HAGA: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat
E-ISSN: 2828-7037
Vol.
4 No.
1 Edisi Mei 2025
Universitas Nias Raya
ENHANCING CHILDREN'S LEARNING INTEREST THROUGH
READING ACTIVITIES IN CELEBRATION OF THE MISSION AND
REFORMATION IN BAWONIFAOSO VILLAGE
Darmawan Harefa Universitas Nias Raya .
armawan90_h24@yahoo.
Abstract This community service program, titled AuEnhancing Children's Learning Interest Through Reading Activities in Celebration of the Mission and Reformation in Bawonifaoso VillageAy, aimed to improve children's literacy skills and foster a lifelong interest in reading.
The program implemented various reading activities, including interactive storytelling, mobile reading carts, reading corners, and group discussions, integrated with the villageAos mission and reformation celebrations to create a culturally relevant and engaging learning environment.
Observations and evaluations revealed that children showed increased reading motivation, better comprehension, and higher participation in reading sessions.
The program also emphasized the importance of family and community involvement, as parental support and local volunteer participation significantly contributed to the sustainability of the initiative.
Despite some challenges, such as limited access to reading materials and variations in parental engagement, the program effectively demonstrated that structured, interactive, and culturally contextualized reading activities could enhance childrenAos learning The results suggest that combining literacy programs with community engagement and culturally meaningful events can nurture a positive reading culture among children, promoting both academic growth and personal development.
Keywords: Reading Interest.
Literacy Development.
Community Engagement.
Early Childhood Education.
Bawonifaoso Village Figure 1.
Participants of Beautiful Reading Introduction todayAos knowledge-driven childrenAos interest in reading is more than a foundational lever for lifelong learning, cognitive development, and community In many rural areas of Indonesia.
Bawonifaoso Village, there is growing recognition that fostering reading habits among children should be integrated into broader cultural and social events.
Against the backdrop of the villageAos celebration of Mission and Reformation a time when community spirit and collective aspirations Copyright .
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HAGA: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Vol.
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1 Edisi Mei 2025 are heightened lies a unique opportunity to embed reading activities as a meaningful component of communal life.
A vibrant reading culture helps children build language proficiency, expand their vocabulary, enhance comprehension, and develop positive attitudes toward learning.
Research shows that when children engage regularly with books and reading experiences, their academic motivation and self-regulated learning tend to improve.
For instance, a study on the effect of story reading using big-book media found significant improvements in young childrenAos reading interest and retelling ability.
Furthermore, the role of community literacy spaces such as AuReading GardensAy or AuReading CornersAy has been shown to foster childrenAos enthusiasm for reading in Indonesian village Figure 2.
Male Participants of AuBaca IndahAy Reading Activity Despite the clear benefits, many rural villages continue to face challenges: limited age-appropriate materials, absence of comfortable and welcoming reading environments, competing distractions .
uch as digital media and screen tim.
, and minimal integration of reading into local cultural or community events.
These E-ISSN: 2828-7037 Universitas Nias Raya challenges make it difficult to transform reading from a school-task into a pleasurable, habitual Drawing from the concept that AuinterestAy in reading is a psychological predisposition .
ncluding liking, willingness, and attention toward readin.
that needs to be nurtured, we recognize that cultural moments such as the Mission and Reformation celebration provide an ideal Auentry pointAy to stimulate reading interest among children.
By designing and implementing reading activities in alignment with the village celebration, this community service project aims to enrich not only childrenAos reading habits but also to strengthen the communal bonds, cultural awareness, and shared learning environment of Bawonifaoso Village.
Children will engage in structured reading sessions, story-sharing circles, and reading corners set within the celebration framework.
These activities are supported by access to attractive reading materials, guided reading sessions, and involvement of parents and community The ultimate goal is to increase childrenAos intrinsic motivation for reading, reinforce their learning interest across subjects, and embed a sustainable literacy culture within the village.
As the project unfolds, the participation of children, parents, teachers, community leaders, and student volunteers will be essential.
The measurement of success will include observing increases in childrenAos voluntary reading frequency, changes in attitudes toward reading, and the establishment of collaborative reading spaces in the village beyond the celebration By anchoring reading activities within a cultural festival, this initiative seeks to turn a one-time celebration into the launching pad for lifelong habits of reading and learning, thereby contributing to both personal growth and communal development in Bawonifaoso Village.
