Storytelling Around Makassar is Attacked by TK Children, Creative Strategy to Develop Reading Interest

Enthusiasm of TK Abigail Preschool students Erlina Maulidyah welcomes the mobile library and Dongkel in Makassar, Monday (6/04/2026). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Increasing children's reading interest does not always have to be done in a formal way in the classroom. A unique and fun approach, such as combining reading activities with interactive fairy tales, has proven to be more effective in attracting children's attention from an early age.

This method makes children not only see books as learning materials, but also as a source of exciting and imaginative entertainment.

The Makassar City Government (Pemkot) through the Library Service (Dispus) continues to present innovations to increase student reading interest, even from the Kindergarten (TK) level. One of them is through the Dongeng Keliling program which is combined with the Mobile Library service, or known as "Dongkel with Mobile Library".

This program was seen when the library team visited the Abigail Preschool Makassar Kindergarten. Their presence was greeted enthusiastically by 33 students who seemed cheerful and enthusiastic to participate in the activity.

The head of TK Abigail Preschool, Erlina Maulidyah, explained that the school deliberately presented this program in order to commemorate International Children's Book Day and International Earth Day which fall in April.

"We believe that the presence of Dongkel with Mobile Library will foster a culture of reading and a love of books and literacy from an early age for children," he said.

Before entering the reading session, the children were first invited to listen to a fairy tale presented by the Dongkel team from the Makassar City Library Service. The storyteller Chaerunnisa Latief, who is familiarly known as Kak Nisa, appeared with a puppet named Aco.

He presented a story titled "Aisyah Loves Reading Books" which was associated with the theme of reading while maintaining the environment. This approach makes children easier to understand the message of the story while still being entertained.

After the fairy tale session, the children seemed more enthusiastic to read, especially picture books. This reading activity was accompanied by mobile library officers and educators, so that the learning atmosphere remained focused but fun.

The Dongkel with Mobile Library program itself is an innovative service that combines reading activities with interactive fairy tales that are educational and interesting. Not only aimed at increasing reading interest, this program also plays a role in instilling character, moral, and cultural values to children from an early age.