THE MEASUREMENT OF PHYSICAL ABILITY EARLY AGE CHILDREN BY ADOPTING JAPANESE INSTRUMENTS IN KLATEN

The Curriculum 2013 entailed the importance of developing the physical ability (PA) of early age children (EAC). In fact, the standard measurement or instrument to assess the PA of early childhood has not been formulated yet to be used in the whole country. Therefore, it is required to develop the standard instrument to measure the physical ability of children. The Center for Japanese Studies, Research and Community Services of Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia collaboratively worked with HIMPAUDI (The Association of Early Childhood Education Indonesia) of District Karanganom in Klaten Regency to develop the standard achievement of Klaten's children based on the instrument of PA adopted from Japan. This program involved 21 ECE nurseries in Karanganom, and 70 instructors participated in the program. The activities were based on an action research aimed to change the mindset of related instructors on PA, connection between PA and cognitive development. It also trained the skills of instructors on measuring the PA. The program was conducted from July to September 2017. As the program ran, data of children' PA was also measured, and as the entry of database developed for Karanganom. There are five indicators of PA which represent the stability, locomotive, and manipulative movements, adapted from Japanese PA measurement. The results of database showed the average measurement of children' PA in Karanganom, and were compared to the Japanese peers, the achievement was lower. The instrument has to be validated and examined in the various regions and periods. © 2018 Muhammadiyah University of Ponorogo  Correspondence Address: E-mail: mramlim@staff.uns.ac.id ISSN 2579-7255 (Print) ISSN 2524-004X (Online) M Ramli, Y Sujana, DY Kurniawati, NK Dewi, MS Karunia, TUW Qoriah. The Measurement of Physical Ability Early Age Children by Adopting Japanese Instruments In Klaten Jurnal Indria Volume III, No 1, March 2018 33 INTRODUCTION Pre-school age children are children who are in the age ranging from 0 to 5 years also called the golden generation. At this time, the brain is growing very rapidly, at the age of 5 years, brain development reaches 85% with more than 100 million neurons connected (Miller & Cummings, 2007). This period is also called the sensitive period, because children will be very sensitive to various stimulus in its development aspects. Because of the importance of this period, it needs right attention and stimulation for an optimal development. Aspects of children development include cognitive development, physical-motor, language, and social-emotional (Puspita, 2013). Every aspect of children development should be given the right stimulus, so the development is in accordance with the age. Every aspect of children development is related one another. All aspects of children development are growing rapidly at the age of 0-6 years. The development of the physical aspect could be seen from the physical growth of the children in the form of height and weight, while the children's motor skills include walking, running, jumping, growth and child strength (Lightfoot, Cole, & Cole, 2013). Related to the stimulation of various aspects of children development, early childhood education experts and instructors in Japan believe that child intelligence is not obtained through a number of cognitive treatments to train children's brain performance, for example by doing mathematical problems and memorizing foreign language vocabulary. But intelligence is gained through the provision of the same daily activities as children's activities at home, giving priority to varied learning experiences, training in child selfreliance, and training specifically the physical and physical abilities of children (Ramli, 2014). The basic physical abilities that should be owned by early age children (EAC) based on age have been formulated by Gallahue and Ozmun (2006) i.e., early childhood aged 4 months to 1 year is categorized as having reflexive movement, or reflex movement, which is the most basic motor capability in humans. An example of M Ramli, Y Sujana, DY Kurniawati, NK Dewi, MS Karunia, TUW Qoriah. The Measurement of Physical Ability Early Age Children by Adopting Japanese Instruments In Klaten Jurnal Indria Volume III, No 1, March 2018 34 this movement is the movement or the baby's reflexes to sound, light, and touch. At the age of 1-2 years, children have rudimentary motor abilities, i.e. children begin to defend themselves, for example control head, neck, locomotor movement, manipulative, and movements. When playing, children seem trying to hold the toy, and keep it always within reach. At the age of 3 to 7 years, children have a fundamental ability. In this age range, Gallahue and Ozmun also differentiate it into ages 2-3 years, 45 years, and 6-7 years. In this age range, children have the ability to master movements that require stability, locomotor, and manipulation. Visible activities include running, jumping, kicking, throwing, and walking on a beam that requires balance. The achievement of aspects of children development can be reached through the assessment of children growth. To see if the gross motor development of children is in accordance with age, teachers will refer to the Curriculum 2013. But Curriculum 2013 only describes what capabilities a child should have at a certain age, without any standard quantification measures. For example, in Curriculum 2013 on gross motor of 4-5 year olds, it was written "Make jumping motions, jumping, and running in a coordinated manner". This is certainly difficult to measure, because there is no measurement of how far the child jumps, how fast the child runs, and others according to age. The standard of gross motor development of early childhood at the age of 0 year up to 6 years in Indonesia is regulated in Regulation of Minister of Education and Culture (Peraturan Menteri Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan/Permendikbud) Number 137 year 2014 on the curriculum of early childhood article 16, and clarified in Appendix section. Some standards of gross and fined motor performance of EAC at the age of 06 years have been described, but the quantification size of the capability is not explained. In Japan, the recording of EAC progress is conducted through physical survey (tairyoku) and physical ability (undouryoku) of students from early childhood to primary school regularly per year. The government is in line with M Ramli, Y Sujana, DY Kurniawati, NK Dewi, MS Karunia, TUW Qoriah. The Measurement of Physical Ability Early Age Children by Adopting Japanese Instruments In Klaten Jurnal Indria Volume III, No 1, March 2018 35 educational experts who argue that physical development and physical abilities of children is the basis of attitude and cognitive development in the next phase of age. Measurable motor and fine motor measurements need to be developed to detail the standard of motor skills in Curriculum 2013. The Japanese Studies Center, Institute for Research and Community Service, Universitas Sebelas Maret has conducted studies on several physical training models and measurement of EAC physical capabilities in Japan. Based on the results of the study since 2013, introductory activities of Japanese early childhood model have been implemented especially in EAC physical training. In 2017, the activities focused on introducing Japan's gross motor (physical) ability measurement system and applied it to ECE in Karanganom sub-district, Klaten district, Central Java. The advantages of instruments measurement applied in Japan are based on longitudinal research results, more quantifiable in achievements and standards of measurement, and have been through validity testing and reliability for long periods of time. The data measurement of five gross motor skills of early childhood students in Japan has been surveyed since 1966, so the Japanese government has data on the physical development of EAC from time to time used by the government as the basis for curriculum change in the early childhood (Sugihara, et al 2006) . The activities of community service aim to 1) change the thinking of early childhood teachers who always consider the development of physical ability is less important and not related to cognitive development; 2) train the skills of ECE teachers in measuring physical development and physical capability of EAC; 3) gain results of rough measurements of physical development and physical capability of EAC in Karanganom. This article explains the results of the third goal achievement.


