Optimizing the Literacy Park through the Integration of Reading-Writing and Digital Literacy for Elementary School-Aged Children

Abstract

Literacy skills are essential for elementary school-age children, particularly amid the rapid development of information and communication technology. Literacy development therefore needs to integrate reading and writing literacy with digital literacy so that children are able to understand, process, and utilize information appropriately and responsibly. This community service activity aimed to optimize the literacy park as an educational learning space through the integration of reading-writing literacy and digital literacy for elementary school-age children in the community. The activity was conducted at Universitas Salakanagara, Cikokol, Tangerang City, Banten, involving lecturers and university students as facilitators and elementary school-age children as participants. The implementation used a participatory and educational approach consisting of preparation, reading-writing literacy activities, digital literacy education, integration of literacy activities, mentoring, and evaluation. The activities included reading books, discussing and retelling reading materials, writing simple texts, searching for educational information through digital sources, and learning responsible and safe technology use. The results indicated that the integration of reading-writing and digital literacy created a more interactive and engaging learning experience for participants. The involvement of students as facilitators also enabled more intensive mentoring and encouraged participants to actively engage in reading, writing, discussion, and digital learning activities. Overall, the program demonstrated that optimizing the literacy garden can support the development of children's literacy competencies while creating a more adaptive and relevant learning environment in the digital era.