Kinds of Reading Reading 1.

2. Levels of Reading Comprehension

According to Schumm, one of the purposes in reading activity is to comprehend through the process of decoding words. 19 It means that the readers who have a desire for success at reading comprehension, they need to actively process the words they read. In other words, the readers should be able to decode words or recognize words and access text of integration processes to construct meaning so that they will understand the whole of printed words. Savage and Mooney specified reading comprehension skills into three levels; literal reading comprehension understanding and interpreting what the writer has to say, inferential comprehension reading between the lines to infer meaning not specifically stated in a printed passage, and critical-creative reading comprehension extending beyond the lines to evaluate, relate, or apply what are read. 20 Further explanations are described below: a. Literal Reading Comprehension The literal level of comprehension is the process of deriving meaning or understanding information directly presented in the text. 21 It can be said as recalling ideas from the explanation that is explicitly stated. It is considered to the easiest level of reading comprehension because the readers are not required to draw an inference or to make an evaluation based on the text. In this level, the readers are usually able to determine the general idea of a text, to determine the topic of a certain paragraph, to identify specific and detailed information, to identify meaning of wordphrasesentence, and to find out the purpose of a text. b. Inferential Reading Comprehension The inferential level of comprehension is the process of deriving meaning or understanding information indirectly presented in the text. 22 It requires the readers to make a hypothesis or an inference from the idea explicitly stated in 19 Jeanne Shay Schumm, Reading Assessment and Instruction for All Learners, New York: The Guildford Press, 2006, p. 119. 20 Savage and Mooney, op.cit., p. 30. 21 Ibid., p. 5. 22 Ibid. the text. In this level, the readers are required to find out impliedunstated information, and to know the reference of a certain word. But, it does not eliminate the possibility of general idea or topic paragraph questions because the readers sometimes should determine the general idea or topic paragraph by using their interpretation not explicitly printed in the text. c. Critical-Creative Reading Comprehension The words ‘critical-creative reading’ requires a higher degree of reading skill development and perception. It is a process of applying higher mental functioning to what the readers read. 23 It relates to questioning, comparing and evaluating made by the readers. Moreover, the readers are required to make an emotional reaction and response to the content of the text. Usually, the readers interpret the moral value or moral lesson as an act of this comprehension level.

C. Narrative Text 1. The Understanding of Narrative Text

Based on Longman dictionary, narrative means a description of something in a story. 24 Narrative tells a story which is related to a sequence of events linked in certain time. 25 It can be said that narrative text is a text which tells or describes sequenced events of story in certain period of time. Meanwhile, Anderson and Anderson defined that: A narrative is a text that tells a story, in doing so, entertain the audience. … Narrative can be presented as written or spoken texts. Written narratives often take form of novels. The story is usually told by a narrator. If the narrator is one of the characters in the story, the story is said to be told in the first person. If a person outside the story is the narrator, then the story is being told in the third person. 26 In further, Farris, Fuhler and Walther stated that “narrative text enables readers to make connections: personal, textual and with the world.” 27 It means that 23 Ibid., p. 3. 24 Longman, Advanced American Dictionary, Harlow: Pearson, 2007, p. 1056. 25 Jane E. Aaron, The Compact Reader 7 th Edition, BedfordSaint Martin’s, 2002, p. 43. 26 Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English 3, South Yarra: MacMillan, 2003, p. 3. 27 Farris, Fuhler and Walther, op.cit., p. 477. reading narrative text enables the readers to make connections as long as they read such as they may find similarities between the story and their own lives, they may make links between the story they are recently reading and another story they have previously read, and they may relate the story to the real world. Regarding to the explanation above, it can be concluded that narrative text is a text which tells sequence or series of events in certain time. It tells the readers about an amusing story which is able to entertain them. Moreover, by reading narrative story, readers are able to connect the story to their personal lives, to another story and to what are in their world. Also, the one who usually tells the narrative story is called as narrator.

2. The Purposes of Narrative Text

Generally, a narrative is written to amuse the readers. So, the readers are expected to enjoy the text while they are reading. It is in line with Anderson and Anderson who stated that the purpose of narrative text is to construct a world view to entertain the readers. 28 Also, reading narrative text is often considered as aesthetic reading because the reader reads for enjoyment and pleasure. 29 In addition, the goal of narrative, other than provides the readers an entertainment, is able to make the readers think about an issue, teach them a lesson, or excite their emotions. 30

3. The Schematic Structures of Narrative Text

According to Anderson and Anderson, the schematic structures of narrative text consist of orientation, complication, sequence of events, resolution and coda. 31 28 Mark Anderson and Kathy Anderson, Text Types in English 2, South Yarra: MacMillan Education, 1997, p. 6. 29 Farris, Fuhler and Walther, op.cit., p. 477. 30 Anderson and Anderson, Text Types in English 3, … p. 3. 31 Anderson and Anderson, Text Types in English 2, … p. 12.