Improving Early Childhood Learning Concentration through Brain Games and Brain Gymnastics

Peningkatan Konsentrasi Belajar Anak Usia Dini melalui Brain Games dan Senam Otak

Authors

  • Rusnaini Universitas Islam Negeri Sulthan Thaha Saifudin Jambi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56667/jveit.v7i1.2283

Keywords:

konsentrasi belajar, brain games, senam otak, fungsi eksekutif, anak usia dini

Abstract

Attention span is a crucial executive function that significantly influences early childhood learning outcomes. However, excessive screen time exposure and sedentary lifestyles have led to declining attention spans among young children. This study aims to improve the learning concentration of early childhood through brain games and brain gym activities at TK Mukti Tama III B. This research employs Classroom Action Research (PTK) using the Kemmis and McTaggart model, conducted in two cycles. The subjects were 20 children (10 boys and 10 girls) aged 5-6 years in Group B. Data collection techniques included observation, documentation, field notes, and unstructured interviews, analyzed using descriptive qualitative and quantitative methods. The results showed a significant improvement in children's learning concentration. In the pre-cycle, only 30% of children reached the expected developmental milestones (BSH/BSB). This increased to 60% in Cycle I and reached 85% in Cycle II. The integration of brain games (puzzle, memory games, pattern recognition) and brain gym activities (cross crawl, hook-ups, lazy holds) based on Dennison's Brain Gym theory successfully enhanced children's sustained attention, selective attention, and cognitive flexibility. The study concludes that brain games and brain gym activities are effective pedagogical interventions for improving early childhood learning concentration.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] Alloway, T. P., & Alloway, R. G. (2010). Investigating the predictive role of working memory and IQ in academic attainment. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 106(1), 20-29.

[2] Best, J. R. (2012). Effects of physical activity on children's executive function: Contributions of experimental research on aerobic exercise. Developmental Review, 32(4), 331-351.

[3] Blair, C., & Razza, R. P. (2007). Relating effortful control, executive function, and false belief understanding to emerging math and literacy ability in kindergarten. Child Development, 78(2), 647-663.

[4] Christakis, D. A., Miller, A. M., Zimmerman, F. J., & DiGiuseppe, D. L. (2018). A systematic review to support the development of healthy screen time guidelines for children ages birth to 5 years. JAMA Pediatrics, 172(10), 970-977.

[5] Cook, J. L., Sacko, R. S., McIver, T., Brian, A. C., & Rudisill, M. E. (2019). The effects of a classroom-based physical activity program on children's executive function. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 38(2), 145-153.

[6] Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY: Harper & Row.

[7] Dennison, P. E., & Dennison, G. E. (1986). Brain gym: Teacher's edition. Ventura, CA: Edu-Kinesthetics, Inc.

[8] Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135-168.

[9] Diamond, A., & Ling, D. S. (2016). Conclusions about interventions, tips for enhancing them, and recommendations for future research on executive functions in early childhood. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 81(1), 240-262.

[10] Gabbard, C. (2014). Lifelong motor development (7th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Pearson.

[11] Gazzaley, A., & Rosen, L. D. (2016). The distracted mind: Ancient brains in a high-tech world. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

[12] Hannaford, C. (2005). Smart moves: Why learning is not all in your head (2nd ed.). Arlington, VA: Great Ocean Publishers.

[13] Hillman, C. H., Kamijo, K., & Pontifex, M. B. (2014). The relation of childhood physical activity and aerobic fitness to brain function and cognition. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 79(3), 113-131.

[14] Jaeggi, S. M., Studer-Luethi, B., Buschkuehl, M., Su, Y. F., Jonides, J., & Perrig, W. J. (2011). The relationship between n-back performance and matrix reasoning—Implications for training and transfer. Intelligence, 38(6), 625-635.

[15] Kemendikbud. (2014). Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Republik Indonesia Nomor 137 Tahun 2014 tentang Standar Nasional Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini. Jakarta: Kemendikbud.

[16] Kemendikbudristek. (2022). Keputusan Menteri Pendidikan, Kebudayaan, Riset, dan Teknologi Republik Indonesia Nomor 56/M/2022 tentang Pedoman Penerapan Kurikulum dalam Rangka Pemulihan Pembelajaran. Jakarta: Kemendikbudristek.

[17] Kemmis, S., McTaggart, R., & Nixon, R. (2014). The action research planner: Doing critical participatory action research. Singapore: Springer.

[18] Komisi Perlindungan Anak Indonesia (KPAI). (2024). Laporan tahunan perlindungan anak Indonesia 2024. Jakarta: KPAI.

[19] Lillard, A. S., & Peterson, J. (2011). The immediate impact of different types of television on young children's executive function. Pediatrics, 128(4), 644-649.

[20] McClelland, M. M., & Cameron, C. E. (2019). Self-regulation and early learning: Building blocks for school success. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

[21] Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

[22] Piaget, J. (1972). The psychology of intelligence. Totowa, NJ: Littlefield, Adams & Co.

[23] Posner, M. I., & Rothbart, M. K. (2012). Educating the human brain (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

[24] Ratey, J. J. (2008). Spark: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

[25] Tomporowski, P. D., McCullick, B. A., Pendleton, D. M., & Pesce, C. (2011). Exercise and children's cognition: A meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 41(9), 743-755.

[26] Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

27] World Health Organization. (2019). Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age. Geneva: World Health Organization.

[28] Zelazo, P. D., Blair, C. B., & Willoughby, M. T. (2016). Executive function: Implications for education. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Downloads

Published

2026-06-30

How to Cite

Rusnaini. (2026). Improving Early Childhood Learning Concentration through Brain Games and Brain Gymnastics: Peningkatan Konsentrasi Belajar Anak Usia Dini melalui Brain Games dan Senam Otak. Journal of Vocational Education and Information Technology (JVEIT), 7(1), 45–52. https://doi.org/10.56667/jveit.v7i1.2283