B. Implementation of the Actions
1 Reports of Cycle I
1. Planning
After determining the problems related to the teaching of reading, the researcher and the collaborators began to plan the actions to solve the problems.
The actions were focused on improving students’ reading comprehension through the use of semantic mapping. The situations expected after the implementation of
the actions are: a.
Students could use semantic mapping to comprehend the texts. b.
Students would be motivated to read the text. c.
Students could find specific and general information from the text. d.
Students could improve their ability to read efficiently by using comprehension strategy such as skimming, scanning and guessing
meaning. e.
The teacher could guide the students to use sematic mapping technique before, during, and after reading process.
Based on the discussion with the collaborators on 28 February 2014, some actions planned in Cycle 1 were using semantic mapping, using pictures to help
students to activate their prior knowledge, teaching key vocabulary before the reading activity, using skimming and scanning strategies, asking the students to
gues s the meaning, and checking the students’ semantic mapping. They are
explained in the following discussion. The first action was using semantic mapping. This action aimed at
improving students’ reading comprehension. The monotonous activity during the
class made the students to lose interest in the reading activity. Semantic mapping will help the students to comprehend English texts properly.
The second action was using pictures. This action aimed to stimulate the students to activate their background knowledge related to the topic of the text.
Pictures were also used as a media of teaching by putting them in the handout. There was no LCD projector in the classroom, so the use of handouts was very
helpful. The third action was teaching the key vocabulary before the reading
activity. This action aimed at creating a context for the students. It would facilitate comprehension by identifying key words and taught them before the reading
activity. The action was also expected to solve the lack of vocabulary of the students. It will also shorten the time for the students to comprehend the text,
since they do not need to look in the dictionary for each word in the process of reading.
The fourth action was using skimming and scanning strategies. Skimming would enable the students to predict the function of the passage, the main topic
and the messages of the text. The use of this strategy could also help the students to focus attention on the text.
The fifth action was asking the students to guess meaning. This action could help the students when they found difficult words in the text. By using the
guessing strategies, the students would not depend on the use of dictionary.
Kategori