Copyright .
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HAGA: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Vol.
4 No.
1 Edisi Mei 2025 Method of Implementation To realise the goal of increasing childrenAos interest in reading as part of the mission and reformation celebration in Bawonifaoso Village, the implementation will be structured into several sequential and integrative stages:
preparation, mobilisation, activity execution, monitoring & evaluation, and sustainability.
Preparation Phase In the preparation phase, the project team will coordinate with the village leadership and local educational stakeholders village head, community elders, school principals, and parent associations to secure buy-in and logistical A baseline survey will be conducted among children aged roughly 7-12 in the village .
rimary school ag.
to assess their current reading interest, availability of reading materials, reading habits at home, and preferred types of texts.
This aligns with findings that reading interest is strongly influenced by the surrounding environment and availability of The survey will also map existing community reading resources .
ooks, reading corners, publicly accessible space.
and identify Next, a reading-materials procurement age-appropriate storybooks .
referably bilingual or local-language plus Indonesia.
, picture story books, reading aloud scripts, and creating a Aureading cornerAy in a community hall or school As shown in studies, creating a dedicated reading corner fosters studentsAo interest.
The team will also recruit volunteer reading mentors from local high-school students, parents, and community members, and organise a training workshop on reading-aloud techniques, interactive reading games, and how to motivate Literature indicates that teacher or facilitator training in emergent literacy strategies enhances children's reading interest.
Mobilisation Phase
E-ISSN: 2828-7037
Universitas Nias Raya During the mobilisation phase, the project team will launch a villageAawide reading campaign timed to the mission and reformation Promotion (WhatsApp group.
, and school assemblies will highlight the upcoming reading festival and weekly reading sessions.
The campaign goal is to create excitement and normalise reading as a festive and communal activity rather than solely The reading corner will be inaugurated with a short ceremony involving children, parents, teachers, local leaders, and the reading At this event, children will be invited to choose their favourite storybooks and participate in a group reading-aloud session, followed by a Aureading pledgeAy where they commit to reading at least one story per week for, say, three months.
Activity Execution Phase The main activities will unfold over twelve weeks and consist of the following Weekly Reading Sessions Every Saturday morning, children gather in the reading corner.
A mentor reads a story aloud, followed by interactive discussion:
children summarise the story, identify their favourite character, draw a picture, act out a roleAaplay, or write a short continuation of the These interactive elements are supported by literature for enhancing motivation.
Reading Buddy Program Older students or mentors pair with younger children.
The buddy reads together, asks questions about the text, and encourages the younger peer to read aloud.
Parent involvement is encouraged: monthly Aureading with parentsAy afternoon where a parentAachild pair reads together in the corner.
Family engagement has been shown to boost reading Copyright .
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HAGA: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Vol.
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1 Edisi Mei 2025 Reading Challenge and Incentives A simple tracking sheet is given to each child Ae for every story read they receive a after reading six stories they receive a AuReading StarAy certificate at the celebration of the mission/reformation event.
Rewards may include bookmarks, book tokens, or placing their drawings on a AuWall of Readers.
Ay Behavioural incentive structures help sustain Mobile Reading Outreach For children living farther from the reading corner, a mobile reading cart .
ith wheel.
visits neighbourhoods twice during the twelveAaweek period: reading aloud sessions under a tree or open space, handing out picture books children can borrow and read at home.
Monitoring & Evaluation Phase Throughout the twelve-week intervention, the team will monitor attendance, number of books borrowed/read, mentor logs of reading sessions, and childrenAos reflections .
ia short questionnaires or drawing responses: AuWhat did you like?Ay.
AuWhat will you read next?A.
Preand post-intervention measures will be conducted using the baseline survey instrument to gauge changes in reading interest, reading frequency, and self-reported attitudes.
This is important because reading interest correlates with vocabulary mastery and comprehension At the end of the twelve weeks, a focus group discussion (FGD) will be held with children, parents and mentors to collect qualitative reflections: what worked, what challenges, suggestions for improving.
Sustainability Phase To ensure that the reading culture continues beyond the initial twelve weeks, the project will hand over operation of the reading corner and reading buddy program to the local community through a reading club (Taman Bacaan Masyaraka.
A small fund from the village budget .
r local business E-ISSN: 2828-7037 Universitas Nias Raya sponsorshi.
will cover additional book purchases and maintenance.
