Menumbuhkan Literasi Di Wilayah Pesisir: Pendampingan Praktik Membaca Cerita Dari Ibu Untuk Anak di Desa Tanjung Pasir Kota Tarakan Kalimantan Utara

This community service initiative was carried out to foster literacy in a coastal area Tanjung Pasir, Tarakan, North Kalimantan by guiding mothers in reading stories to their children. The program was designed to cultivate children's interest in reading through creative approaches, such as group storytelling sessions. A study group was established in the village of Tanjung Pasir to create a collaborative environment a comfortable space where children can learn, share stories, and develop a love for books. To enhance children's engagement during the sessions, the community service team provided reading materials tailored to support those still struggling with reading. The activity took place on October 28, 2025, with 80 participants (mothers and their children). Eleven lecturers from the Indonesian Language Education department provided guidance, two of whom served as resource persons. The program included a presentation on the importance of mothers reading aloud to their children, followed by a demonstration by the resource persons on how to read in an engaging and effective manner. Participants engaged in interactive dialogue, discussions, and a Q&A session, alongside practical reading exercises using the provided books. This initiative highlighted the urgent need to foster literacy in children from an early age. The involvement of mothers in reading to their children helps the children develop language skills: they become accustomed to reading, practice active listening while their mothers read stories, engage in speaking (by asking questions about the stories they hear, which sparks their curiosity), and develop an inclination toward writing (as the habit of reading and listening to stories fosters a desire to write in the future).