IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MERDEKA MODEL AS AN EFFORT TO BUILD A FAMILY LITERACY CULTURE
Keywords:
family literacy culture, MERDEKA modelAbstract
Family literacy plays an important role in fostering children's reading habits, strengthening emotional bonds, and supporting character development from an early age. However, family literacy practices in Indonesian households remain largely sporadic and are not yet supported by a practical framework that parents can implement independently. This study aims to describe the implementation of the MERDEKA Model in home-based literacy activities and to identify parents' initial responses to its implementation. The study formed part of a Research and Development (R&D) project and focused on a limited field trial involving six families with children aged 4 to 10 years at the SDIT Al-Amanah Library in Lembang. The MERDEKA Model was implemented independently by each family over a seven-day period through seven sequential stages: Shared Reading, Meaning Exploration, Critical Reflection, Guided Discussion, Literacy Empathy, Effective Communication, and Literacy Action. Data were collected through observation, interviews, questionnaires, and written reflections, and were analyzed descriptively. The findings indicate that the implementation of the model received positive responses from most parents, as reflected in stronger emotional connections with their children, greater ease in conducting regular literacy activities, and appreciation for the model's structured stages. Nevertheless, the relatively short implementation period did not result in meaningful changes in children's reading interest. These findings suggest that the MERDEKA Model has the potential to serve as a practical framework for implementing family literacy activities at home. Further implementation over a longer period and adaptation to children's developmental characteristics and reading interests are needed to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the model's impact.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Rika Kustina, Vismaia S. Damaianti, Andoyo Sastromiharjo, Barkatun Nisa Alfia, Yusrawati Jr Simatupang, Masnun Masnun
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