Enhancing
Students’ Multiple Intelligences by Using Simple and Enjoyable Ways, Traditional Games
Most
of children throughout the world like playing. It is quite true when we say
that play is integral part which cannot be separated from childhood period
(Hurlock, 1980:121). Vygotsky stated that play actually is not only a wasteful activity
for enjoyment but it also has a great number of meanings for children’s
development particularly in developing children’s intelligences. However,
technology has changed everything into modern one, including playing games.
Traditional games, such as dakon, gobak
sodor, engklek, and so forth, have been substituted by modern games. Play
stations, robot, online games, etc in fact have changed children mindset and preference
of games. Then, it bears a question in our mind, “are modern games always
better than traditional games?” For this question, the answer is absolutely
“No, they are not”. Remember that the main purpose of games is assisting
children to develop their multiple intelligences. Based on some facts above,
hence we cannot deny that actually traditional games are much better than
modern games in enhancing children’s multiple intelligences.
To begin with,
it is better if we know the principle of childhood. Childhood is a very
precious period in every human development. In this period, every child learns
a lot of new things that they do not know before. Also, according to Hurlock in
her book, Child Development,
childhood should be a period which is full of meaning and cheerfulness instead
of pressure. In this period, children are expected to have critical thinking in
facing particular problems. According to Havighurts (in Hurlock, 1980:10), the
main task of children is developing their basic skill, reading, writing, and
logical-mathematics. Additionally, besides those three skills, children also
have to develop their other multiple intelligences which have essential role in
their life. However, childhood still must be an impressive period which is full
of cheerfulness. In this period, a lot of time should be used to play a lot of
games instead of studying hard in front of books.
Games, as we
know, are quite important and cannot be separated from children’s life. It is
not something without any meaning since we can use them as the learning media that
are interesting and enjoyable for children. According to J.M. Roberts and E.
Suttom Smith (in S. Buhisantoso 1983), games are potential to influence children’s
quality in the society. By using games, children also will learn and accept a
new knowledge faster than using conventional ways as games are very interesting
and enjoyable activities which are far from the boredom. Games are not waste
activity but there are a lot of messages, educational and cultural values, such
as togetherness, honesty, discipline, etiquette, esthetic, and personality
(Hayuningtyas, 2005:7).
Additionally, games
are able to explore children’s fantasy, imagination, moral, emotional, and
creativity (Hurlock, 1980:122). Montessori also emphasized that games have
significant role in physic, social, emotional, and cognitive as well. Children
imitate what the adult usually do and experience new things by themselves or in
other word games are the representative of the real world. Moreover, according
to Dewey, playing games for children are the same as working certain jobs for
adult. It is also strengthen by the research about differences in children
learning. Some children use their visual while others use audio or kinesthetic.
In the learning process, children will get the maximum result if they include
all of their senses. Then, we can encounter most of those things in traditional
games.
However, technology development has
changed every single aspect of today live. Television, radio, hand phone,
computer, and others modern devices have been integral part of our daily. Let’s
turn back to some years ago and then we would find numerous differences. In the
past, we still do everything manually, yet nowadays computer has made
everything easier and more practical than the previous one. Modernization
indeed offers a lot of advantages and brings a lot of changes in social life,
human relationship, social communication, and even in games that children
usually play. If we look back to some years ago, children played game by using
what they get from their surroundings. In contrast, most of today children
prefer modern games, like electronic toys, PS2, and online games rather than
the traditional ones. They have forgotten and abandoned traditional games which
are thought as the ancient and out of date games as well.
Regarding to
those facts above, we have to remember that the new one is not always better
than the old one since the fact that traditional games are much better than
modern one. There are a lot of advantages that we cannot get from modern games
but we can get in the other. Further, based on the main purpose of games which is
exploring children’s multiple intelligences, we can say that traditional games
are full of values and messages and better than modern ones as well. Then, we
can conclude that they have a huge potential in enhancing all those children’s multiple
intelligences.
Before we talk more about how traditional
games affect the children’s multiple intelligences, it is better for us knowing
what traditional games actually are. Traditional games can be defined as the
games that are done by using very simple tools even nothing used and usually
played by groups of children. There are large numbers of positive values in it,
such as socialization, fair competition, communication, and emotional
controlling as well as cognitive and health values (Guilford in Nursito, 2000:14).
Then, Indonesia as the archipelago country which consists of thousand islands and
different culture has a large number of traditional games with its different
name for each game between one area and others, such as, gobak sodor, engklek, gasingan, yoyo, nekeran, gathengan, egrang, jamuran,
dakon, pasaran, dhelikan, and still
many others.
