedback related to children's preparation for entering The participants of this service activity are the parents of students at TK Unggulan Mardi Putra Bantul.
The design used is a one-group pretest-posttest.
Data collection was conducted using a school readiness knowledge test as well as observation and The interventions provided were psychoeducation and counseling, each conducted in one session.
The results of the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test showed a coefficient value between the pretest and posttest of Z = 2.
145 and p = 0.
< 0.
, with the mean score before the training being 6.
19 and after the training 88, with an average difference of 0.
69, indicating a difference in understanding before and after the intervention.
During the counseling process, an increased understanding of the current condition of the child and how to prepare the child for entering elementary school according to each parent's concerns was observed.
It can be concluded that psychoeducation and counseling improved parents' understanding of their children's readiness to enter school.
Keywords School readiness, psychoeducation, counseling Introduction Kindergarten (Taman Kanak-kanak/TK) is one form of Early Childhood Education (Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini/PAUD) within the formal education system, which provides educational programs for children aged 4 to 6 years, with priority given to those aged 5 and 6 years.
This is in accordance with Law Number 20 of 2003 on the National Education System, which states that education is delivered through the provision of stimuli in the form of curriculum and learning materials to support childrenAos physical and psychological growth and development, so that they are prepared to enter the next level of education Journal Of Community Service https://ejurnal.
mercubuana-yogya.
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No.
1 Juli 2025, 31-38 (Directorate of Early Childhood Education Development.
Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, 2.
The Indonesian Government Regulation regarding age qualification has become an interesting topic to further examine the background of this From a neuropsychological perspective, the age range of 6Ae7 years is also considered appropriate for childrenAos readiness to enter formal schooling (Ikrar, 2.
The responsibilities carried by kindergarten teachers are quite demanding in achieving educational goals, considering that childrenAos growth and development are influenced not only by education at school but also by parenting at home.
It is undeniable that various problems may arise during the educational process, faced by schools, parents, as well as Based on the study conducted by Pangestuti et al.
, .
, it was found that most parents perceive school readiness primarily in the academic domain.
A similar condition is also found at TK Mardi Putra.
The challenges related to childrenAos readiness to enter primary school are not solely caused by educational factors, but are also influenced by family parenting practices.
In line with this, several studies have shown that parenting styles and parental involvement significantly affect childrenAos school readiness (Izza & Mariyati, 2023.
Morgan et al.
, 2009.
Pudyaningtyas et al.
, 2.
These factors play a crucial role in preparing children to enter the primary school level.
On this basis, the community service team intends to provide knowledge, skills, and an evaluation program on childrenAos school readiness to TK Mardi Putra, as well as to provide knowledge and consultation to parents regarding school readiness and the necessary efforts parents should make to support the school in preparing children to enter primary education.
There are various community service programs with the theme of school readiness, such as: .
Psychoeducation on school readiness for parents in preparing children for primary education (Astuti et al.
, 2.
Psychoeducation on childrenAos readiness to enter school (Agustina, 2.
Parental education in accompanying children to enter primary school (Ahmad et al.
, 2.
Health education: childrenAos readiness to enter primary school (Nafiah & Zuhudian, 2.
However, there are several distinctions in the present program, including: .
the educational level targeted in this program focuses on Kindergarten (TK), while Agustina .
focused on Playgroup (Kelompok Belajar.
KB).
previous programs primarily emphasized psychoeducationAisuch as psychoeducation on child development (Agustina, 2.
psychoeducation on curriculum and adaptation to a new environment (Ahmad et al.
, 2022.
Astuti et al.
, 2.
and health psychoeducation (Nafiah & Zuhudian, 2.
By contrast, the current program is centered on parenting psychoeducation and the provision of counseling for parents in need.
The objectives of these two activities are to provide parents with knowledge and information regarding what kind of stimulation should be given to children, the importance of school readiness, andAithrough counselingAito help parents better understand their childrenAos growth and development, recognize their potentials, strengths, and weaknesses.
Journal Of Community Service https://ejurnal.
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No.
1 Juli 2025, 31-38 and identify the most appropriate parenting patterns to support childrenAos optimal Method The participants of this community service program were 16 parents from TK ABA Unggulan Mardi Putra Bantul.
The instrument used was the Nijmeegse Schoolbekwaamheids Test (NST).
The data analysis technique employed was the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, which was applied to examine the differences between pre-test and posttest results on parentsAo understanding of school readiness.
Overall, the program activities consisted of four stages, namely:
Evaluation of studentsAo school readiness as recommended by the school, involving 10 students from TK Mardi Putra.
This activity was carried out on May 10Ae15, 2023.
Psychoeducation .
on childrenAos school readiness for parents and The materials discussed included the importance of school readiness, the components of school readiness, aspects of child development, and strategies for fostering school readiness in children.
This activity was conducted online via Zoom Meeting on November 20, 2023, from 19:15 to 20:30 WIB.
Figure 1.
