EDUCATIO : Journal Of Education Volume 9 , Number 2, August 2024 ISSN : 2579-8383 (Print) ISSN : 2579-8405 (Online) The Influence of Picture Story Books on Children's Language Development Rizky Hafizotul Zikro1, Izza Fitri2, Tutut Handayani3 UIN Raden Fattah Palembang hafizotul3@gmail.com1 , izzafitri@radenfatah.ac.id2 , tututhandayani_uin@radenfatah.ac.id3 Accepted: Jan 14th 2024 Reviewed: May 18th 2024 Published: August 28th 2024 Abstract Children's listening skills often remain underdeveloped due to monotonous activities and games in early education settings. This study investigates the influence of picture storybooks on language development in children at the Kasih Ibu Family Planning School, located in Tanjung Bulan Village, Rambang Kuang District, Ogan Ilir Regency. The research employs a quantitative approach with a pre-experimental design using the One-Group Pretest-Posttest model to assess behavioral change after treatment. The sample comprises 10 children, and data were collected through observation, documentation, and testing. Data analysis includes validity and reliability tests, as well as normality, homogeneity, and hypothesis testing. Results show pretest and posttest averages of 23.50 and 33.00, respectively, with a significant p-value (2-tailed) of 0.000 < 0.05, indicating a significant improvement in listening skills. This confirms that picture storybooks positively impact children's language development at Kasih Ibu KB, supporting the hypothesis (Ha). Keywords: Picture storybooks, language development, children's listening skills, experimental study, Kasih Ibu KB. By Authors This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Introduction Language is a skill that everyone should pursue. Humans, as social creatures, need language to communicate and interact socially. Language is also a must-have for people of all ages. Adults and young children alike need language for daily activities.1 Adolescents are figures going through a rapid and important improvement process in their later lives.2 Based on the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia number 137 of 2014, article 1 paragraph 2 concerning the National Standards for Early Childhood Education states that the Standards for the Level of Achievement of Early Childhood 1Nur Syamsiyah, & Andri Hardiyana, Implementasi Metode Bercerita sebagai Alternatif Meningkatkan Perkembangan Bahasa Anak Usia Dini, Jurnal Obsesi: Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 6(3), 2022, Hlm, 1198. 2Yuliani Nurani Sujiono, Konsep Dasar Pendidikan Anak Usia DiniI, (Jakarta: Pt Indeks, 2013), Hlm, 6. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Volume 9, Number 1, August 2024| 121 Development are hereinafter called STPPA which means the abilities possessed by children. In all parts of progress and development, the perspective is part of the rigorous and virtuous viewpoint, the physical-motor viewpoint, the mental viewpoint, the social depth viewpoint, and the language viewpoint.3 One of the significant advances for the younger generation is part of language advancement. Language is a method of correspondence with others as an arrangement of sound images conveyed by human discourse devices. Language is made up of words or collections of words.4 Language is correspondence that starts from a person's considerations and feelings and then passes on to others. Crying is the first step towards language until a child can speak. With language, a person can convey his thoughts, considerations, and feelings to others, either orally or in hard copies. Language is used in most human activities, without which man cannot communicate his feelings, convey his wishes, or give ideas and conclusions.5 Language improvement is a formative cycle in children that includes an open and expressive attitude and is divided into four functions: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The ability to understand what is felt and heard is called receptive language (listening and reading). Expressive language (writing and speaking) is the ability to convey symbolically, both visually and auditorily.6 Researchers focus on the development of receptive language, namely listening. Listening is the act of recognizing and understanding something. Understanding, searching for meaning through reactions, choosing meaning, remembering, paying attention, analyzing, and combining with previous experiences are components of attentive listening.7 Children's listening ability This certainly impacts various stages, especially the stages of children's language development, because children's language development starts from the tuning/listening stage until the child can speak, read, and compose. Children develop their ability to listen first. Children have started thinking about how to listen since they were still in the womb.8 Regarding