One thing that cannot be forgotten
is that traditional games are the element of culture which can be neither
neglected nor abandoned. They can be one of the positive and effective ways to
educate children instead of using conventional boring ways. Also, Sukirman in
his book entitled Transformasi nilai
Budaya Melalui Permainan Anak-anak believes that traditional games will
influence the children’s characteristic, personality, and social life in the
future. They are quite potential in improving cognitive, affective, normative,
kinesthetic, as well as psychology aspects. Thus, we are allowed to call traditional
games as the best answer for improving children’s multiple intelligences.
According to the Dr. Howard Gardner,
professor of education at Harvard University, one’s intelligences cannot be
defined only from intellectual aspects. We cannot say that intellectual
intelligence is the most important since research done by campusasia on
February 2009 said that it contributes only 20 percent toward somebody’s success
(MALANGPOST, June 28th, 2009). Instead, there are nine intelligences
which we call as multiple intelligences. These intelligences are: logical-mathematical intelligence
(number/reasoning smart), linguistic
intelligence (word smart), musical
intelligence (music smart), spatial
intelligence (picture smart), bodily-kinesthetic
intelligence (body smart), intrapersonal
intelligence (self smart), interpersonal
intelligence (people smart), and
naturalist intelligence (nature smart). Then, those are so important
that we have to balance them well.
Of course, the theory of multiple
intelligences has strong implications for children’s learning and development
due it will affect their future. Many people try to optimize those multiple intelligences,
especially for children. Fortunately, those can be improved and developed by
using simple and enjoyable ways, traditional games. By seeing the fact that
children like games, how can traditional games develop those nine multiple
intelligences? What are the relationships between traditional games and multiple
intelligences?
First, one of the multiple intelligences is logical-mathematical intelligence which
consists of the capacity to analyze problems logically, carry out mathematical
operations, and investigate issues scientifically. It entails the ability to
detect patterns, reason deductively and think logically. This intelligence is
most often associated with scientific and mathematical thinking. Based on some
researches that have done, some traditional games, such as engklek, congklak/dhakon, dam-daman/macanan, lompat tali/spintrong,
bekelan, can develop that logical-mathematical intelligence. In those
games, children are tried to count numbers and decide the strategy to next
steps so that they can win the games. Thus, it quite helpful since children can
learn mathematics and logics indirectly in enjoyable ways.
Secondly, linguistic
intelligence involves sensitivity to both spoken and
written language, and the ability to learn any languages. This intelligence
includes the ability to use language to express something effectively. Writers,
poets, lawyers and speakers are among those who having high linguistic
intelligence. In addition, in traditional games which are mostly done in
groups, there is a leader which commands his/her members. In commanding, of
course he/she has to use clear language which is understood by all and the
members also has to be edible in understanding what others said so that they
can move or do fast. Sometimes, there are also particular rules in certain
games. Here, children can learn and improve their skill in comprehending words.
Then, musical
intelligence involves skill in the performance,
composition, and appreciation of musical patterns. It encompasses the capacity
to recognize and compose musical pitches, tones, and rhythms. Of course, music
is quite familiar and intimate in traditional games. A lot of games are played
while singing together, such as jamuran,
cublak-cublak suweng, ular naga, and many others. Children try to identify
tone and sharpen their senses of music. Music will also affect their
personality. Often, children also rearrange the tone or even create their own
songs which are used in games so that it will improve their musical
intelligence as well as verbal intelligence.
Spatial
intelligence involves the potential to recognize and
use the patterns of wide space and more confined areas. Of course, by using
traditional games we can improve that spatial intelligence. In some games, for
instance, engklek, gobak sodor, ongko
wolu, kucing gering, dam-daman, and so forth, children make their own games
area. Children try to draw circle, square, or other shapes as the area for
playing with their friends. Sometimes, they also have to make what they are
playing by their own hands, for instance, the girls use the branch of papaya
tree and the banana’s leaves to make a Barbie doll. Thus, by using this way
direct or indirectly children have developed their spatial intelligences.
Generally
traditional games are full of body movement or physical
activity, walking, running, dancing,
rolling, and jumping. When children play lompat
tali, gobak sodor, enggrang, engklek, they use their whole body or parts of
the body to move. It will assist the development of bodily-kinesthetic
intelligence which entails the ability to use mental abilities to
coordinate bodily movements. Thus, traditional games also contribute to avoid
children from the obesity. In modern games, children do not move at all, they
just sit down in front of monitor and use the joystick to run the games.
Sometimes, it also accompanied by snack which of course will increase the risk
of children’s obesity.
Furthermore,
intrapersonal intelligence entails the capacity to
understand their own self, to appreciate one's feelings, fears and motivations.
