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Volume 4 , Number 2, November 2019 

 ISSN : 2579-8383 (Print) ISSN : 2579-8405 (Online)  

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Improving the Ability to Recognize Primary Color Using 
Plastisifor Children Tunagrahita  Light Class III in SLB Luki 

Padang 

Ajismanto, Yarmis Hasan 

Universitas Negeri Padang 
dharmasraya.ajismanto@gmail.com 

 

Accepted: 

10 August 2019 

reviewed:  

September 5, 2019 

Published:  

20 November 2019 

 
ABSTRACT : This research is motivated by the discovery of a problem of a mentally regard 
development that is a mild category of a nine-year-old boy whose initials AD is in class III at SLB 
Luki Padang. Where the child has problems in recognizing basic colors. The purpose of this 
study was to improve the ability to recognize basic colors using plasticine for mentally disabled 
children in mild class IIprimaryss at SLB Luki Padang. This type of research is single-subject 
research (SSR) with A-B design. Data collected through direct observation and recorded on the 
observation sheet. The data analyzed is using graphical visual analysis. The results showed that 
the ability to recognize primary colors in mentally disabled children in the mild category class III 
in SLB Luki Padang increased after being given an intervention using plasticine. At baseline 
conditions, children get the highest score of 10%, and in the intervention conditions, children get 
a score of 90%. Thus it is proven that using plasticine can improve the ability to recognize basic 
colors for mentally disabled children in the light class III class at SLB Luki Padang. 
 
Keywords:Plasticine, base color, disabled is being 
 
INTRODUCTION  

One aspect of cognitive ability is to recognize color. Color is a certain spectrum that is 
contained in perfect light. The colors are divided into three types namely primary colors, 
secondary colors, and tertiary colors. Primary colors are basic colors that have not been mixed 
with other elements such as red, yellow, and blue. A secondary color is the result of a mixture of 
primary colors with one another, such as green, orange, and purple. While the tertiary color is the 
color of the result of a mix of one primary color with a secondary color such as brown. 

Based on a preliminary study that researchers conducted at SLB Luki Padang, researchers 
found a mild mental retardation child where the child did not recognize primary colors. The child 
only knows just black and white. Based on the results of the assessment carried out it turns out 
the child does not understand the colors that are around him. Children cannot mention every 
color shown by researchers. To ensure the results of the assessment that researchers have done, 
researchers conducted interviews with children's classroom teachers. From the results of 
interviews conducted, it turns out that children still do not recognize colors with certainty, 
children have difficulty in mentioning colors, designating colors and different colors. Based on 
the results of interviews that researchers have done, then assess to ensure the condition and 
health of the child's eyes. In addition, the tests carried out intend to find out the possibility of the 
child experiencing color blindness, or there are problems at the level of sharpness of the child's 
eyes. So the test results show that the child does not experience color blindness and there is no 



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problem in the level of sharpness in the eyes of mentally disabled children. Children with 
intellectual disabilities are children who have limitations in following regular school learning, but 
they have potential that needs to be developed, such as reading, writing and simple 

arithmetic1 . Although mentally disabled children experience obstacles in their intellectual 
development but children's abilities can still be developed in academics such as reading, writing, 
counting and recognizing objects with simple shapes including identifying basic colors. Primary 
colors or basic colors consist of three colors namely red, yellow and blue. These three colors are 
called primary colors, basic colors are those who cannot be produced from a mixture of other 
colors, in fact, these colors create different colors. 

Based on the problems that researchers found in the field in recognizing basic colors, the 
researchers are interested in providing services or interventions using plasticine to improve the 
ability to distinguish basic colors for mildly retarded children. In helping children with intellectual 
disabilities teachers or therapists must conduct play therapy in learning. Games that are given to 
children must not be arbitrary must have therapeutic value and are not difficult to understand by 
children. Plasticine is a teaching aid that can be used by teachers to help to learn in the classroom 
because plasticine itself is a play activity that can develop the ability to recognize colors in 
children. The use of plasticine in learning activities can provide a pleasant and satisfying learning 
experience for children so that in the learning process, children are not easily bored. In this study, 
children were asked to mention, designate and classify colors in play. So from the explanation of 
the problem above, the researcher is interested in drawing it in a scientific paper entitled 
"Improving the ability to recognize basic colors using colored plasticine for mentally disabled 
children in class III at SLB Luki Padang. 
 
METHOD 

From the study entitled "Improving the Ability to Recognize Basic Colors Using 
Plasticine for Children with Light Developmental Disabilities at SLB Luki Padang." This research 
uses a quantitative approach through experimentation. Experiments can be interpreted as an 

experiment conducted to look for the impact of treatment on certain behaviors2 . The form of 

experiment used in this study was Single Subject Research (SSR). This study uses AB design3 . AB 
design revealed there is a causal link between the dependent variable and the independent 
variable. The AB research design uses two stages of measurement namely the baseline stage (A) 
and the intervention stage (B). The tool used in this study was a test instrument using a 

method4 . The test instrument used in this study to measure the ability of children. In this study, 
the test given was in the form of an oral test with two phases, namely the baseline phase (A) and the 
intervention phase (B). The test used is a test item created by the researcher and adjusted to the 
curriculum. 

