Using Local Literature As Learning Literacy INTRODUCTION The

Using Local Literature as Learning Literacy

Ibadullah Malawi1), Dewi Tryanasari2) & Apri Kartikasari3) Universitas PGRI Madiun 1)[email protected] 2)[email protected] 3)[email protected]

Abstract Literacy plays an important role in learning in elementary school. Good literacy skills in students, encouraging the development of other abilities because literacy is a basic ability to acquire skills in other fields. Simply, literacy can be interpreted as a reading and writing ability. Data from the Association for the Educational Achievement (AEA) notes that in 1992 Finland and Japan were among the countries with the highest reading rates in the world. Meanwhile, from 30 countries, Indonesia got rank in bottom two from lowest. Primary School is the most appropriate level to encourage a good culture of literacy. Unfortunately the availability of interesting and close literacy materials with students in accordance with the character of students learning concrete holistic has not been much. Local literature is the best alternative that can be used to be developed as a literacy material across the curriculum. This study is aimed to develop literary books based on local literature. To get to the development of the need to do local literary documentation first. Magetan was chosen as a research location, where in Magetan there are many local literary materials in the form of folklore that have not been well documented. From the results of preliminary research it is known that many documented folklore can be used as a literacy material across the curriculum. The local literary content in the Magetan region is well suited to be developed as an elementary-level literacy material in which there is a moral message as the hiden of the curriculum on each reading. Keywords: local literature, literacy, elementary level

INTRODUCTION students' literacy skills through teacher The development of literacy in training in terms of good learning practices Indonesia at this time is still low. This is with innovations. One of the innovations based on the results of a study of the developed by USAID is Big Book as a Program for International Student literacy learning support in low grade Assessment (PISA) which shows that in elementary school. Meanwhile, for reading ability, the nation of Indonesia developing literacy in the high class there ranks 57th out of 65 countries in the world. is not specifically book. Whereas if the The tradition off Literacy in Indonesian basic literacy is good in low class has been society does not increase. run but not forwarded in the next step then Primary schools are the key’s of a good literacy culture will fail to form. developing literacy. In addition, primary Based on these conditions, the school is the main level that determines the development of a good literacy support success of mastery of a skill at the next book in high school should be done. level. For that reason, literacy learning in The local literature as the nation's primary schools should receive extra intellectual property is less well- attention (USAID Priority Team, 2015: 6) documented. As a result, reading materials USAID priority, East Java Province is one used as literacy teaching materials in of the most consistent institutions to foster schools are often far from the student's

48 environment. For example Malin Kundang students. Based on the above explanation, originating from Sumatra is used the use of local literature as a literacy throughout Indonesian schools. whereas it material across the curriculum in would be very difficult for elementary elementary schools is highly students to imagine the sweet water beach recommended. where Malin Kundang whose name is still According to Teale and Sulzby (in unfamiliar to them. For that, local Gipayana, 2010: 9), the concept of literacy literature that is close to the environment teaching is defined as the ability to read students need to get a special appreciation and write. A person is called a literate if he to be developed into a good literacy has essential knowledge to be used in any material. Thus there will be many activity that demands effective literacy alternative readings that students can use functions in society and knowledge that he in school. Literature is literally interpreted attains by reading, writing, and arithmetic as beautiful writing. Teeuw (1984: 100) makes it possible to be used for himself states that in order to understand a literary and the development of society (Gipayana, work it is necessary to understand the 2010: 9-10 ). This is similar with the culture that is the background of the work. opinions of Grabe and Kapalan (1992) and This is none other than because literature Graff (2006) which interpret literacy as the is a cultural product. As a cultural product, ability to read and write. Literacy is very literature contains good universal values. important for students because skills in These universal values are certainly values good literacy will affect their learning that do not contradict the norms and success and life. Good literacy skills will beliefs of the society in which the literary help students understand oral, written, or work develops. drawing text (USAID Priority Team, 2014: Teeuw (1980: 23) states the word 2) literature in the Indonesian language There are two things that become comes from Sanskrit; The root of the word important reference in the concept of art which in a derivative verb means teaching literacy, namely the teaching "directing, chasing, giving instruction, literacy with dimension of social practice instruction book. The -tra-suffix denotes a and the teaching literacy with dimension tool or a means. From the explanation it is of social process. Various theories arise clear that literature is essentially a means from the experts on the changing views of of teaching. In literature the values that are understanding which one of them is known actually heavy to be absorbed are packed by the theory of Rosenbalt. According to in a beautiful and fun way. Can be in the Clay researchers begin to direct teachers to form of satire or straightforward. present the teaching of reading Therefore literature is an effective medium comprehension to a broader perspective, to instill these values. There are several namely the teaching of literacy (in forms of literary works that appear in Gipayana, 2010: 18). The perspective itself elementary school, such as poetry, drama, lies in the theory of development of the and prose. From three forms of literary 'emergent literacy' literacy, the acquisition works, prose occupies a large portion. of language acquisition, and the schema Through prose there are many positive scheme. values that can be transferred to the 49

Literacy learning in primary school Motivation can be built with the is very important to support the success of creation of a literary environment for academic achievement. Effective literacy students (Cooper, 1997: 26). This is in line learning needs to consider the needs, with the opinion of USAID Priority team interests, age, background, and student (2015: 25) which states that the literary learning environment. In addition, teachers environment is very important to stimulate need to be responsive to student needs student interest in literacy. Furthermore it (USAID Priority Team, 2015: 3). In the is said that the literate classroom 2013 thematic curriculum integrative environment is a classroom environment literacy becomes unifying for all subjects rich in linguistic media and prints. and KD so that the presence of literacy in The second literacy component is the this curriculum is absolutely necessary. command for reading and writing. It is not Some things to consider in learning an easy thing to make commands in literacy at the elementary level are as reading and writing. Orders related to the follows. task of reading and writing should be 1. Time meaningful and construct students' The exact time, when and how long the knowledge (Cooper 1997: 33). Free literacy should be given to the students Reading is interpreted as reading the 2. Task library selected by the student Tasks that match the needs, interests, according to his / her interest. background and age of students Basically, independent reading and 3. Text writing is the goal of the literacy Selection of text that matches the program. Student interest in books characteristics of students and self-produced writing through 4. Teaching strategy long journeys and should be Strategies used in learning maintained, even developed by 5. Talk teachers (USAID Priority Team, Learning verbal skills 2015: 121) 6. Assessment Among many cultural products The type of assessment that fits the from the cultural development system needs, interests, background and age of the of society are language (and student. Cooper (1997: 24) states that literature), art, and science. Based on teachers should build the concept of it, of course can be known that literacy on students in a balanced way. society which become the main Effective literacy programs should support subject in the development of culture students to build the ability to read, write, have various characteristic and speak, listen, take perspective and develop interpretation. However, one of the such skills continuously. There are three things that become an integral and an interrelated components in the literacy important cultural product in program at school or in the classroom civilization is the language (and namely motivation, commands on reading literature) in which its development and writing, as well as free reading and is identical with art and science as writing. mentioned before. Furthermore Teeuw (1984: 100) states that a 50 literary work Can not be separated literature in Magetan that can be used as a from knowledge, little more about literacy material in SD. Therefore this the culture behind the literary work. research is designed with qualitative The relationship is not immediately descriptive design. The object of research revealed only from the symbolic is elementary school that exist in region system or system of language sign. Magetan Regency while subject is teacher. So it is appropriate to say that The data taken are data about the use of literature involves cultural local literature as a literacy learning conventions. material in SD and data about local Literary work is a form and literature, especially in Folklore Magetan result of creative art whose object is District. Sources of data involved include: human and its life by using language resource persons and documents. Data as its medium. Viewed from the collection techniques are interviews and aspect of its creation, literary works documentation. Triangulation of data used is an expression of writing containing for the first data is triangulation of sources teachings to be conveyed to readers. and techniques. While the second data Such teachings can be moral values, using source triangulation. After cultural values, even the views and triangulation of data, legitimate data are desires of authors articulated through described then compared with previous their work (Sunny, 2009: 123). theories or research results to obtain One form of literature that is conclusions. growing rapidly in Indonesia is Folklore. Folklore is synonymous RESULTS AND DISCUSSION with culture and oral literature is 1. The use of local literature in SD often an effective medium to teach Magetan District character education with an aesthetic The local literature of the Magetan nature without prioritizing popular area that is often raised as a literacy scientific theory. This is in line with material at the elementary level is a lake Semi's (1993: 76) assertion that a legend that tells about the origin of the literary work is said to have an sarangan lake. While the other folklore has aesthetic norm when the literary not been found by the teacher. The form of work is: 1) capable of animating or this local story is a loose prose that is updating the reader's knowledge; 2) scattered on the internet with the average able to make our lives better and authors include in the form of personal richer; 3) able to bring readers more blogs. For the printed version, local familiar with the culture. Magetan district literature is mixed with local literature from other regions and METHODS distributed in printed form as free reading This research is a preliminary study material (not compulsory) to all circles. of the development of literature-based Local literature is not listed in the student's literacy supporting books locally. Initial book or teacher's book from the center so research aims to see the use of local the teacher does not use it in the lesson. literature as a literacy learning material at The teacher's effort to introduce local SD in Magetan and mapping local literature to students is only done by 51 reading free reading or assigning students Positive values are certainly loaded with to write based on stories heard from home important character content to be passed but the assignment is not followed up with on to the next generation. Starting from the class discussions. Elementary school explanation can be concluded that the local teachers in Magetan district also do not literature has the potential to be used as a conduct research, documentation, medium of character in school learning. inventory, and analysis specifically on Literacy is one effective tool that can be local literature in the district of Magetan used to membelajarkan characters through for literacy learning. reading activities. Thus the local literature 2. Local Literature In Magetan is very potential to be used as a literacy From the interviews it is known learning material in SD. that local literature in Magetan Regency is Conclusion quite a lot. In general, local literature is From the overall exposure above can be developed as an oral literature in the form summed up things as follows: of a legend legend origin of a place or 1. The use of local literature on learning legend figures who are considered as literacy in elementary school is still not powerful and influential people. Among maximal the existing local literature, today there are 2. Local literature in Magetan Regency is still recounted and become the very diverse but not yet well inventoried completeness of customary activities in a 3. Local literature is a potential material region such as the story of ki ageng for literacy learning in schools. Wonokoyo in Galungan tradition in the area of Geni Langit. 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