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Early childhood development (0–6 years) is a critical period that shapes a child’s physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, language, and moral growth. The family, as the first educational environment, plays a vital role in shaping the child’s character and adaptive skills, particularly through parent–child interactions. In Muslim communities, child-rearing focuses on not only psychological aspects but also reinforcing religious values through Islamic Parenting, which is based on the principles of rahmah (compassion), uswah (exemplary behavior), guidance, and ‘adl (justice), as outlined in the Qur’an and Hadith. This study uses a qualitative literature review to analyze the role of Islamic Parenting in early childhood development, highlighting the significance of these values. The review shows that Islamic Parenting plays a crucial role in optimizing children’s holistic development, including cognitive, social, emotional, moral, and spiritual aspects. Key components of this model include parental exemplification, compassion, religious education, positive behavior habituation, and cognitive stimulation through educational interactions. This model can be implemented through daily practices such as prayers, storytelling, and character reinforcement. In conclusion, Islamic Parenting fosters not just biological caregiving but also character, morality, and spirituality, preparing children for contemporary challenges.

The development of the modern world, characterized by advances in digital technology, globalization, and complex social dynamics, has created new challenges in child-rearing practices, particularly for Muslim families. Children require not only the fulfillment of physical needs and formal education, but also balanced emotional, social, and spiritual support. This study aims to examine the concept of child-rearing based on love and compassion from the perspective of Islamic psychology, identify the core principles of Islamic parenting, and explain its implications for children’s psychological development. This research employed a qualitative approach using a literature review method with a systematic literature review design. Data sources were obtained from academic books as well as nationally accredited journals and reputable international journals published between 2020 and 2024. The data were analyzed using content analysis and thematic analysis to identify patterns, key concepts, and relationships among variables. The findings indicate that parenting grounded in love and compassion (rahmah), combined with role modeling, justice, and wisdom in discipline, contributes positively to children’s emotional, social, moral, and spiritual development. Warm and responsive Islamic parenting supports the development of effective emotional regulation, prosocial behavior, and the internalization of faith-based and moral values in children. The results also demonstrate a strong alignment between Islamic parenting concepts and the compassionate parenting approach in modern psychology, with Islamic psychology offering a distinctive strength in its spiritual dimension. This study contributes to the reinforcement of the theoretical framework of Islamic psychology and provides practical recommendations for parents and educators in implementing balanced parenting that integrates compassion, discipline, and Islamic values in the modern era.

Early childhood development screening is an important effort to ensure optimal development during a child's golden age, which includes physical, motor, language, cognitive, and socio-emotional aspects. Early Childhood Education (PAUD) teachers play a key role in implementing early detection, given their intensive interaction with children during learning activities. However, early detection in PAUD institutions faces challenges such as limited teacher competencies, non-standardized screening instruments, and suboptimal cross-sector collaboration. This study aims to examine the role of teachers in early childhood development screening at RA Arrahmah using a qualitative approach and case study. Data were collected through observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation with the head of RA and class teachers during October-November. The results show that teachers have carried out early detection in an integrated manner through continuous observations. However, the use of standardized screening instruments has not been optimal and still relies on informal observations. Major challenges include limited training, individual observation time, and the lack of a structured early detection program. This study concludes that strengthening teacher competencies, integrating early detection into institutional policies, and enhancing collaboration with parents and healthcare professionals are necessary to optimize early childhood development screening sustainably.

Stunting remains a major chronic nutritional problem in Indonesia, including Aceh, and has serious impacts on children’s physical growth and cognitive development. Prevention efforts require appropriate, practical, and sustainable nutritional interventions, including the use of local foods such as pumpkin, which is rich in beta-carotene, vitamin A, carbohydrates, and fiber, and can be combined with animal and plant protein sources. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an instant pumpkin-based porridge in improving the weight and height of children aged 6–24 months who are at risk of stunting in the Gunung Meriah Health Center area. The study used a quasi-experimental design with a nonequivalent control group involving 41 children divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received the instant porridge for 21 days. Data analyzed using paired t-tests and independent t-tests showed significant improvements in the intervention group’s weight and height (p<0.05). The pumpkin-based instant porridge proved effective as a local food–based nutritional intervention and has the potential to be integrated into supplementary feeding programs and regional nutrition policies with broader coverage and longer duration..

