TEACHER STRATEGIES IN USING THE CANTOLAN METHOD TO DEVELOP LITERACY IN KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN AT TK IT AR-RANTISI ANJANI TIMUR

Abstract

Reading literacy in early childhood plays a crucial role in supporting children's readiness to learn at the next level of education, yet in practice it is often hampered by monotonous teaching methods that place children under unnecessary pressure. Indonesia's reading literacy remains comparatively low: the 2022 PISA results place Indonesian students 71st of 81 participating countries with a reading score of 359, below the OECD average, and roughly 75% of 15-year-olds are reported to be able to decode text without fully comprehending its content. This condition is also reflected among kindergarten pupils at TK IT Ar-Rantisi, Anjani Timur, prompting its teachers to adopt the cantolan (mnemonic-hook) method as part of their literacy development strategy. This study aims to describe the strategies employed by teachers in implementing the cantolan method to develop early reading literacy at TK IT Ar-Rantisi Anjani Timur. A qualitative, descriptive-phenomenological approach was used, with data obtained through participant observation, unstructured interviews with the school principal, two classroom teachers, and two parents, as well as documentation, which were then analyzed following the Miles and Huberman model of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with source triangulation applied to ensure credibility. The findings reveal two interrelated strategies. First, teachers plan instruction effectively and adaptively through a Weekly Lesson Plan (Rencana Pelaksanaan Pembelajaran Mingguan/RPPM) that allows activities, media, and repetition to be tailored to children's actual abilities rather than a rigid daily plan. Second, teachers implement instruction contextually, flexibly, and enjoyably by linking each syllable to concrete, familiar objects in the children's environment (for example, the syllable “ba” with the image of a baju, or shirt), combining classical and individual teaching, and integrating the activity with singing, storytelling, and play in line with children's developmental psychology during the so-called golden age. Through this approach, children move beyond mechanical, sound-by-sound reading toward a genuine grasp of vocabulary and the meaning of simple sentences, while parents report that the cantolan associations continue to support children's recall of learning material at home. The study concludes that the combination of adaptive planning and contextual, enjoyable implementation makes the cantolan method an effective vehicle for developing early reading literacy without imposing pressure on young learners.