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specified for SMP N 3 Sleman, Yogyakarta. Second, the writer focuses only on the reading activity which is considered an uninteresting activity, while in fact, reading
should be an important activity in the learning process to acquire other English skills. Third, the reading materials which are discussed in this study are only reading
materials using fables, not other reading materials. Fourth, the designed materials discussed in this study are merely supplementary reading materials. They are used to
add or to complete the existing teaching materials.
D. Problem Formulation
The study aims to answer two main questions. They are stated as follows: 1 How is a set of supplementary reading materials using fables for the first grade
students of SMP N 3 Sleman designed? 2 What do the designed set of supplementary reading materials look like?
E. Objectives of the Study
The study aims to answer the problems formulated in the problem formulation. They are:
1. To find out how a set of supplementary reading materials using fables for the first grade students of SMP N 3 Sleman is designed.
2. a. To design a set of supplementary reading materials for the first grade students of SMP N 3 Sleman.
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b. To present the designed set of supplementary reading materials for the first grade students of SMP N 3 Sleman.
F. Benefits of the Study
The following explanation is about some benefits that could be obtained from this study.
1. For the teachers The teacher s may consider these supplementary reading instructional materials as
one of the alternatives to help them develo p their creativity in teaching reading. 2. For the students
The design is useful for the first grade students of Junior High School to help them improve their reading ability using the materials developed by the writer.
3. For other English material designers It is expected that the results of the study could be useful for the Junior High
School English material designers. Since this study provides information on a better teaching strategy for the first grade students of Junior High School, it is
hoped that the insights they gain may lead them to produce a better result. Furthermore, the study also invites other researchers to conduct a research on
verifying the effectiveness of the designed reading materials.
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G. Definition of Terms
The following are some significant terms related to the study. 1. Design
Design is the general arrangement or planning. Design is a developed plan to guide educational activity in a situation Houle, 1978: 230. Then, designing is
the same as creating a new set of materials that fits the learning objectives and specific area of particular learning Hutchinson and Waters, 1994: 106. In this
study, designing is intending or setting a set of supplementary reading materials for the first grade students of Junior High School.
2. Supplementary materials In Webster’s New Word Dictionary, Guralnik 1976: 707 states supplement is “a
section added to a book or the like to give additional information, correct errors in the body of the work, etc.” Thus, supplementary materials refer to the
materials that are designed to add or complete the existing materials. In this study, the supplementary materials refer to the materials of reading using fables,
which are intended to improve students’ reading skill. 3. Reading
There are many definitions of reading. Clark and Silbestain 1988: 15 define reading as “an active cognitive process of interacting with print and monitoring
comprehension to establish meaning.” This process produces the ability to understand a passage. The reader is also able to comprehend the passage. In other
words, when the reader reads the passage, it means that there is a process in the
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mind. According to Grellet 1981: 7, reading is a constant process of guessing, and what one brings to text is often more important than what one finds in it. The
reader sometimes finds some difficult words when he reads the passage. He often guesses the meaning of those difficult words. In Webster’s New World College
Dictionary 1996, it is stated that reading is a particular interpretation or
performance, as of something written or composed. Besides, the reader is not only able to know the meaning of the words, but also to interpret the passage.
Basically, reading is an active cognitive process of something written or composed. The reader is able to know the meaning of the words by guessing and
interpreting. 4. Fables
According to Grolier’s Encyclopedia of Knowledge 1993: 194-195, fable is defined as “a brief tale in which animals or inanimate objects speak and behave
like humans, usually to advance a moral point”. In this study fable is written in some paragraphs and in each story there is a moral lesson to be taught in class.
5. Junior High School In Indonesia, Junior High School is commonly called Sekolah Menengah
Pertama SMP. It is part of the basic education in Indonesia. Actually the basic
education in Indonesia lasts nine 9 years. The first six years take place in the Elementary School, which is called Sekolah Dasar SD, and the next three years
take place in the Junior High School, which is called Sekolah Menengah Pertama SMP.
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW
