BUILDING UP CHARACTER VALUES THROUGH CHILDREN’S SONG

Abstract

This study aims to describe the process of establishing character values through children’s songs. Factors causing the fading of children’s character are the crisis of religious values and the fading out of national cultural values which are the effects of globalization. Therefore, the establishment of character values must be carried out from early childhood. Some of the efforts that can be made are to build up some character values in early childhood through singing children’s songs in the learning process. This research used a phenomenological qualitative type of research. The research subjects were teachers, students, and parents of the Mutiara Kasih Pre-School Mangli Jember. In collecting the data, this study used interview, observation, and documentation techniques. The collected data were analyzed using a spiral analysis model having the procedures of data management, reading and memo-ing, description, classification, interpretation, and presentation/visualization. The results of the study showed that it was important to build up character values since early childhood because the establishment of character values from an early age is considered to be more effective and very influential in the future development of children. To set up these good character values in children requires a long process and must be started from early childhood. Building up character values in this school was done by singing children’s songs. Those songs are songs that contain character values. The strategies or techniques that were used in building up character values through children’s songs was done by giving exemplary and make the students get used to doing good things.