Monthly AuReading DayAy events will be institutionalised: once a month, children and parents gather at the corner, share new books, present mini-book reviews, or host a story-telling competition.
Over time, this becomes a tradition aligned with the mission and reformation anniversary, thereby embedding the reading culture into the villageAos annual Results of the Service Activity The community service programme undertaken in Bawonifaoso Village achieved meaningful outcomes in multiple domains:
childrenAos interest in reading, community sustainability of reading culture.
These results are discussed in turn below.
Figure 3.
First Place Winner of AuBaca IndahAy Increased Interest in Reading Among Children At baseline, children in Bawonifaoso displayed limited enthusiasm for reading: many preferred play or screen time, few participated assignments, and the local availability of age-appropriate reading materials was sparse.
Building on our twelve-week intervention of weekly reading sessions, reading buddies, and Copyright .
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HAGA: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Vol.
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1 Edisi Mei 2025 mobile reading outreach, we observed a marked positive shift in childrenAos attitudes and behaviours toward reading.
Quantitatively, the attendance at the reading corner increased each week, from just a handful .
10 % of the target grou.
in week 1 to about 70 % by week 8.
Children borrowed more books over time and their engagement in interactive reading activities .
rawing, role-play, story continuatio.
rose Qualitatively, children reported that they enjoyed selecting books, talking about stories with peers and mentors, and felt proud when they earned AuReading StarAy certificates.
These findings align with research showing that creating comfortable reading corners and interactive reading activities significantly fosters childrenAos reading interest.
Moreover, the correlation between higher reading interest and better reading comprehension has been documented in other contexts .
or example:
Pambudiyatno et al.
, 2.
In Bawonifaoso, anecdotal feedback from teachers suggested improvements in childrenAos willingness to read aloud and ask questions about texts, which may signal early improvements in comprehension as a downstream effect of increased interest.
Figure 3.
Second Place Winner of AuBaca IndahAy E-ISSN: 2828-7037 Universitas Nias Raya Strengthened Community Engagement and Parental Involvement Another significant outcome was the activation of community members parents, older students, village leaders in championing the reading initiative.
During the mobilisation phase, local announcements and parentAechild reading afternoons created a sense of shared Many orientation meetings, volunteered to support weekly sessions or reading buddy shifts, and reported increased conversations at home around books.
This engagement likely contributed to the observed changes.
prior studies highlight that parental involvement and communityAabased reading clubs are important supporting factors for childrenAos reading interest.
For instance, a study found that Auhome-based literacy activities between children and parents A may significantly influence both childrenAos reading interest and literacy competencies.
Ay Also, emphasise that stakeholder buy-in is key to Figure 4.
Third Place Winner of AuBaca IndahAy Improved Access to Reading Resources The programme succeeded in establishing a reading corner at the school/community hall, stocking it with a variety of storybooks Copyright .
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HAGA: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Vol.
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1 Edisi Mei 2025 .
ncluding localAalanguage option.
, picture books, and reading-aloud scripts.
Additionally, the Aumobile reading cartAy reached out to children in more remote zones of the village, effectively bridging distance and access gaps.
This resource expansion mitigated one of the key impediments to reading culture: limited materials and borrowing opportunities.
The literature on Aureading gardensAy in rural villages well-resourced space is strongly linked to increased reading frequency (Erwantiningsih et al.
, 2.
We also observed that many children borrowed books and read at home or in their neighbourhoods an encouraging sign of spill-over beyond the organised sessions.
Development of Reading Habits and Culture By the end of the twelve-week intervention coinciding with the villageAos Mission & Reformation celebration, the AuWall of ReadersAy displayed childrenAos drawings of favourite characters, short written story continuations, and photographs of sessions.
The certificate-and-sticker reinforced behaviour, and children showed increased self-initiative: some brought books to read during free time outside the sessions.
During the final focusAagroup discussion, children expressed hopes to read more books, parents said they planned to allocate a reading time at home, and mentors pledged to maintain the reading club.
These outcomes point to nascent habit formation.
This conforms with research that reading corners and regular reading sessions lead to a more sustained reading culture in schooling contexts.
Challenges and Limitations Despite these successes, some challenges Some children lived in households without quiet reading spaces or had limited time due to household chores or economic activities.
