concerned with comprehension processes. From the first part of their chapter, one might gather that, for them, comprehension equals „”the meaning of the text” that
is being read. According to Olson and Diller 1982:42, what is meant by reading
comprehension is “a term used identifies those skills needed to understand and apply information contained in a written material”. This statement is supported by
Harris and Sipay 1980:179, who say that “reading comprehension ability is taught to be a set of generalized knowledge acquisition skills permits that people
to acquire and exhibit information gained as a consequence of reading printed language”. It is clear that reading is not merely recognizing the written symbols in
the text but also reading comprehension, which is getting the clear ideas of both explicit and implicit messages.
Reading comprehension is the activity to get the information from the written text. In reading, if we want to understand the content of the texts that we
read, we must have good comprehension in reading. The comprehension skills are taught in a number of ways. There are comprehension exercises which help
students to understand the text.
2.2.3 The General Concept of Directed Reading Thinking Activity
Directed Reading Thinking Activity DRTA is method to teach reading that is developed by Russell Stauffer 1969. It is a teaching strategy that guides
the students in making prediction about a text and then read it to confirm or refute the predictions. Based on Conner 2006 in http:www.indiana.edu.htm, “DRTA
encourages students to make predictions while they are reading. After reading
segments of a text, students stop, confirm or revise previous predictions, and make new predictions about what they will read next.” It encourages students to
be active and thoughtful readers. It is a way to teach students to read closely and purposefully. Dupuis, Lee, Badiali, Askov 1989:252 state that
“the rationale for using the DRTA is to foster the students independence when reading. It
engages students in an active process where they must use their reasoning abilities and their own ideas
”. Based on the statement, I think that DRTA is a much stronger model for building independent readers.
Good readers make predictions and verify or refute them as they read. They also make adjustment to what they think will come next based on the text.
DRTA is a strategy in teaching that explicitly teaches students to good reading habits.
Reutzel and Robert 1992 state that “DRTA encourages the students to engage actively in a three-step comprehension cycle. They are sample the text,
make predictions, and sample the text to confirm or correct previous predictions”. Beck and Mckeown 1981 suggest that “teachers may adapt the DRTA in such a
way as to sample the most important elements of a narrative or exposition based on the text structure employed”.
Teachers use DRTA for several important reasons. The first reason is to activate students‟ prior knowledge of a topic of the text to be read. The second
reason is to hypothesize about what might be addressed in the text. In order to hypothesize, students need to be aware of the text support, such as picture, graphs,
diagrams, and titles. The other reason is to establish meaningful purposes for reading the text.
To introduce the strategy, the teacher gives example of how to make predictions. Independent thinking encouraged as knowledge from previous lesson
is incorporated into the predictions. Misconceptions are clarified by the readers through interaction with the text and in post reading discussions.
As an introductory lesson to DRTA, select a reading passage and determine several appropriate stopping points for students to make prediction. Use
sticky notes to prevent the students from reading too far ahead. When you use this strategy, guide and stimulate the studen
ts‟ thinking through the questions. Wait a few seconds after asking question, to allow the students to process the
information and form a prediction.
A teacher can use DRTA as a whole class activity when dealing with science
and social studies material and small group activity during reading instruction. Teacher takes an active role as he or she prepares students to read the text. Teacher
prepares about important vocabulary, eliciting prior knowledge, and explaining students how to use a specific reading skill. During reading, teacher asks individual
students questions about the text to monitor their comprehension. After reading, teacher engages students in a discussing focusing on the purpose for reading, and
follow up activities that focus on the content of the text.
Based on Meggin 2009 “there are four steps in DRTA, they are prediction, read, confirm, resolution”. At the beginning of the lesson, students
read the title of the text. The teacher develops a list of the concepts or ideas that come to s
tudents‟ mind about the title. The teacher comes up with a list about the
theme of the story, the setting, or the author of the story. The teacher writes the list on the board.
The first step is the students make predictions. The students make prediction what will be covered in the text. They make prediction about the
content of the text. They use all visible clues for example pictures, charts, tables, index, and table of contents. The students should write the first prediction down
before students start to read. The second step is the students read the text. The students can take turns
reading the text aloud and the students can read the text independently. The next step is to confirm, revise and make a new prediction. Students
should be encouraged to explain what in the text is causing them to confirm and revise prior predictions, and what is causing them to make the new predictions
they are taking. Teacher leads a discussion about the students‟ predictions, asking reflective type questions about the studen
ts‟ predictions. The last step is resolution. The lesson is closed with resolution which
summaries the text. DRTA, especially making predictions, helps students focus their
attention on the text and encourages active reading. Making predictions about the text can help clear up any misconceptions about the topic. Richardson Morgan,
1997 argue that “If the practice of DRTA is correctly implemented school-wide, it will help set the stage for a sturdy foundation in “study-reading.” This will
become a useful skill to have as students‟ progress through grades and text
becomes more demanding”.
Based on Nada Salem Abisamra in www.nada‟esl island.com “DRTA is
a group comprehension activity that features of the story events prior to reading, reading to prove or modify prediction and the use of divergent thinking”.
Based on Conner 2006 in http:www.indiana.edu.htm “the purposes of
DRTA are teacher can obtain the students prior knowledge of the topic or the text, encourages students to monitor their comprehension while they are reading, and
allows the students to set a purpose for reading”. Adapted from Raphael in http:members.home.html, DRTA has the
advantages. The advantages of DRTA are it can help the students become critical readers. It gives a freedom for the readers to make prediction and then examine
their own prediction. It also helps students developing reading comprehension. Students read more actively and enthusiastically because they are more interested
in finding out what happened. Students often remember more information about the text.
2.2.4 Exposition Text