INTRODUCTION
Pre-school age children are children who are in the age ranging from 0 to 5 years also called the golden generation.At this time, the brain is growing very rapidly, at the age of 5 years, brain development reaches 85% with more than 100 million neurons connected (Miller & Cummings, 2007).This period is also called the sensitive period, because children will be very   This article explains the results of the third goal achievement.

METHODS
The method used in community service was the critical action research (Kemmis, 2009).

Physical Development
In weight measurement (Fig. 1), there were no significant differences between boys and girls at any age range.Based on the data, it was also known that the age of 2-3 years indicated an average body weight of 12.72 kg, age 3-4 years weighing 13.84 kg, age 4-5 years of 14.32 kg, and at the age of 5-6 years, the average the child's weight was 17.08 kg.The difference in weight by age is a common thing to happen.showing that there was no significant difference between boys and girls, except in the 4-5 years age range of male height with girl which was quite significant.Japan could run for an average of 8.13 seconds, age 5 in 6.52 seconds, and 6 years old in 6.26 seconds (Sugihara et al, 2006).

Gross motor ability
The ability to jump on two feet measured in centimeters indicated that the ability to jump of girls was better than boys (Figure 4).The ability to throw a ball showed that there was no significant difference between boys and girls, but in the age range of 5-6 years, boys had better throwing ability than girls (Figure 5).
be seen from the physical growth of the children in the form of height and weight, while the children's motor skills include walking achievements and standards of measurement, and have been through validity testing and reliability for long periods of time.The data measurement of five gross motor skills of early childhood students in Japan has been surveyed since 1966, so the Japanese government has data on the physical development of EAC from time to time used by the government as the basis for curriculum change in the early childhood (Sugihara, et al 2006) .The activities of community service aim to 1) change the thinking of early childhood teachers who always consider the development of physical ability is less important and not related to cognitive development; 2) train the skills of ECE teachers in measuring physical development and physical capability of EAC; 3) gain results of rough measurements of physical development and physical capability of EAC in Karanganom.
with the age range divided into 2-3, 3-4, 4-5 and 5-6 years, and grouped by gender.In general, measurements of physical development, such as height, weight, range of hands, and height in a sitting position, could be done well because

FigureFigure 2
Figure 1.A Diagram of Children's Weight based on Age Range and Gender

Figure 3
Figure 3 showed the ability to run as far as 25 meters which was calculated in seconds.The graph showed that the ability to run of children up to 3 years of age, girls exceeded the ability of boys, but at the age of 4 years more, boys have the ability to run better than girls.Based on the data obtained, the ability to run of children showed a negative linear relationship with the development of age.

Figure
Figure 3.The Graph of Running Ability The ability to jump of children increased by age.When compared to the measurement of boys in Japan, by the age of 4 years, the median jump is 75.1 centimeters, the age of 5 years as far as 94.8 cm, and the age of 6 years as far as 112.4 cm.

Figure 3 .
Figure 3.The Graph of Jumping Ability

Figure 4 .
Figure 4.The Graph of Throwing Abilityr

Figure 6
Figure6showed the ability to hold the body using the hand in seconds.In diagrams, seen at ages of up to 5 years, boys had better abilities than girls, but by the age of 5-6 years, girls' abilities were better than boys.These data were needed to be confirmed further by taking the same measurements on a number of children in the same age range.

Figure 5 .
Figure 5.The Graph of Holding Weight Ability