The process of Christian Religious Education for early childhood must be aligned with children’s cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual development. One of the main challenges in this learning process is interpreting biblical stories accurately while maintaining simplicity and relevance for young learners. This study aims to examine the role of hermeneutics in understanding and interpreting biblical narratives used in Christian Religious Education for early childhood. The research employs a qualitative approach through a literature review of hermeneutical studies, biblical texts, and scholarly works on early childhood Christian education. The findings indicate that narrative hermeneutics enables educators to interpret biblical texts contextually while translating theological messages into pedagogically appropriate stories for children. Through a hermeneutical approach, learning becomes more meaningful, reflective, and transformative, fostering deeper spiritual understanding in early learners. Furthermore, hermeneutics helps educators bridge the gap between the theological content of the Bible and the everyday experiences of Christian children. In conclusion, hermeneutics functions as a strategic tool in delivering biblical messages in ways that are developmentally appropriate, spiritually enriching, and relevant to the lives of early childhood learners within Christian education contexts.

The childfree phenomenon, the decision of married couples not to have children, is gaining increasing attention among young people, including within the Catholic Church. This choice arises in response to various modern factors, such as economic considerations, careers, personal freedom, and changing views on the meaning of family. This study aims to explore the views of young Catholics in the Semarang Vicarage on the childfree phenomenon and analyze them in light of the Catholic Church's teachings on marriage, which place procreation and education as one of the essential purposes of marriage. The study used a mixed-methods approach through the distribution of quantitative surveys and in-depth qualitative interviews. The results indicate a tension between the modern values ​​adopted by young people and the Catholic Church's teachings on openness to life. This phenomenon poses a serious pastoral challenge, particularly regarding the regeneration of the congregation and the sustainability of church life. Therefore, the Church is expected to formulate a more dialogical, contextual, and inclusive pastoral approach in accompanying young people to remain faithful to the Church's teachings without ignoring the social realities they face.

The purpose of this research is to find out the legal basis in the science of hadith or Islamic law and positive law related to DNA testing which is used as a strong argument for determining the legal certainty of child lineage and how to resolve the problem of child lineage in Indonesia and Islam. In the research process used is normative research and library research with a legislative approach taken from positive law and Islamic legal sources, namely the Qur'an and the hadith approach as a basis for legal theory. The resulting research study that DNA testing can resolve the uncertainty of abak lineage and DNA test results can be used as proof of determining a child's lineage to his father. In the teachings or regulations of Islamic law, there are four methods used in determining lineage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the application of the four methods, namely; al-firasy, al-iqrar, al-bayyinah, and al-Qiyafah. With the development of today's technology, the four methods have been developed through cutting-edge technology as a medium for tracing a person's lineage to obtain justice and benefit. From a positive Indonesian legal perspective, DNA testing has been recognized as a means of proving parentage. Therefore, children born as victims of rape, marriages not officially registered by the Office of Religious Affairs (KUA), and marriages that took place secretly (in other words, under the table) can claim their rights as children, including child support and parentage, from their father.

This study discusses the learning process of Christian Religious Education (CRE) for early childhood based on a hermeneutical approach as a pedagogical strategy for fostering children’s faith from an early age. Early childhood is a critical stage in faith development; therefore, learning methods must be not only informative but also transformative and meaningful. This study employs a qualitative method through a literature review, analyzing hermeneutical theories, early childhood development studies, and CRE teaching practices in the Indonesian educational context. The findings indicate that the application of child-centered hermeneutics enables teachers to connect biblical messages with children’s concrete experiences through storytelling, visual media, role-playing, and multisensory activities appropriate to children’s world. Contextual, simple, and creative interpretation of biblical texts helps children internalize faith values more deeply and practically. This study emphasizes the importance of strengthening teachers’ competencies through practical hermeneutics training and implementing developmentally appropriate learning approaches. Thus, hermeneutics functions not only as a tool for interpreting biblical texts but also as a pedagogical process that holistically shapes children’s faith development.  