Parenting Program Flyer Counseling on childrenAos problems was provided to parents .
n a needs-based basi.
, conducted individually on November 24, 2023, from 09:00 to 12:00 WIB.
Evaluation of parentsAo understanding of school readiness through the administration of pre-test and post-test.
Journal Of Community Service https://ejurnal.
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1 Juli 2025, 31-38 Result & Discussion The following are the results of the difference test on parentsAo understanding of school readiness after participating in the psychoeducation program:
Table 1.
Result of the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test Posttest Ae Pretest School Readiness -2,145 < 0,05 Note: Z represents the test statistic value of the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, while p indicates the significance level .
< 05 shows a statistically significant differenc.
Based on the results of the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test examining the pre-test and post-test scores of parentsAo understanding of school readiness, it was found that there was a significant difference before and after the psychoeducation program, with p-value of 0.
< 0.
The mean pre-test score was 6.
19, while the mean post-test score was 6.
This indicates an increase in parentsAo understanding of school readiness after the intervention.
Similar results were also reported in a study by Astuti et al.
, .
, which found that providing psychoeducation to parents improved their knowledge regarding childrenAos school Another study by Agustina .
similarly revealed that psychoeducation for parents enhanced their knowledge and understanding of the aspects that need to be prepared in order to support childrenAos readiness before entering the school environment.
This condition may occur because the psychoeducational approach aims to provide knowledge, understanding, and skills that can be applied in daily life.
Psychoeducation in the academic field aims to help individuals develop a positive attitude toward learning activities and to recognize various learning strategies in order to prepare themselves before entering a formal learning environment (Supratiknya, 2.
Meanwhile, a study conducted by Puteri .
found that the Parenting Seminar AuPreparing Children for Entering Primary SchoolAy yielded positive results, as parents were able to gain an understanding of how to support their children in preparing for the transition to a higher educational level, namely primary school.
Parents play a significant role in supporting their childrenAos school readiness.
In line with this.
Faqumala dan Pranoto .
explained that the family environment and parental roles are among the key factors influencing childrenAos readiness for school.
Furthermore, parental involvement in caregiving has also been identified as a crucial factor that affects childrenAos school readiness (Bhise & Sonawat, 2.
The community service team realized that in order to provide parents with a comprehensive understanding of childrenAos growth and development as well as their school Journal Of Community Service https://ejurnal.
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1 Juli 2025, 31-38 readiness, it is not sufficient to merely deliver psychoeducation on preparing children for primary school.
Parents also need to deeply understand the developmental process of their children, so that they can accurately assess their childrenAos condition and recognize what is truly needed to prepare them for the next educational level.
Deliviana .
explained that school readiness is not only determined by age, but also by family support for childrenAos development, covering cognitive, language, motor, emotional, social, and independence Such support enables parents to evaluate their childrenAos conditions and needs appropriately during the transition to primary school.
To achieve this, the community service team provided counseling sessions for parents regarding the developmental milestones achieved by their children as well as the challenges that might arise during the developmental process.
Furthermore, during these counseling sessions, the team also provided recommendations on appropriate stimulation to optimize childrenAos growth and development.
The purpose of the counseling activities was also to help parents understand that their expectations or demands toward their children should be aligned with each childAos potentials, strengths, and weaknesses.
In line with this.
Puspitasari .
emphasized that school readiness should not be narrowly focused on literacy and numeracy skills .
eading, writing, and arithmeti.
, but rather encompass multiple dimensions of child development that require holistic The counseling process was found to be effective, as reflected in parentsAo decisions regarding whether their children were ready to enter primary school or remain in Out of the 16 parents, 10 stated that their children were ready to enter primary school, while 6 decided that their children should remain in kindergarten based on the counseling outcomes.
Figure 2.
Counseling Process with Parents Regarding ChildrenAos Problems Journal Of Community Service https://ejurnal.
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1 Juli 2025, 31-38 Figure 3.
Online Parental Psychoeducation Session Conclussion Based on the above explanation, it can be concluded that the psychoeducation .
program has provided significant benefits for parents in understanding the importance of preparing their children to enter a higher level of education, particularly primary school.
Through psychoeducation, parents gained knowledge about various aspects of child development and strategies to foster school readiness.
In addition, the school readiness counseling sessions enabled parents to recognize their childrenAos developmental stages, including their potentials, strengths, and possible challenges.
By obtaining a more accurate understanding of their childAos developmental condition, parents are better equipped to provide appropriate stimulation according to the childAos needs, thereby supporting an optimal transition into primary school.
Recommendations This program needs to be carried out annually, particularly at the beginning of each academic year, so that more parents will gain an understanding of the importance of school readiness in children.
Acknowledgements The community service team would like to express sincere gratitude to the Institute for Research and Community Service (LPPM) of Universitas Mercu Buana Yogyakarta (UMBY) for funding this program through the Community Service Assignment Letter Number: 217/C.
06/H2/i/2023.
Journal Of Community Service https://ejurnal.
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1 Juli 2025, 31-38
References