The dependent variable (target behavior) of the study in question is the ability to 
recognize basic colors, ie children can name, show and group basic colors. Whereas, the 
independent variable in this study was to use plasticine, in which children were instructed to 
make fruit shapes using plasticine, and then the children were told to mention, show, and group 
colors in the form of the fruit that was made. This study uses one subject, a mildly retarded child 
who is nine years old in class III at SLB Luki Padang. The child is a male who has difficulty in 
recognizing basic colors. Based on the results of the assessment and observation in the field, the 
child cannot mention, show and classify the basic colors. So that researchers are interested in 
lifting it as a research subject. Data analyzed were using graphical visual analysis. 
 

                                                                         
1 Maria J Wantah, “Pengembangan Kemandirian Anak Tunagrahita Mampu Latih,” Departemen Pendidikan 

Nasional Direktorat Jendral Pendidikan Tinggi. Jakarta (2007). 
2 Amat Jaedun, “Metodologi Penelitian Eksperimen,” Fakultas Teknik UNY (2011). 
3 Juang Sunanto, Koji Takeuchi, and Hideo Nakata, “Pengantar Penelitian Dengan Subjek Tunggal,” 

Universitas Tsukuba: Crice (2005). 
4 Arikunto Suharsimi, “Prosedur Penelitian Suatu Pendekatan Praktik,” Jakarta: Rineka Cipta (2006). 



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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
Results 

1. Baseline Conditions 
The initial condition of the child before being given treatment or intervention is a 

baseline condition. Initial conditions were observed five times until stable data results 
were obtained. Then the observations obtained are 10%, 0%, 10%, 10%, 10%. After 
getting the results of observations at a stable baseline, the researchers stop the 
observation, then intervention will be carried out. In the graph below, you can see the 
data obtained at baseline conditions: 

 
Graph of the basic color in a Baseline condition 

 
 
 

2. Interventional conditions 
Observations made when or after the child is given treatment or action are conditions 

of the intervention.   In this condition eleven meetings were held, which were 30%, 40%, 
60%, 50%, 50%, 60%, 80%, 80%, 80%, 90%, 90%, 90%. This data proves an increase in 
the ability to recognize basic colors for mild mentally disabled children through playing 
plasticine. Thus it can be seen in the graph below: 

Graphs on conditions of intervention 

 
Based on the results of research that researchers have done in 

the baseline conditions and interventions can be seen in the chart below: 

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

1 2 3 4 5K
n

o
w

in
g 

th
e 

B
as

ic
 C

o
lo

rs
 S

ki
lls

observation days

Baseline Condition

0%

50%

100%

6 8 10 12 14 16

K
n

o
w

in
g 

th
e 

B
as

ic
 C

o
lo

rs
 S

ki
lls

Observation Days

Intervention Condition



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Trend graphics stability to know basic colors 

 
 

In the graph above is explained that the study was conducted sixteen 

times. Baseline conditions amounted to five meetings, and intervention conditions 

amounted to eleven sessions. Between baseline and intervention have different data, 

for baseline conditions, it has a stability range of 0.15, with a mean level of 0.8, an 

upper limit of 0.87, a lower limit of 0.72, and a percentage of stability of 0%. While 

interventions have a stability range of 1.35, with a mean level of 6.54, an upper limit 

of 7.21, a lower limit of 5.87, and a percentage of stability is 18%. 

table summary color analysis in knowing the basis of 
color 

Conditio
n 

A B 

1. stregten condition 5 11 

2. estimation of direction 
tendencies 

 
 
 

 
(+) 

 
 
 
 

(+) 

3. Stability tendencies 0 % 18% 

(unstable) (unstable) 

 

4. data trace  
 
 

 
(+) 

 
 
 
 

(+) 5. Stability and Range levels 0 – 1 3 – 9 

6. Level of Change 1 - 1        
- 0 
(stabil) 

9 – 3 = 6 
(increased) 

 

In visual analysis between conditions has several components. It can be 

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

K
n

o
w

in
g 

th
e

 B
as

ic
 C

o
lo

rs
 S

ki
ll

s

Observation Days

Baseline Condition Intervention 



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seen in the table below: 

Summary Table Analysis Between Conditions 
No. Conditio

n 
A : B 

1. Number of Variables Changed 1 

 
2. Changes in the direction of 

trends and their effects 

  

           

(+) 

 

          

  (+) 

 

 

 
3. 

