Bringing Children's Imagination to Life: Storytelling as a Literacy Movement in Jagul Village

This Community Service Program (PKM) aims to address the low interest in reading and basic literacy skills among children in Jagul Village, Wates District, Kediri Regency. Due to the constraints of the learning environment and over-dependence on technology, children have fewer authentic reading experiences. To tackle this, the PKM team implemented a literacy movement using Interactive Storytelling as a humanistic method to foster creativity, empathy, and curiosity in children. Storytelling was chosen for its dialogical, emotional, and reflective nature, allowing children to engage with stories meaningfully. The process included storytelling, reading aloud, literacy games, and creating mini-read corners through collaboration. The activities involved teachers, students, and KKN participants through Participatory Learning and Action (PLA). The results showed increased involvement in literacy, confidence in story retelling, and a newfound interest in books. Teachers reported that the storytelling approach created a more active and dialogical learning environment. In conclusion, the program demonstrated that a story-based approach is an effective way to encourage reading, while also helping to develop children's character through the moral lessons in stories. This approach is recommended for further implementation in Jagul Village and similar contexts.