STIMULASI BERCERITA MELALUI BONEKA WAYANG

Abstrak

This study aims to describe the use of wayang puppets as a medium to stimulate storytelling skills among children aged 5–6 years at TKIT As-Salam Akhlakul Karimah Tangerang. The research employed an ethnographic approach involving ten group B children and one teacher serving as a facilitator. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. The findings reveal that the use of wayang puppets effectively enhances children’s storytelling abilities. Through play-based and narrative activities, the children became more confident, focused, expressive, and capable of delivering stories coherently. The teacher played a role as a cultural facilitator who not only guided the storytelling process but also integrated Islamic moral values through narratives and puppet characters. Beyond improving language and communication skills, these activities fostered creativity, collaboration, intrinsic motivation, and the courage to express ideas. From an ethnographic perspective, the use of wayang puppets functions as both an educational medium and a means of preserving local culture in harmony with Islamic educational values. Therefore, wayang puppet play serves as an effective, engaging, and meaningful learning strategy for developing storytelling competence and character in early childhood.