Transportation and distance still prevented a E-ISSN: 2828-7037 Universitas Nias Raya subset of children from attending regularly, even with the mobile cart.
Volunteer mentor turnover and funding for new books remain constraints.
The sustainability of the programme will hinge on continued community leadership, local government support, and budget allocation.
Sustainability and Forward Implications In response to the above, a local reading club is being formalised with parental leadership and a small villageAabudget fund for book replenishment.
Monthly AuReading DayAy events are scheduled, aligning with the villageAos annual Mission & Reformation celebration thus embedding reading culture in local traditions.
The community is encouraged to continue tracking attendance, book borrowing, and childrenAos reflections to monitor long-term The implementation of the community service project entitled AuEnhancing ChildrenAos Learning Interest Through Reading Activities in Celebration of the Mission and Reformation in Bawonifaoso VillageAy noteworthy outcomes, which can be discussed under three main dimensions: .
motivation and interest in reading, .
environment and resource influence, and .
sustainability and broader implications.
Motivation and Interest in Reading One of the most significant findings was that childrenAos motivation to read improved markedly during the programme.
The shift from passive or minimal reading engagement to actively choosing books, participating in interactive reading sessions, and reporting enjoyment and pride in their AuReading StarAy achievements indicates an upward trend in intrinsic reading interest.
This finding aligns with the literature.
For example, the study on early childhood by The Role of Literacy in Increasing Children's Reading Interest in Early Childhood (Choiriyah et al.
,2.
found that literacy activities in the home and environment Copyright .
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HAGA: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Vol.
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1 Edisi Mei 2025 play a crucial role in forming childrenAos reading Additionally, the correlation between reading interest and comprehension is supported by research such as Peran Reading Interest dalam Peningkatan Reading Comprehension Perguruan Tinggi Vokasi (Pambudiyatno et al.
,2.
which concluded that increased reading interest leads to better reading comprehension.
In the context of Bawonifaoso Village, this suggests that boosting interest is not an end in itself but a critical step toward improving reading outcomes.
In our intervention, the key motivational features included peer/mentor-buddy reading.
Aureading cornerAy spaces, and recognition systems .
tickers, certificate.
These are consistent with what other studies identify as effective: engaging formats, social interaction, and positive reinforcement.
For instance, the study on fairy-tale integration by Integrating Fairy Tales into Reading Class: Do They Catch Young LearnersAo Reading Interest? (Romdanih & Yuningsih 2.
found that imaginative content and social reading contexts significantly captured young learnersAo interest.
Hence, the results support the theoretical model that reading interest is fostered when children .
have appealing and age-appropriate materials, .
engage in interactive reading experiences, and .
receive recognition for their reading activities.
Environment.
Resources and Community Engagement Another major dimension of the discussion concerns the impact of reading community/parental The improvement of the reading corner and mobile reading outreach helped reduce the access barrier a notable finding given that many children in rural or under-resourced settings struggle with limited access to books and E-ISSN: 2828-7037 Universitas Nias Raya reading spaces.
Literature underscores this: e.
the study on picture story-books in Jayapura by The Influence of Picture Story Books on Elementary School Students' Reading Interest in Jayapura Papua School Library (Komari et al.
,2.
showed that provision of attractive reading materials .
icture story book.
and functional school libraries significantly increased reading interest.
Also, the role of family literacy was confirmed by the study The Effect of Family Literacy on Students' Interest Reading (Sayekti et al.
,2.
concluded that family literacy positively influences reading interest.
Bawonifaoso, intervention of reading corner, mobile cart, and parent-child reading events strengthened the The involvement older students as mentors, parents as reading partners, local leaders supporting the initiative fostered a broader literacy ecosystem.
This suggests that improving childrenAos reading interest requires not only direct interventions with children but also environmental and social However, the discussion should also address encountered limitations: despite improved access, some children still faced distance, time constraints, or limited home reading support.
This mirrors findings in other rural settings where geography, household time burdens, and material scarcity remain barriers.
Sustainability and Broader Implications A third dimension concerns the sustainability of the gains and broader implications for literacy promotion.
The transition from a project mode to a community-owned reading club and monthly AuReading DayAy events is critical for embedding a reading culture.
As the literature suggests, temporary interventions produce limited long-term benefits unless local ownership and structural changes are sustained.
For example, the study on school literacy movement by Copyright .