language development research focused on children's listening, researchers will focus on children aged 4-5. This is in line with Permendikbud No. 137 of 2014 concerning the level of achievement of development of children aged 4-5 years in terms of understanding language, namely: 1. Listening to the words of others (mother tongue or other languages) 2. Understand two commands given at the same time 3. Understand the story read 4. Recognize the vocabulary of adjectives (naughty, stingy, kind, brave, good, ugly, etc.) 5. Hear and distinguish sounds in Indonesian (e.g., sounds and speech must be the same).9 3Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional Republik Indonesia Nomor 137 Tahun 2014, Tentang Standar Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, Hlm. -2-. 4Mulyati, Terampil Berbahasa Indonesia, (Jakarta: PRENADAMEDIA GROUP, 2015), Hlm, 2. 5 Widya Anggraini Selian, Nurhayati, & Sariah, Penggunaan Media Buku Cerita Bergambar dalam Perkembangan Bahasa Anak, Kindergarten: Journal of Islamic Early Childhood Education, Vol 2(2), 2019, Hlm, 152. 6Puji Rahayu, Pengaruh Era Digital Terhadap Perkembangan Bahasa Anak, Al-Fathin Vol. 2. 2019, Hlm, 52. 7Aulia Rahma. dkk, Aspek Kemampuan Menyimak Anak Usia Dini, Jurnal PAUD Emas Volume 1(2), 2022, Hlm, 20. 8Siti Kurniasih,Pengembangan Keterampilan Anak Melalui Pembelajaran Dalam Jaringan, Jurnal Evaluasi dan Pembelajaran, Volume 4(1), 2022, Hlm, 41-42. 9Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional Republik Indonesia Nomor 137 Tahun 2014, op.cit, Hlm, -26- Volume 9, Number 1, August 2024| 122 At the age of 4-5 years is a sensitive period for child development and during this time several personalities begin to form. At this age stage, it is also a golden age for children, who must get maximum attention, because the golden age is a period when all aspects of the child's development process are at a very rapid development stage.10 Adolescents have very interesting traits and uniqueness. In addition to the character formed at this age, language development is also developing rapidly.11 As educators and parents, we must take advantage of this opportunity to educate and maximize children's growth and development at this curious age. Developing listening in early childhood requires achievement indicators by the stages of child development. Indicators of achievement in listening to children aged 4-5 are: 1. Listening carefully to others 2 and understanding the two commandments 3. Understanding information/stories.12 So basically listening in 4-5 year olds includes listening, paying attention, understanding, responding to what they hear such as information, stories and commands given. Listening to appropriate and interesting learning materials can be used to stimulate children. Picture books are a type of learning media that is often used in educational activities. A picture storybook is a storybook that contains text and various elements in the form of lines, shapes, colors, and textures.13 Picture storybooks can show the relevance of the content of the material they want to convey with reality.14 The use of picture storybooks in educational experiences can help children gain experiences that are important to them. Teaching with picture books can help children understand concepts more concretely. Even though it is not informative, picture story books are still picture books in the form of stories. Thus, picture books fit into the characteristics of storybooks, as they have story elements (characters, plots, plots). One of the activities that teachers can do with picture storybooks is storytelling. By using this media, learning for children is expected to be effective, especially in developing listening skills in children.15 Therefore, educators must play an active role in creating listening skills so that children become cheerful, not lethargic and not tired in facing learning experiences, so that children can listen, concentrate, understand and answer what they hear. So that children do not get bored while learning and the teaching and learning process runs smoothly, teachers must also get to know the children.16 Teachers play an important role in motivating children to make the teaching and learning process more interesting. They support this process by using the right media so that the material presented is more interesting and easy to understand.17 One of the encouragement that educators 10Nindiya Restuningtyas, & Rachma Hasibuan, “Pengaruh Media Buku Cerita Bergambar Terhadap Perkembangan Bahasa Anak Kelompok B Di Tk Tadika Puri Surabaya”, Jurnal PAUD Teratai, 11(1), 2022, 11Nur Syamsiyah, Andri Hardiyana, op.cit, Hlm, 1199. 12Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan Nasional Republik Indonesia Nomor 137 Tahun 2014, op.cit, Hlm, 26 13Azhar Arsyad,Media Pembelajaan, (Jakarta: Rajawali Pers, 2015), Hlm. 3. 