Literacy skills are fundamental competencies that students need to face the demands of 21st-century learning. In the implementation of the Merdeka Curriculum, literacy development is integrated into all subjects, including Indonesian language through text-based writing instruction. This study aims to examine the forms of writing instruction and their implications for the development of students’ literacy skills. This research used a qualitative approach with literature review and content analysis methods. The data were obtained from the Grade VII Indonesian language textbook of the Merdeka Curriculum published by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. The results show that writing instruction is developed through a text-based approach, including descriptive texts, fantasy stories, procedural texts, observation reports, response texts, as well as letters and messages. Each writing activity is designed in stages, namely observing, analyzing, designing, writing, and revising texts, which supports the development of students’ literacy competencies. The findings indicate that writing instruction in the textbook not only improves writing skills but also contributes to the development of reading literacy, information literacy, critical literacy, and digital literacy. Theoretically, this study strengthens the concept of text-based instruction as a means of literacy development. Practically, the findings can serve as a reference for teachers in optimizing the use of textbooks to support literacy instruction in junior high schools (SMP/MTs).
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