The Function of Fables for Early Children’s Character Education

Abstract

The formation of children’s character can be applied to several learning media, such as through literary works which can functionally be used as educational and entertainment media. The aim is to shape the child’s personality and direct the child’s intellectual potential. One of the works of children’s literature is a fable that tells about animals that personify human character. In this article the author uses qualitative research methods, data collection is carried out by looking for several secondary data sources. The results of this research show that an estimated 80 percent of character education has not been touched by early childhood. Starting from children’s education, young children need to receive character education since the child reaches an early age. The urgency of education for early childhood can be seen from several characteristics. To stimulate character formation in early childhood, appropriate media is needed, one of which is fables. This is because children will more easily absorb the character learning process through entertaining illustrations. In character education for early childhood, fables can function as a mechanical approach strategy. In this approach, every young child must be given a good view of moral and ethical values through story stimulation contained in the fable.