14Azhar Arsyad, Media Pembelajaran. (Jakarta: PT. Raja Grafindo Persada, 2017). Hlm, 89. 15Widya Anggraini Selian, Nurhayati, & Sariah, loc.cit 16Desy Juniza, Dian Nuzulia Armariena, “Pengaruh Media Pembelajaran Buku Cerita Bergambar terhadap Keterampilan Bercerita Siswa III”, 3(2), 2022, Hlm, 236. 17Mera Putri Dewi, Neviyarni, Irdamurni, Perkembangan Bahasa, Emosi, Dan Sosial Anak Usia Sekolah Dasar”, Jurnal Ilmiah “Pendidikan Dasar. VII(1), 2020, Hlm, 3. Volume 9, Number 1, August 2024| 123 and guardians can give to develop children's listening skills further is to retell stories using picture story books. Paying attention to great stories and retelling them can create and improve listening skills, improving.18 One of the previous studies conducted by Nindiya Restuningtyas and Rachma Hasibuan (2022) is titled Pengaruh Media Buku Cerita Bergambar Terhadap Perkembangan Bahasa Anak Kelompok B Di Tk Tadika Puri Surabaya. The results of the research prove that picture book media affects the language development of group B children of Kindergarten Puri Puri Surabaya. This can be seen from the difference in children's language skills when using picture book media treatment.19 Similar research by Nur Syamsiyah, Andri Hardiyana (2022). The indicators of language comprehension and expression in this study met the BSH (Developing as Expected) criteria, which showed that the storytelling method could improve language development in children aged 4-6 years on the BSH (Developing as Expected) criterion, while the literacy indicator was on the BSB (Developing as Expected) criterion.20 Further research by Dita Fitri, Masnipal Marhun, & Dinar Nur Inten (2022). The results of the research prove that there is an improvement in children's listening ability through the use of picture storybook media for children aged 5-6 years from the results of pre-cycle, cycle I, cycle II, and cycle III.21 From the three previous studies carried out by several scientists above, it can be said that existing information supports the idea that picture story books can be used as a supporting medium in educating and developing experiences and impacting the hearing ability of young children. Based on the initial interviews conducted by the researcher, the child did not understand the two commands given at the same time, and the child still had difficulty understanding the story being read. It is seen when teachers who only focus on giving assignments use LKA (Children's Worksheets) when developing children's language, especially in receptive language (listening), thus causing monotonous learning activities. Monotonous learning causes children to be bored and unmotivated to develop language well. This causes a lack of proper stimulation in developing language development, especially children's listening skills. In addition, the facilities and infrastructure in the family plan are also inadequate, so monotonous learning activities cause children to become bored. Because repeated exercises and games cause children's listening skills not to develop ideally. Then children have an assessment 18 2019 Eka Mei Ratnasari, Enny Zubaidah, “Pengaruh Penggunaan Buku Cerita Bergambar Terhadap Kemampuan Berbicara Anak”, Scholaria: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, 9(3), 2019, Hlm, 267. 19Nindiya Restuningtyas, & Rachma Hasibuan, “Pengaruh Media Buku Cerita Bergambar Terhadap Perkembangan Bahasa Anak Kelompok B Di Tk Tadika Puri Surabaya”, Jurnal PAUD Teratai, 11(1), 2022, Hlm, 59. 20 Nur Syamsiyah, dan Andri Hardiyana, “Implementasi Metode Bercerita sebagai Alternatif Meningkatkan Perkembangan Bahasa Anak Usia Dini”, Jurnal Obsesi: Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, Vol. 6(3), 2022. Hlm, 1197. 21Dita Fitri, Masnipal Marhun, & Dinar Nur Inten, Meningkatkan Kemampuan Menyimak melalui Penggunaan Media Buku Cerita Bergambar Anak Usia 5-6 Tahun di TK Riyadhul Ulfah, Vol. 2(2), (2022) Volume 9, Number 1, August 2024| 124 that playing games that they cannot do and are not interesting is repetitive and tiring games so that currently many children like to play using their gadgets, so it can cause children to be less ready to speak. with the individuals around them. This also makes the younger generation less ready to listen. On the other hand, because family planning does not use learning media, teachers only use storytelling techniques without media to help children develop their language skills. Teachers today still convey stories through lectures, which hinders children's language development." Then, children prefer picture media to text. Therefore, various learning media is needed in children's language development. For the teaching materials delivered by teachers to children to be more readily accepted, teachers need to take exclusive actions that are deemed necessary to