reader are needed the ability to analyze the information and link those information to their background knowledge. Further, the readers evaluate the
value of its information and give personal judgments as a feedback to the author.
Elizabeth Hall elaborates some stage in reading comprehensions. They are speech perception, comprehending syntax and meaning and intention
23
. The first stage in reading comprehension is speech perception. That means
that readers should recognize the sound of the words. The reader has to pronounce a clear sound in the given situation or context which functions to
derive a clear meaning. After uttering the right sound strings the reader should move into the second stage, it is comprehending syntax. The ability to
recognize the correct sentence pattern is needed in order to avoid ambiguity or multiple words meaning in a passage. The last level of reading
comprehension is meaning and intention. This level the reader focuses on text meaning and how he addresses the information, for instance it is a question
therefore the reader should provide an answer, if it is an instruction the reader should complies or reject the instruction given.
7. Factors Affecting Reading Comprehension
The low reading comprehension skills are caused by a variety of factors. Martha Dallmann and Roger L. Rouch figure out the factors which
are responsible to the depth of readers’ comprehension as follows: difficulty of material, intelligence, environment, emphasis on word recognition,
emphasis on oral reading, background of reading selection, adjustment of reading techniques, and rate of reading.
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a. Difficulty of Material The difficulty of the material is proposed as one of the major causes of
lack comprehension. Especially multiple concepts in reading material, it
23
Elizabeth Hall, Psychology Today An Introduction Fifth Edition, New York: Random House Inc., 1983, pp. 298
—299.
24
Dallmann, op. cit., pp. 165 —167.
contributes to the difficulty absorbing material.
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Teachers sometimes supply the students with advance materials beyond their capabilities. In
the same manner, unsuitable methods that the teachers used may caused frustration to the students.
b. Intelligence Reader
s’ ability to comprehend is sometimes limited by the richness of their background knowledge and vocabulary. The more broaden
knowledge and vocabulary that readers have the more success of reading comprehension they will be. Therefore, mental maturity should be taken
into consideration in term of determining where reading instruction should start.
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c. Environment The unpleasant environments such as noisy surrounding, inadequate
lighting, high or low temperatures, and distracting surroundings may interfere the
students’ comprehension. d. Emphasis on Word Recognition
All assignments will be wasted only if the students know how to make word meaning properly.
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The deficiencies in comprehension are sometimes caused by the lack power of concentration on the recognition
of individual words. Emphasizing on word recognition is enormously important in reading comprehension. Teachers should teach the students
how to use dictionary and how to build word meaning. e. Emphasis on Oral Reading
When students do oral reading, automatically they interpret the meaning of the text passage through their mouth. The more practice students on
oral reading the more accurate they on comprehending the text. f. Background for a Reading Selection
25
Buzan., op.cit. p. 41.
26
Dallmann, op. cit. p. 69.
27
Thomas G. Devine, Teaching Study Skill Guide for Teachers, Massachuttes: Allyn and Bacon Inc., 1987, p. 226.
Concept about reading material and experience are frequent problems of students’ poor reading comprehension. Teacher should be careful in
selecting type of reading passage. Disorganized text materials such as used advance textbook to younger learner, give them irrelevance contents,
and supply them with unfamiliar glossaries should be ignored by the teachers. Therefore, teachers should aware to select textbook, and
distribute it efficiently to the students.
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g. Adjustment of Reading Techniques to Purpose The importance of adjusting reading techniques and choosing the right
type of material are crucial factors in determining success in reading comprehension
h. Rate of Reading The wrong selection in adjusting the reading rate to the type of material,
such as news paper, text book, novel or magazine might cause failure in comprehending text material.
In addition, Larry E Harris and Carl B. Smith identify five major determinant factors of reading comprehension as follow: “Background experience,
language abilities, thinking abilities, affection interest, motivation, attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and reading purposes.”
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To maximize reading comprehension readers should have several factors. First, the reader should have enough background knowledge in order to carry the
writer’s taught. Second factor is the ability in grasping the language competence includes syntax, phonetic, and semantic. Those language competences therefore,
will enable them in getting meaning from a written text. Another factor causing comprehension problem is a readers
’ ability to think, how they understand event and concept in a reading. Larry and Carl mention next factor about affection
factor, readers will understand a text better only if it matches with his interest, attitude, and beliefs. In the last explanation is purpose of reading. The success of
28
Ibid. p. 225.
29
Harris, op. cit., pp. 207 —209.