In early childhood education (ECE), the integration of hermeneutics provides opportunities for students to cultivate positive character rooted in moral values and broaden their understanding of the meaning of stories. Hermeneutics is not only used to interpret texts; it is also a dialogical approach that encourages children to think about meaning, characters, values, and moral messages thru questioning, interpreting, and connecting stories to everyday life. The purpose of this article is to explain the concept of hermeneutics in early childhood education, how it can be applied in story-based learning, and how it impacts children's character development. The study shows that hermeneutics enhances early critical literacy, empathy, self-control, and moral choices. This article provides new guidance for educators on how to design story-based learning, which is a significant interpretive process and more than just knowledge transfer. This article provides new guidance for educators on how to create story-based learning, which is an interpretive process essential for character development, not just knowledge transfer.

This study aims to explore in depth the impact of Islamic parenting on the development of disciplinary character in early childhood. Conceptually, parenting in Islam is understood as a child-rearing method based on Islamic principles, emphasizing values of role modeling, love, responsibility, and moral development from an early age. Through this approach, parents serve as the first and foremost educators in instilling the values of discipline reflected in children’s daily behavior, both within the family and in social interactions. This research analyzes various ways Islamic parenting is applied in daily activities, including the habit of performing prayers on time, managing schedules for study and play, and implementing educational consequences in accordance with Islamic principles. The findings reveal that the consistent application of Islamic parenting patterns, combined with effective communication between parents and children, has a positive effect on the development of children’s disciplinary character. Children raised under Islamic parenting tend to have an awareness of obeying rules, valuing time, and taking responsibility for their duties and obligations. Conversely, the study also identifies challenges stemming from parents’ limited understanding of Islamic parenting concepts, as well as external environmental influences such as digital media and peer interactions that are not always aligned with Islamic values. Therefore, efforts are needed to improve literacy regarding Islamic parenting through educational activities involving early childhood education institutions, religious study groups, and parent communities. In general, the findings of this study highlight the importance of collaboration among families, schools, and communities in consistently applying Islamic parenting principles to foster children’s disciplinary character from an early age in accordance with Islamic teachings.

Early Childhood Education (ECE) is an important stage in shaping a child's personality and character. At this point, the story serves as the primary tool for conveying principles, ethics, and the meaning of life. However, the process of interpreting stories often overlooks cognitive aspects and lacks focus on children's character development. The purpose of this article is to study how hermeneutic principles are used in early childhood education, with a particular emphasis on how stories function as a tool for shaping children's character. The hermeneutic method allows educators to interpret stories contextually, dialogically, and reflectively. This allows children to understand and internalize the principles contained in the story. This research utilizes a qualitative-descriptive literature study on hermeneutic literature, character education, and early childhood pedagogy. The results indicate that hermeneutics, employing principles such as the hermeneutic circle, dialog of meaning, and contextualization of stories, significantly enhances honesty, empathy, responsibility, and religious attitudes in early childhood. Thus, hermeneutics is not only relevant in adult text research, but also effective as a pedagogical method in teaching early childhood.

This study aims to examine and develop the learning process of Christian Early Childhood Education (ECE) through the application of a pedagogical hermeneutics approach. This approach is employed to interpret and convey Christian faith values in a contextual and pedagogical manner so that they can be meaningfully understood by young children in accordance with their developmental stages. The research adopts a qualitative method using a literature review and hermeneutical analysis of biblical texts, Christian ECE curriculum documents, and relevant literature in early childhood education and Christian theology. The findings indicate that the application of pedagogical hermeneutics enables the integration of faith texts, children’s developmental contexts, and creative as well as reflective pedagogical practices. The resulting learning process goes beyond the mere transmission of religious knowledge and emphasizes character formation, spiritual development, and holistic faith experiences for children. The study concludes that pedagogical hermeneutics can serve as a strong theoretical and practical foundation for developing Christian ECE learning that is contextual, meaningful, and responsive to the developmental needs of early childhood learners.

