For some words, one may need only few repetitions; for other words, many repetitions are necessary.
Bond and Wagner 1963:153 state that the number of vocabulary a child develops is also highly related to his comprehension ability. It is obvious that a
reader cannot understand a sentence or a paragraph if he does not know the meanings of the words of which they have composed. The theories above show that words
plays significant role for the child to comprehend a passage. So that having word recognition skills is a must.
2.2 Word Recognition
The storage of words and the ability to decode words are closely related to word recognition. According to De Boer 1964:83 word recognition refers
to the ability to recognize sound and meaning of words as they appear on the printed page. Word recognition has something to do with identification of new words
independently, recognition partially known words with a minimum analysis, and recognition known words rapidly with a quick visual inspection Bond and Wagner.
1963:167. They also explain the word-recognition as follows 1963:167-168: …, word-identification and word-recognition are two interrelated features of
word-perception. The first inspection of a new word involves identification of the printed symbol in terms of its sight, sound, and meaning. Further contacts
with the word develop recognition. The development of word-recognition, as here used, implies identification as the first step in the process, carried
through subsequent recognitions until printed symbol finally is grasped at a glance and becomes a sight-word.
It can be seen that word-identification and word-recognition derive from word-perception. Word-identification is the first step of word inspection and then
develops to word-recognition. In the word recognition process, a printed symbol is
grasped at a glance and becomes a sight word. The sight word can be recognized and understood immediately when the child meets it in a passage.
Word recognition has an important role for a child, as a developing reader, to be a good reader. To be a good reader the child must have word recognition skills.
The word recognition skills help a reader recognize and decode words while reading. They include developing a store of words that can be recognized immediately on
sight sight words and being able to use context clues, phonics, structural analysis, and dictionaries for word identification Burns et al. 1984:91. The using of context
clues, phonics, structural analysis, and dictionaries are referred to as word attack skills.
De Boer 1964:83 also proposes similar idea of word recognition skills. They are recognizing whole words by sight, using context clues, analyzing words
phonetically, using structural analysis of words, and using the dictionary. Word recognition skills support on identifying and recognizing words to reach reading
comprehension.
3. Reading Comprehension