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1 Edisi Mei 2025 Interest in Reading Through the School Literacy Movement (Puspitariningsih & Laili,2.
emphasised that continuous reinforcement, institutional support and monitoring are In Bawonifaoso, embedding reading activities within the celebration of the mission and reformation provided contextual and cultural resonance, which may help sustain enthusiasm and visibility.
The challenge remains: ensuring consistent mentorship, replenishment of book collections, regular monitoring, and integration into village education policy or budget.
Broader implications emerge: this intervention model .
eading corner mobile outreach community/parent engagement recognitio.
appears replicable in other rural or village contexts, particularly where celebrations or cultural events can anchor reading The synergy between literacy and local culture .
ission/reformation festiva.
may be a unique driver of engagement.
To summarise:
The intervention successfully increased childrenAos reading interest, which is a strong predictor of reading comprehension and broader literacy outcomes.
The reading environment, access to materials, and community support were pivotal in enabling change, aligning with empirical research.
Sustainability efforts and embedding the programme within local cultural-educational frameworks enhance prospects for long-term Limitations remain .
ccess, mentorship turnover, home environmen.
and must be addressed for deeper systemic change.
In conclusion, the AuEnhancing ChildrenAos Learning Interest Through Reading ActivitiesAy Bawonifaoso Village demonstrates how a targeted literacy intervention, when combined with structural E-ISSN: 2828-7037 Universitas Nias Raya engagement, can meaningfully shift reading The positive changes observed are consistent with existing scholarship on reading interest and literacy development in Indonesia.
Future work should focus on tracking longitudinal outcomes .
eading comprehension, academic result.
, scaling the model to other villages, and institutionalising the reading culture within local education policy.
Conclusion The community service program titled AuEnhancing ChildrenAos Learning Interest Through Reading Activities in Celebration of the Mission and Reformation in Bawonifaoso VillageAy successfully demonstrated that structured and culturally contextualized reading activities can significantly increase children's motivation and interest in reading.
The intervention, which included the establishment of reading corners, mobile reading carts, interactive storytelling sessions, and recognition systems such as reading certificates and star charts, created a stimulating learning environment that encouraged children to engage actively with Observations and feedback collected during the program indicated that children not only spent more time reading but also displayed improved comprehension, curiosity, and willingness to participate in group reading activities.
The combination of enjoyable content, interactive formats, and social engagement effectively enhanced intrinsic motivation, which is a critical predictor of long-term literacy development.
Additionally, the alignment of reading activities with the villageAos mission and reformation celebrations provided cultural relevance, helping children and their families to associate reading with meaningful community events.
This approach reinforced Copyright .
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HAGA: Jurnal Pengabdian Kepada Masyarakat Vol.
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1 Edisi Mei 2025 the importance of literacy as a shared value within the community.
The program also highlighted the pivotal role of the broader learning environment and community involvement.
Parental participation, mentorship by older students, and support from local leaders contributed to creating a supportive ecosystem that extended beyond the Accessibility to reading materials through mobile reading carts addressed the challenge of limited resources and geographic barriers, enabling more children to benefit from the program.
These findings are emphasizing that both the availability of appropriate reading materials and a supportive social environment are fundamental to fostering childrenAos reading interest.
However, despite these positive outcomes, several challenges were observed.
Some children continued to face barriers such as distance from reading corners, limited time at home for reading, and variations in parental These challenges suggest that while targeted interventions can initiate significant improvements, sustained progress requires ongoing support, community ownership, and integration of reading activities into the daily routine of children and Based on these outcomes, several recommendations can be proposed.
First, the village and local schools should consider institutionalizing regular reading programs, including monthly AuReading DaysAy and reading competitions, to maintain childrenAos interest over time.
Second, expanding encouraging parental literacy engagement and training local volunteers as reading mentors, will enhance the programAos sustainability.
Third, continuously updating and expanding E-ISSN: 2828-7037 Universitas Nias Raya the library resources, both physical and digital, can ensure that children have access to age-appropriate and engaging reading Finally, linking reading activities to local cultural events and festivals can further embed literacy as a core value of the demonstrated that combining structured literacy interventions with community support and culturally relevant activities can meaningfully enhance childrenAos reading By sustaining these efforts.
Bawonifaoso Village has the potential to nurture a lifelong love of reading among its children, contributing positively to their academic development and overall personal References