Aktivasi Agensi Kognitif Anak Melalui Praktik Sosial Read Aloud: Studi Fenomenologi Persepsi Di SDN 3 Toyomarto

Abstract

Abstract

This study aims to analyze how the social practice of Read Aloud is able to activate children's cognitive agency through embodied experiences in literacy activities at SDN 3 Toyomarto, Malang Regency. The low level of children's literacy in Indonesia shows that literacy learning is not enough to only emphasize technical reading skills, but also requires an approach that is able to involve children's social, emotional experiences, and active participation. The Read Aloud method is presented as a dialogic literacy practice that allows children to be directly involved through bodily responses, social interactions, and reflections on the stories being read. This study uses a qualitative approach with the perspective of Maurice Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology of perception to understand children's bodily experiences during literacy activities, as well as Jean Piaget's cognitive development theory to analyze the processes of assimilation and accommodation in developing children's understanding of stories. The research subjects consisted of elementary school students aged 7–11 years, volunteers from the Ruang Belajar Aqil (RBA) literacy community, and elementary school teachers who were actively involved in Read Aloud activities. Data collection techniques were carried out through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The research results show that children's bodily involvement through sight, hearing, movement, facial expressions, and emotional responses is the primary entry point for building attention and social engagement during literacy activities. These sensory experiences then activate the processes of assimilation and accommodation, enabling children to demonstrate critical thinking skills through questions, objections, and story interpretations, as well as the ability to connect story content to everyday life experiences. Read Aloud practices also create a more dialogic and egalitarian social space, enabling children to feel safer and more confident in expressing their opinions. This research demonstrates that literacy is not merely a technical reading activity, but a social process that simultaneously involves the body, emotions, experiences, and social relations. Read Aloud practices have great potential in building a culture of literacy while developing children's reflective, participatory, and critical thinking skills from elementary school age.