This research examines the practices of a B4 class teacher at RA Takhrimah Tungkop in identifying children’s Multiple Intelligences (MI) through authentic observation during an activity of printing moon shapes using banana stems. The study employed a descriptive qualitative approach with data collected through in-depth interviews and participatory observation. Data were analyzed thematically and supported by source and technique triangulation to ensure the validity of the findings. The results indicate that the teacher’s understanding of the MI concept was still focused on linguistic, logical-mathematical, and visual-spatial intelligences. Despite this limited conceptual scope, the implementation of authentic observation during the art-based activity successfully revealed a broader range of children’s intelligences. The moon-printing activity demonstrated indicators of visual-spatial intelligence through shape recognition and composition, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence through hand–eye coordination and motor control, and intrapersonal intelligence reflected in children’s ability to manage emotions, maintain focus, and show persistence during the task. Repeated observations accompanied by anecdotal records enabled the teacher to construct individual and continuous MI profiles for each child. These profiles can be utilized to design more varied, contextual, and child-centered learning strategies that align with the characteristics of early childhood learners in the Raudhatul Athfal setting. The practices observed also illustrate the connection between Gardner’s MI theory and Islamic early childhood education grounded in concrete learning activities. The findings support the development of child-friendly learning environments and encourage teacher creativity in conducting activity-based assessments. This study recommends strengthening teacher competencies through training in authentic MI assessment and further research using a research and development approach.

Early childhood (0–6 years) is a critical period in human development, often referred to as the golden age, during which all aspects of development, including language and vocabulary, grow rapidly. However, based on preliminary observations at TK Merpati, Simpang Sungai Rengas District, the vocabulary skills of children aged 4–5 years were still relatively low. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of papercraft puppet media in improving the vocabulary skills of children aged 4–5 years at TK Merpati, Simpang Sungai Rengas District. The research employed a classroom action research design conducted in three cycles. The subjects consisted of 17 children aged 4–5 years. Data were collected through observation sheets, and data analysis was carried out by comparing the percentage of children’s vocabulary achievement before and after the implementation of the papercraft puppet media in each cycle. The results indicated a significant improvement in children’s vocabulary skills. In the pre-action stage, children’s achievement was categorized as Not Yet Developed (NYD) with a percentage of 30%. In Cycle I, the percentage increased to 50% (Beginning to Develop). In Cycle II, it further improved to 76% (Developed as Expected). In Cycle III, the results reached 95% (Very Well Developed). These findings demonstrate that papercraft puppet media is effective in enhancing vocabulary development in early childhood.

Advances in in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology have expanded the scope of reproductive interventions, from simply addressing infertility to enabling genetic selection of embryos through preimplantation genetic testing (PGT). This advancement not only enables the detection and prevention of severe genetic diseases, but also opens up opportunities for the selection of non-medical traits such as intelligence potential, physical characteristics, or specific polygenic scores, giving rise to the phenomenon of “designer babies.” This development presents complex bioethical issues related to human dignity, social justice, biological safety, and the right of children to have an open future. This paper aims to analyze the ethical issues of selecting non-medical characteristics of embryos in modern IVF through a literature review using a biomedical ethics framework, including the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. The findings show that the application of technology for non-medical purposes is still fraught with scientific risks, biological uncertainties, the potential for commercialization of humans, and the threat of socio-biological inequality. This analysis emphasizes the need to restrict the use of technology to clear medical indications, increase regulation and governance, and involve the public in policy formulation. Thus, advances in reproductive technology must be accompanied by strict ethical considerations so as not to sacrifice individual dignity and the value of justice in society.

