Behind his friendly smile, Muhammadun, S.Pd., the Principal of SD Peduli Anak, is passionate about changing children’s futures at his school, a school located in Langko Village, Lingsar District, West Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara. As the principal, managing this school is never easy for Muhammadun. The majority of SD Peduli Anak students come from difficult family backgrounds, low economy, street children, and face various social problems. The biggest challenge he faces is that many students are not skilled at reading, even up to the sixth grade. However, for Muhammadun, this challenge is not an obstacle, but a call to innovate.
Over time, Muhammadun and the teachers at the school realized that traditional learning methods were not effective enough to help these children. They tried various approaches, including providing additional reading lessons after school hours. However, the results were still far from expectations. Most students still had difficulty reading, which in turn hindered them from understanding other lessons. To find a solution, in 2020 Muhammadun met with the Innovation Program for Indonesian School Children (INOVASI), a partnership program between the Australian and Indonesian governments. This is where the turning point began.
Through INOVASI, Muhammadun was introduced to the differentiated learning method that began with the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) assessment. One of the differentiated learning strategies is to use graded reading books. In implementing differentiated learning at SD Peduli Anak, teachers use graded reading books as learning resources. The use of graded books is an important component to improve children’s reading skills. Using books that are appropriate to their level of ability will make children enjoy reading, increase their vocabulary, and strengthen their understanding. In its implementation in the classroom, children will be grouped according to their reading ability level. After that, they will be given books according to their ability level. Beginner group students, for example, use picture storybooks. The teacher will read the story. Meanwhile, students who are already familiar with paragraphs and stories are given picture books with text. Students read independently.
Suprayitno, the Head of the Book Center, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (MoECRT), in the Merdeka Belajar Silaturahmi webinar themed “The Reading Journey Behind Book Grading,” (Thursday, 7/13/2023) said that book grading is an effort to provide reading materials that are adjusted to the level of ability, development, and interests of readers. Adjusted to the level of difficulty, complexity, and appropriate content to ensure that readers can access, understand, and enjoy the contents of the book well. This effort is made to foster students’ love of reading books.
This graded reading book is a supporting strategy for the differentiated learning method that helps teachers at SD Peduli Anak assess students’ reading skills and group them based on their ability level (from Beginner, Letters, Words, Paragraphs, to Stories). Instead of using the term level that might discourage children, Muhammadun chose to name the groups with the names of fruits, which are more fun and acceptable to children.
This approach allows students to study in groups according to their abilities, with a simplified curriculum in the first three months of the first semester. Every month, the school conducts an assessment to assess the development of students’ reading skills. If they show progress, students are moved to a higher group. This literacy learning takes place every day from 07.30 to 11.00, before continuing with regular learning activities.
The results were very encouraging. The students began to show significant improvements in their reading skills, which also had a positive impact on their activeness in learning activities in class. Yulianti, S.Pd., a 4th grade teacher at SD Peduli Anak, witnessed this change herself. “Differentiated learning makes it very easy for teachers. The children are also more interested and enthusiastic about learning to read because they are gathering with friends at the same level,” she said. She also noted that the students became more courageous in asking questions and expressing their opinions, a big change from their previous passive attitude.
Muhammadun realized that the key to this success lies in an approach that is tailored to the needs and abilities of each child. With the help of INOVASI, teachers now have a better understanding of how to assess, group, and provide materials according to student needs. This is also in line with the principles of the Implementation of the Independent Curriculum (IKM) which has begun to be applied in this school, although Muhammadun’s main focus currently remains on strengthening literacy.
Muhammadun’s dedication to education does not stop at SD Peduli Anak. He now also acts as a regional facilitator for INOVASI in West Lombok Regency, sharing good practices implemented in his school with all elementary schools in Lingsar District. In February 2023, he even expanded the impact of this program by providing training to other schools, and collaborating with supervisors.
“I convey what I experienced and got from the previous INOVASI training. The form is training and implementation. The supervisor directly assesses what we convey,” said Muhammadun. With his strong determination, he not only created change in his own school but also paved the way for many other schools to follow in his footsteps, bringing new hope to previously marginalized children.
The story of Muhammadun and SD Peduli Anak is real proof that with the right approach, every child can have the opportunity to learn and develop according to their potential. For Muhammadun, this struggle is his calling to give the best for the future of Indonesian children.