11 part of the reading process. There are two main reasons that people read: the first is for
pleasure and the second is for information.
2.3 Teaching English in Elementary School
English has been a major subject in secondary and high schools in Indonesia for years, but it is newly applied in elementary school as a local subject. So although it is not
included to the National Final Examination subjects, English materials students get in elementary school will be very beneficial for them in the next school levels.
There are four literacy levels mentioned at the national curriculum of English subject: performative, functional, informational, and epistemic KTSP, 2006. The
performative level is for elementary school level. This level breaks the code of knowing the relationship between spoken and written symbols. It means elementary students are
able to listen, speak, read, and write simplest forms of English. This is the basis for them to support their English learning in secondary school.
According to Hidayati 2009: 11, English in elementary school develops language accompanying action. It emphasizes mostly spoken language that covers oral
communication ability limitedly in school context. Reading and writing skills are supposed to support oral communication learning listening and speaking skills. By
learning English elementary school students are expected to be able to use English to accompany action, participate in classroom and school interactions, and recognize
simple written English. To fulfill those competences, teachers drill students many simple adjacency pairs like instructions and commands in spoken form. But in reality
many elementary school teachers have already taught the students such difficult things
12 like grammar and long written texts. They do not utilize enjoyable teaching methods.
Of course it makes students not interested in English. Later it will create misconception that English is boring, or even horrible. Whereas it is possible to teach English using a
learning-by-doing technique in which it will cheer up the class situation. Therefore, the application of look and say as a technique in teaching reading is in accordance with the
focus of curriculum that is developing language accompanying action.
2.4 Characteristics of Fourth Grade Students