remind language development, especially listening to children through creative activities. The achievement of learning outcomes through the right learning process is urgent and must be implemented immediately. Therefore, this research aims to find the influence of picture story books on early childhood listening. Method The research used in this study is quantitative, namely to test certain theories by examining the relationship between variables. Variables are usually measured with research instruments so that data consisting of numbers can be analyzed based on statistical procedures.22 This study is about the influence of picture story books on listening to children in KB Kasih Ibu, Tanjung Bulan Village, Rambang Kuang District, Ogan Ilir Regency. This study uses a quantitative approach with the pre-Experimental Designs experimental method using the One-Group Pretest-Posttest Designs research model , namely before and after treatment.23 In this study, 10 children in class A1 were said to have not developed their listening skills. The child has not been able to listen to the words of others, the child has not understood the two commands given at the same time, the child is also still having difficulty understanding the story being read. Meanwhile, class A2 for the development of receptive language has developed well. So the sample in this study is 10 children aged 4-5 years in group A1 at KB Kasih Ibu Tanjung Bulan Village Results and Discussion The pretest concluded by observing various movements, exercises, and experiences that developed from the initial stages to the most advanced levels. The indicators determined and reported as observation items indicated that these activities were conducted to assess children's listening skills. Consequently, children's ability to comprehend information about creatures on land, in water, and in the air was measured by their ability to follow instructions or repeat given data. The pretest results were utilized to test the normality and homogeneity of the data. The listening indicators measured included attentively listening to others, understanding two commands simultaneously, and comprehending meanings. 22Adhi Kusuma, dkk. “Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif”, (Yogyakarta: deepublis, 2020), Hlm. 20 23 Sugiono, “Metode Penelitian kuantitatif, kualitatif, dan R&D”. (Bandung: Alfabeta, 2019), Hlm. 112. Volume 9, Number 1, August 2024| 125 Table 1 Pretest and Posttest Scores No. Name Pretest Score Posttest Score 1 Gio Nino 27 34 2 Diana Sari 20 35 3 Kanada Istiqomah 23 32 4 Fazila Khorunnisa 21 30 5 Mirzz Ukail 22 35 6 Rais Rhamadan 22 32 7 Adiba Kanza 25 30 8 Keisha Almahira 27 35 9 Fatih Alfarizi 25 31 10 Kevin Alanshor 23 36 Total 235 330 The pretest results from Class A.1 indicated a low average score of 235, while the posttest results increased to 330 after the treatment was applied. The mean scores from the pretest and posttest are shown in the following table. Table 2 Descriptive Statistics Descriptive Statistics N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Error Std. Deviation Variance Pretest 10 20 27 23.50 0.764353 2.415 5.833 Posttest 10 30 36 33.00 0.858710 2.261 5.111 Source: SPSS Version 25 output data The table shows a significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores. Initially, before applying the picture storybook medium, students had an average pretest score of 23.50. Following the intervention, the posttest average increased to 33.00. The standard deviation for the pretest was 0.764353, rising to 0.858710 in the posttest. Table 3 Bar Chart of Pretest Scores for Listening Skills in 4-5 Year Olds 0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 4,5 Volume 9, Number 1, August 2024| 126 The chart above shows that in the pretest, 2 children scored between 20-21 (20%), 4 children scored between 22-23 (40%), 2 children scored between 24-25 (20%), and 2 children scored between 26-27 (20%). Table 4 Bar Chart of Posttest Scores for Listening Skills in 4-5 Year Olds The chart above indicates that in the posttest, 2 children scored between 29-30 (10%), 3 children scored between 31-32 (30%), 1 child scored between 33-34 (10%), and 5 children scored between 35-36 (50%). 1. Normality Test Table 5 Normality Test Data One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test Unstandardized Predicted Value N Normal Parameters (a,b) Most Extreme Differences Test Statistic Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) Source: SPSS Version 25 output data The pretest and posttest normality test results yielded a value of 0.200 > 0.05, indicating that the data were normally distributed as the significance was above 0.05. 2. Homogeneity Test Table 6 Homogeneity Test Data Test of Homogeneity of Variances Levene Statistic ------------------- Based on Mean Source: SPSS Version 25 output data The obtained significance value of 0.039 > 0.05 indicates that the data were homogeneous. