PEMANFAATAN MEDIA SPINNER WHEEL DALAM MENGEMBANGKAN KEMAMPUAN BAHASA INGGRIS ANAK USIA DINI DI TK AS-SHAFAA KADIDI

Abstract

This article discusses the use of Spinner Wheel media in developing the English language skills of early childhood children at TK As-Shafaa Kadidi, Panca Rijang District, Sidenreng Rappang Regency. Early childhood learning needs to be delivered through play, so the introduction of English at this age requires media that are engaging, visual, and interactive. This study aims to describe how the Spinner Wheel is used, to analyze children’s responses and engagement, and to identify the obstacles faced by the teacher. The study used a descriptive qualitative approach with teachers and young children as subjects. Data were collected through participatory observation, semi-structured interviews, and documentation, and were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, which consists of data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The results show that, first, the Spinner Wheel was used as a supporting game medium through a sequence of greetings, theme introduction, trigger questions, vocabulary introduction with colour cards, turn-taking wheel spinning, pronunciation imitation, and teacher reinforcement. Second, children showed positive responses in the form of attention, enthusiasm, curiosity, and willingness to try, as well as verbal, physical, social, and emotional engagement. Third, the obstacles faced by the teacher were difficulty in getting children to wait for their turn and the small display size of the digital Spinner Wheel on smartphones and laptops, which prevented all children from seeing it clearly. The Spinner Wheel is therefore a fun and interactive supporting medium for introducing English vocabulary, provided that it is supported by good classroom management and larger media.