Development of Contextual Hijaiyah Flashcards to Enhance Early Childhood Quranic Literacy at RA Bait Qur’any

Abstract

This study aims to develop "Contextual Hijaiyah Cards"—a learning medium that is valid, practical, and effective—to enhance early childhood Quranic literacy at RA Bait Qur’any. Early childhood Quranic literacy encompasses the ability to recognize Hijaiyah letters, name the letters, articulate their sounds simply, distinguish between letters with similar shapes, and recall previously learned letters. Preliminary observations indicated that students' Quranic literacy skills were low because instruction tended to rely on conventional methods with limited media, resulting in a lack of engagement and an inability to optimally foster children's learning involvement. The study employed a Research and Development (R&D) approach using the Four-D (4D) model, comprising the define, design, develop, and disseminate stages. The research subjects were 20 children from Group B at RA Bait Qur’any. Data were collected through observations, interviews, questionnaires, and Quranic literacy tests, then analyzed using descriptive and quantitative methods, specifically N-Gain analysis and paired t-tests. The results demonstrated that the developed medium achieved a practicality rating of 98% and led to a significant, high-level improvement in the children's Quranic literacy skills within the context of this study. This improvement was evidenced by the significant difference between pretest and posttest scores. Thus, Contextual Hijaiyah Cards are suitable for use as an innovative learning medium to support the development of Quranic literacy in early childhood education.