A total of 44 selected facilitators came together in two rounds of intensive training organized by KREASI Ketapang.
Catch-up Club (Klub Bermain Literasi/KBL) was designed to break down the barriers of fear that often surround children who struggle with literacy. Through KBL, children are no longer grouped according to their grade level, but rather according to their actual learning abilities, ranging from letter recognition to story comprehension, following the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach.
Starting with the Heart: Connecting Before Teaching
A core pillar of KBL is the willingness to place children’s emotional well-being first before focusing on academic achievement. Through Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), each KBL session begins with warm greetings, songs, and simple games that help children feel comfortable and supported.
This fundamental principle was emphasized by Ufi Ruhama, a District Facilitator, during the training sessions.
“Children who struggle with reading are not unintelligent. They are children who need a sense of safety and self-confidence. Emotional connection has a direct impact on learning outcomes. Many studies have shown that literacy challenges in Indonesia are often linked to underdeveloped social-emotional foundations,” said Ufi.
Experiencing firsthand the contrast between a rigid classroom and an SEL-friendly learning environment left a deep impression on the facilitators.
“This experience truly opened our eyes, even for those of us who have been teaching for decades. We realized that fear is often what prevents children from responding and participating,” said Adi Candra, one of the training participants.
Playing, Progressing, and Growing Together
Within KBL, children are not grouped according to their formal grade levels but according to their actual learning abilities through the Teaching at the Right Level approach. Learning is facilitated through active and engaging activities such as Word Jump games, syllable card games, and role-playing exercises. Rather than relying on rote memorization, children are encouraged to understand the context and meaning of what they read in a natural and enjoyable way.
When facilitators conducted microteaching sessions with primary school students, the positive and empathetic learning atmosphere was clearly visible.
“I saw how excited the children became during the SEL activities. They were more willing to participate, engage, and play. We were also encouraged to pay close attention to opportunities for stronger students to support and help their peers,” said Lusi Andriani, another training participant.
Looking to the Future with Confidence and Smiles
The training marked the beginning of a three-month intensive mentoring period consisting of 27 sessions in intervention schools across Ketapang District. Through the support of highly empathetic facilitators, KBL demonstrates that literacy recovery is not simply about improving scores or meeting targets. It is about rebuilding children’s confidence and bringing back the smiles that make learning possible.
“If money is shared, it will eventually run out. But when knowledge is shared, it continues to grow and reach even more people,” said Syarif Syamsurrizal, KREASI Ketapang Training Coordinator.
Today, KBL is ready to accompany children across Ketapang on their learning journey, helping them rediscover the joy of learning and ensuring that fear and hesitation no longer stand in the way of opening a book.
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KREASI (Collaboration for the Education of Indonesian Children) is a program to improve the quality of education by strengthening literacy, numeracy, and character education. KREASI in Ketapang is managed by Save the Children and implemented by Majelis Dikdasmen dan PNF PP Muhammadiyah, with funding from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), as well as support from the Government of Ketapang and Indonesia’s Local Education Group, led by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag).
Writer: Afriyandi Nur Huda | Editor: Andika Ramadhan | Photo: Afriyandi Nur Huda/KREASI/Majelis Dikdasmen dan PNF PP Muhammadiyah/Save the Children