In Howard Gardner's view, it involves having an effective working model of
ourselves and to be able to use such information to regulate our lives. By
using traditional games, children are trained to regulate their emotion when
they are lost, to have emphatics and sympathetic. They also try to improve
their self esteem, confidence and pride before friends instead of being either
ashamed or inferior. In playing games, for instance, gobak sodor, engklek, they compete with others so that they have to
be fair and should not angry or cry when they are lost.
Interpersonal
intelligence is concerned with the capacity to
understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people. It allows
people to work effectively with others. Most of traditional games are played in
groups so that they have to help each other to win the game. For instance, in bakiyak games, three or more children
use the bakiyak and have to compete
with other groups. In order to win the games so that they have to make a good
organization, make a strategy, help each others, and keep the harmony unless
they will fall down. They should be sympathetic, emphatic one another instead
of being egoistic, and bad temper.
Naturalist
intelligence enables human beings to recognize,
categorize and draw upon certain features of the environment. It 'combines a
description of the core ability with a characterization of the role that many
cultures value' (ibid.: 48). In traditional games, children use and
get the materials from their surroundings. When they are playing pasaran, children use bananas leaves as
the wrapper, certain leaves as oil or money, and other plants. Sometimes, they
also use stone as the egg, soil/sand as rice, and so forth. Here, children will
learn about their environment whether it is bio and non-bio thing, identify
which plants those are dangerous and non-dangerous. They will also learn how to
keep the environment so that they can use it again for tomorrow.
In
addition, children also have to face a lot of challenges in their future. It is
not as simple as today. They have to be able to think in the divergent ways
instead of in the convergent ways. In other words, children have to be
creative. Traditional games usually are made by children by using everything
around them, plants, stone, branch, leaves, and others. It encourages them to
be more creative in creating their own toys since they use their mind and
hands. Often, they create their own rules when playing particular games. Of
course, by those facts above, it is quite clear that traditional games can
encourage children’s creativity, give the chance to explore divergent thinking,
and discover new challenges.
Globalization, on the other hand, has
brought huge consequences for traditional games’ existence. The fact that traditional
games need a large space to move has become the main problem. Nowadays, as we
know that we have no longer enough space to run, jump, and other activities in
traditional games. Lots people consider
traditional games as the out of date games which are played only by villagers
so that the urban are reluctant to play them all. Often, traditional games are also
so messy and dirty that worried in affecting children’s health. For instance,
children use soil, sand, and also leave as the materials which of course are
not sterile from many kind of germ and other bacteria. Besides, it is possible
harming children’s psychology since children play outside the house which is
far from parents’ control. The other reason, as most of traditional games are
played together with friends who come from different background, it is quite
possible affecting children’s personality into bad behavior/attitude.
Those negative are not appearing on modern
games. As we know that it does not need large area to play, children can play
it in their own room. Then, some also believe that modern games can improve our
logical intelligence since by playing video games, children are challenged to
arrange a strategy in order to solve the problem and win the games. Besides, it
helps children to improve their kinesthetic also as they use their hands or
legs to move or press the knob/joystick as fast as possible. However, are they
the real advantages of modern games? Are they enough to say that modern games
are better than traditional one? Of course “No, it is not.”
By those reasons saying that modern games
give advantages for children’s development, parents turn to begin facilitating
children by many kinds of modern games which can be played inside their house
so that the children are still under parents’ control. This consideration also
due to some reasons that traditional games have many negative effects that are
possible influence children’s health, psychology, characteristics, and behavior,
so many parents begin to forbid their children from playing them as well. Concerning
to the both parents’ and children’s mindset of games, Dra. Siti Hidayati, Indonesia
University sociologist, stated that video games and other modern games harm children
in term of social aspects. They have changed the relationship system which affects
the orientation of communalistic into individualistic (Sumintarsih, 2008:5). In
their period, children should interact and communicate with their peer to play
many games. From this interaction, children learn how to socialize with people
who have different background and personality. It is quite important as the
preparation to the future when they are become a real integral part of society.
In conclusion, it is quite irony that children
nowadays prefer spend their leisure time sitting in front of monitor to play
online games or play stations rather than play outdoors with their other
friends. Then, some parents also forbid their children not to play traditional
games since the messiness, bad influence for children characteristics and
behavior/attitude, etc. However, those negative things are just the other side
of the coin so that it is quite illogical to judge that traditional games are
inappropriate to do. Traditional games give a lot of advantages for children’s
development. Moreover, they are also the best-simple-easy ways to develop
children’s multiple intelligences; to improve children creativity; and to build
up children’s personality, emphatic ability and social communication among
others. Here, modern games cannot do those kinds of things. Therefore, we
cannot deny that traditional games are much better than modern games.
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