Vol. 2 No. 3 (2026): June
Articles

IMPROVING LITERACY AND NUMERACY SKILLS FOR KINDERGARTEN AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN THROUGH THE UTILIZATION OF RECYCLED WASTE IN PITEWI VILLAGE, KEEROM REGENCY

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  • Erna Olua,
  • Siane Nauw,
  • Yane Maninsi Mayor
Erna Olua
Universitas Cenderawasih
Siane Nauw
Universitas Cenderawasih
Yane Maninsi Mayor
Universitas Cenderawasih

Published 2026-06-30

Keywords

  • Literacy, Numeracy, Recycling waste, Loose parts, Early childhood, Papua

Abstract

This study aims to describe the improvement of literacy and numeracy skills of kindergarten and elementary school children through the use of recycled waste as contextual learning media in Pitewi Village, Keerom Regency, Papua. The study used a descriptive qualitative approach with a case study design. Data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation of the learning process, children's involvement, and teacher and community experiences. Learning media were developed from locally available recycled materials, such as bottle caps, cardboard, cans, paper, and old newspapers. The results showed that before the intervention, children's literacy and numeracy skills were generally in the Beginning to Develop (MB) category. After the implementation of recycled media, there was an increase in the achievement of literacy indicators from 35% to 78% in phonological and letter awareness, and from 30% to 85% in word formation and comprehension. In numeracy, the achievement of the indicator for recognizing symbols and quantities increased from 28% to 82%, while for patterns, geometry, and basic operations increased from 25% to 88%. The use of recycled loose parts also increases children's active engagement, curiosity, creativity, and courage in learning. Thus, recycled media has proven to be an affordable, contextual, participatory, and sustainable learning alternative for strengthening children's literacy and numeracy in remote areas of Papua.

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