EFEKTIVITAS PENGGUNAAN TAMAN BACA DALAM MENINGKATKAN MINAT BACA ANAK DI DESA SANDIK

Abstract

This study analyzes the effectiveness of community reading gardens in increasing children’s reading interest in Sandik Village by examining the influence of facilities, facilitator roles, and location accessibility. The purpose of this research is to determine the extent to which internal and external factors of reading gardens contribute to shaping children’s reading interest in rural areas. The method used is explanatory quantitative research with an ordinary least squares (OLS) multiple linear regression approach. Primary data were obtained from 52 child respondents who regularly visited the Sandik Village Reading Garden in August 2025 through Likert-scale questionnaires. Data analysis included classical assumption tests, partial tests (t-test), simultaneous tests (F-test), and the coefficient of determination (R²) using EViews 10 software. The results showed that reading garden facilities and facilitator roles had a significant effect on children’s reading interest, while location accessibility did not have a significant impact. Simultaneously, the three variables had a significant influence on reading interest with an R² value of 0.4739, meaning that 47.39% of the variation in children’s reading interest can be explained by the research model. These findings confirm that the quality of children’s literacy experience is more determined by the availability of adequate facilities and active facilitator involvement than by location accessibility. The study recommends improving reading garden facilities, strengthening facilitator capacity through continuous training, and developing creative mentoring strategies and literacy promotion to enhance the role of reading gardens as learning centers in rural communities.