Change in Trend Unstable 

Stability variable 

4. Level of changed 3 – 1 = 2 

5. Overlap percentation 0 

 
 

Based on the results of data analysis, analysis in conditions and analysis between 
conditions shows the estimation of the direction of the trend, the stability of the stability, 
the data footprint, and the rate of change that has increased positively. Then it can be 
stated that playing plasticine can improve the ability to recognize basic colors for 
children with mild mental retardation class III at SLB Luki Padang.  

 
Discussion 

The study was conducted as many as sixteen days of observation. Starting from 
observations on the baseline conditions, which amounted to five meetings, and 
intervention conditions, which amounted to eleven sessions. At baseline conditions, the 
ability of children to recognize basic colors that tend to be horizontal and still low, the 
score obtained by children is one of the maximum scores that should be obtained by 
children, namely nine. Baseline conditions that were held five times a meeting can be seen 
on the graph. 

Whereas in the intervention condition, when giving treatment using plasticine to 
improve the ability to recognize color for mild, mentally retarded children, eleven 
meetings were held. Seen the child's ability to understand basic colors tends to increase. 
Only on the ninth day of observation did the child's ability to recognize color decrease 
slightly, to obtain the same score on the tenth day of observation, but then continued to 
rise and increase until finally stable at the fourteenth meeting until the sixteenth the child 
got the highest score of nine. The results of this study indicate an increase in the ability of 
children to recognize basic colors through play plasticine, students can name, show, 

distinguish or classify colors, this is in accordance with the theory put forward by Lerin5  
which states that the extra value obtained by children in play Plasticine is getting to know 
colors in a fun way. 

Mild developmental retardation is a child who has a disorder in his intellectual 
development, IQ ranges between 50-70 so that he experiences obstacles to abstract 
thinking. But academic skills can still be developed, such as reading, writing, counting and 
getting to know things, including recognizing the concept of color. This is by the opinion 

of Wantah6, which explains that mentally disabled children are those who have limitations 
to attend learning in regular schools, but they have potential that needs to be developed, 

                                                                         
5 Christine Lerin, 105 Permainan Untuk Meningkatkan Kecerdasan & Kreativitas Buah Hati (TransMedia, 2009). 
6 Wantah, “Pengembangan Kemandirian Anak Tunagrahita Mampu Latih.” 



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such as reading, writing, and arithmetic. 

Some experts argue that the game is a strategy suitable for children who are still at 
the age of play, not least for mentally disabled children. This is under the opinion of 

Kosasih7, which states to help mentally disabled children, teachers, or therapists have to 
do play therapy in learning, but the game given is not just any game. The game given 
should have a different therapeutic value, and the form of play is not too difficult for 
children to understand. Children with intellectual disabilities have limitations in learning 
and playing plasticine is one container that can be used to motivate children in learning. 
Because teaching children to learn while playing. This plasticine game is one of the games 
that ask children to learn while playing. Through play, children can mention, show and 
classify colors. So that the child's ability to recognize basic colors can increase. 

 

CONCLUSION 

The research entitled "Improving the Ability to Recognize Basic Colors Using 
Plasticine for Children with Class III Mild Developmental Disabilities at SLB Luki 
Padang. This type of research is Single Subject Research (SSR) with A-B design. Based 
on the analysis of research results that playing plasticine can improve the ability to 
recognize basic colors for mild, mentally disabled children. This is evident from the 
results obtained in the field during the study. Children can say red, yellow and blue 
correctly. Correctly show red, yellow and blue, and group colors, yellow and blue 
correctly so that children get a maximum score of nine. 

Based on these observations it can be concluded that there is an increase in the 
ability to recognize the basic colors of mentally disabled children after being given 
treatment through play plasticine both in mentioning, showing and grouping basic colors 
in SLB Luki Padang 

 

REFERENCES 

Jaedun, Amat. “Metodologi Penelitian Eksperimen.” Fakultas Teknik UNY (2011). 
Kosasih, Engkos. “Cara Bijak Memahami Anak Berkebutuhan Khusus.” Bandung: Yrama Widya 

(2012). 
Lerin, Christine. 105 Permainan Untuk Meningkatkan Kecerdasan & Kreativitas Buah Hati. 

TransMedia, 2009. 
Suharsimi, Arikunto. “Prosedur Penelitian Suatu Pendekatan Praktik.” Jakarta: Rineka Cipta 

(2006). 
Sunanto, Juang, Koji Takeuchi, and Hideo Nakata. “Pengantar Penelitian Dengan Subjek 

Tunggal.” Universitas Tsukuba: Crice (2005). 
Wantah, Maria J. “Pengembangan Kemandirian Anak Tunagrahita Mampu Latih.” Departemen 

Pendidikan Nasional Direktorat Jendral Pendidikan Tinggi. Jakarta (2007). 
 
 

 

                                                                         
7 Engkos Kosasih, “Cara Bijak Memahami Anak Berkebutuhan Khusus,” Bandung: Yrama Widya (2012). 