The purpose of this study was to determine how puzzle games affect the problem-solving abilities of early childhood children. This study used quantitative methods and a quasi-experimental design. The study involved children aged 4 to 6 years from various early childhood education institutions (PAUD). Purposive sampling was used to collect samples. Data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests of problem-solving abilities and observations of children's behavior while playing puzzles. Logical thinking, creativity, concentration, focus, use of problem-solving strategies, and willingness to learn were all metrics used for assessment. To determine the differences in abilities before and after treatment, the collected data were analyzed statistically. The results of the study showed that puzzle game intervention improved children's problem-solving abilities. Children learned to identify problems, make plans for solutions, and work independently. In addition, it was proven that puzzle games as a learning medium were more effective with the help and guidance of teachers and parents. According to this study, puzzle games are an effective tool for developing the cognitive, social, and emotional abilities of early childhood.

This study investigates how puzzle games affect the fine motor development of young children. This study uses a quantitative approach and a quasi-experimental design. The study involved 30 children aged between 4 and 6 years who were divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group received an intervention in the form of puzzle-playing activities for four weeks, with an interval of two to three times a week. On the other hand, the control group did not receive any special treatment for routine learning activities. To collect data, standardized fine motor skills test instruments were used. These included eye-hand coordination, finger movement control, precision, and the ability to assemble and copy shapes. A t-test was used to analyze the data to determine the difference in results between the two groups. The results of the study showed that the experimental group and the control group differed significantly. Compared to children who did not receive treatment, children who were involved in puzzle-playing activities showed greater improvement in all fine motor indicators. The results show that puzzle games can be used effectively as a learning tool to help the fine motor development of early childhood develop well.

This study aims to examine the biblical foundation in the learning of Bible-based preschool children with a contextual learning approach. The research method used is topical research, which focuses on developing education and learning that is relevant to daily life so that children more easily absorb material according to learning goals. The learning process starts from simple things to more complex things, according to the stage of early childhood development. The results of the study show that Bible-based preschool learning includes various activities, including: educating children with a biblical foundation, introducing the Bible through number ordering, arranging the biblical alphabet, combining letters into words, arranging words into biblical phrases, reading Bible texts, memorizing short golden verses, and learning activities such as coloring and listening to Bible stories. These findings confirm that Bible-based learning with a contextual approach can be an effective strategy in shaping the spiritual, cognitive, and character foundations of preschoolers, while instilling faith values from an early age.

The purpose of this study was to examine how problem-based mathematics learning affected the learning interest of 5- to 6-year-old students at the Ki Hajar Dewantara State Kindergarten in South Jakarta. To compare problem-based mathematics learning and conventional learning, this study used a quantitative method and a quasi-experimental design. Problem-based learning is intended to use mathematical problems in children's daily lives. Children in group B were divided into experimental and control groups. To collect data, structured observations were conducted on elements of children's interest in learning. These included enjoyment, focus, activity, and willingness to participate in learning activities. To determine the difference in the level of interest in learning between the two groups, the data obtained was analyzed statistically. The results showed that, compared to conventional learning, problem-based mathematics learning had a significant effect on increasing children's interest in learning. Children showed more enthusiasm, better concentration, active involvement in activities, and critical thinking skills in solving mathematical problems. The results showed that effective problem-based mathematics learning made learning meaningful, enjoyable, and appropriate for the characteristics of early childhood development.

Toddler age is often called the golden period because during this period brain nerve development occurs, especially myelination, as well as a critical period. The golden period can be achieved if toddlers' nutritional needs are optimally met. On the other hand, if babies and toddlers do not get the food they need, the golden period will change into a critical period, thus disrupting their growth and development. The level of education of parents will affect the health and well-being of children, because this is inseparable from the nutritional status of children. Mothers with a high level of education will have a clearer opportunity to absorb information compared to mothers with less or no education. With a good level of education, it is hoped that a mother will be willing and able to behave well in order to improve her child's nutritional status. This Community Service activity aims to provide health education on balanced nutrition to reduce stunting in the community, especially mothers with toddlers in Desa Cangguk, Kecamatan Tanah Pasir, Kabupaten Aceh Utara. This activity used a participatory approach involving lecturers, students, health workers, and the community. The results showed an increase in public understanding and awareness of stunting prevention. It is hoped that this activity will raise public awareness about balanced nutrition for children