The Effect of Using the Educational Game Tool Counting Box on the Numbers Ability of Early Children in One-Roof Kindergarten Sdn 003 Sihepeng, Siabu District

Abstrak

The problem of early childhood numeracy is increasingly prominent at the national level, with data showing that approximately 60-70% of kindergarten children have not yet achieved competency standards. This study aims to examine the effect of using the Counting Box Educational Game Tool (APE) on the numeracy skills of early childhood children at the One-Roof Kindergarten of SDN 003 Sihepeng, Siabu District, South Tapanuli Regency. A quantitative quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design approach was applied to a population and sample of 30 children in group B (aged 5-6 years, 16 boys and 14 girls), with partial t-test and linear regression analysis using SPSS 26. The numeracy test instrument was proven valid (r count 0.724-0.970 > r table 0.3061) and reliable (Cronbach's Alpha X = 0.966; Y = 0.973), with the assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity met. The analysis results showed a positive and significant effect (Sig. 0.000 < 0.05; t-test 67.381 > t-table), with a regression equation of Y = 0.759 + 1.037X, indicating that each one-unit increase in APE use increased numeracy skills by 1.037 units. The study concluded that the Counting Box APE is effective as a play-based learning medium for building the foundation of numeracy in early childhood.