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 29-30(10%) 31-32(30%) 33-34(10%) 35-36(50%) Volume 9, Number 1, August 2024| 127 3. Hypothesis Test Table 7 Paired Samples Test Paired Differences t df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean: -9.500 9.174 9 0.000 Std. Deviation: 3.274 Std. Error Mean: 1.035 95% Confidence Interval: Lower: -11.842, Upper: -7.158 Source: SPSS Version 25 output data The mean pretest and posttest scores were 23.50 and 33.00, respectively. The paired samples test showed a significance value of 0.000 to confirm whether a significant increase occurred post-treatment. The hypothesis testing criterion for this study was a significance (2-tailed) value < 0.05, indicating that Ho was rejected, and Ha was accepted, confirming a significant improvement in listening skills. Discussion Mitchell posits that picture books are unique educational tools that integrate text and illustrations in a complementary fashion. While images alone can convey a narrative without the need for accompanying text, the fusion of both elements enriches the storytelling experience and provides a more comprehensive understanding for the reader. This alignment of visuals and text is particularly valuable in educational settings, as it engages multiple sensory pathways, reinforcing learning and comprehension. Lukens further emphasizes that, despite illustrations and written text being distinct media forms, picture storybooks blend these elements seamlessly, creating a unified and cohesive format. This integration supports cognitive and linguistic development in young learners by fostering engagement and deeper processing of content. The research was conducted over 12 sessions, structured to include a rigorous examination of the effects of picture storybooks on children's listening skills. The initial phase comprised four meetings dedicated to the pretest, during which children's baseline listening abilities were assessed. Observations were carried out using carefully designed evaluation indicators to ensure consistency and accuracy in data collection. This stage was followed by four sessions in which the treatment was applied, involving interactive storytelling using picture storybooks. These sessions were designed to leverage the visual and textual integration highlighted by Mitchell and Lukens, aiming to enhance the children's ability to listen attentively and understand the stories presented. The final phase of the research consisted of four posttest meetings. During these sessions, children were assessed again using the same indicators as in the pretest to determine any improvements in their listening skills. The structured approach allowed for comparative analysis between pretest and posttest results, providing a clear depiction of the impact of the intervention. The iterative nature of the treatment ensured that children had repeated exposure to the stimuli, aligning with theories that emphasize the importance of repetition and varied sensory input for cognitive and language development. The results revealed significant advancements in the children's listening abilities, supporting the hypothesis that picture storybooks can effectively enhance early language skills. Volume 9, Number 1, August 2024| 128 This outcome aligns with the assertions made by scholars like Mitchell and Lukens, affirming that the interplay between visual and textual elements is a powerful mechanism for educational growth. The research contributes to the broader understanding of pedagogical practices in early childhood education, advocating for the strategic use of picture storybooks as a medium to develop foundational listening skills. Conclusion Based on the previous chapter, it can be concluded that picture story books are used to develop children's language in KB Kasih Ibu Tanjung Bulan Village. It can be seen that the average pretest and posttest values of 23.50 and 33.00 from the two data have been determined by the average posttest. Then, the significant value (2-tailed) 0.000 < 0.05 indicates a significant difference between the initial and final variables. This shows a significant influence on the difference in treatment given to each variable, with the hypothesis that Ha is accepted and Ho is rejected, meaning that picture story books influence children's language development in KB Kasih Ibu Tanjung Bulan Village. Reference Adhi Kusuma, dkk. “Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif”, (Yogyakarta: deepublis, 2020) Aulia Rahma. dkk, Aspek Kemampuan Menyimak Anak Usia Dini, Jurnal PAUD Emas Volume 1(2), 2022 Azhar Arsyad, Media Pembelajaan, (Jakarta: Rajawali Pers, 2015) Azhar Arsyad, Media Pembelajaran. (Jakarta: PT. 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