Submitted to the Board of Examiners as a Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Sarjana Pendidikan Islam (S.Pd.I) English Education Departmen of Teacher Training and Education Faculty State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Salatiga
THE USE OF TEAM ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION
METHOD TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ READING
COMPREHENSION OF ELEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS
IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 2014/2015
A GRADUATING PAPER
Submitted to the Board of Examiners as a Partial Fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Sarjana Pendidikan Islam (S.Pd.I)
English Education Departmen of Teacher Training and Education Faculty
State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Salatiga
By:
ISTIKHAYATUN
113 10 117
ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACULTY
STATE INSTITUTE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES (IAIN)
MOTTO
“Every hardship is followed by ease. Really, every hardship is followed by ease”,
Zayid (1980)
(Q.S Al Inshiroh, verse 6)
DEDICATION
This graduating paper is sincerely dedicated for: 1.
My beloved parents Mr. Budi Santoso and Mrs. Siti Fatikatun, who always educate me in doing good thing. They are my hero, thanks for all generosity, finance, and encouragement, and also thanks for your love, trust, and everlasting praying. Allah bless you mom and dad.
2. My beloved sisters are Wiji Wijayanti, Mbak Elva Kaliki, and Mbak Rafiatul Ferimawati, thanks for your kindness, support, and prayer 3.
My beloved mother at Salatiga is Mrs. Ari Sudarsono who always teaches me to be wise person. She also gives me big support.
4. Mybig family of IMM (Muhammadiyah Students Association) Salatiga city who fills my life with spirit to struggle.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
All praise due to Allah, the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful because of His wonderful blessing and His mercy, the writer could finish this graduating paper successfully. The incredible blessings make realize that nothing is impossible in the eyes. Thanks for Your will and endless blessing in my life.
Peace and salutation always be given to our beloved prophet Muhammad SAW was a great revolutionary and true educator who guided us from the darkness to the lightness.
However, this success would not be achieved without the support, guidance, advice, help and encouragement from individuals and institutions. Therefore, the writer would like to express the deepest gratitude to: 1.
Dr. Rahmat Hariyadi, M. Pd., as the Rector of State Institute for Islamic Studies of Salatiga.
2. Suwardi, M. Pd, as the Dean Teacher Training and Education Faculty.
3. Noor Malihah, M. Hum, Ph. D., as the Head of English Education Department
4. consultant of this graduating paper. Thanks Mashlihatul Umami, M. A., as a
for all of your suggestion, recommendation and support for this graduating paper from beginning till the end.
5. Norwanto, M. Hum, as my Academic Counselor thanks for your support and guidance.
6. Mr. Ruwandi, M.A thanks for your guidance and suggestion.
7. All of the lectures in English Education Department of Tarbiyah Faculty who had given valuable knowledge.
8. All of the staffs who have helped the writer in processing of graduating paper administration.
9. My beloved parents Mr. Budi Santoso and Mrs. SitiFatikatun, who always educate me in doing good thing. They are my hero, thanks for all
10. My beloved sisters are Wiji Wijayanti, Mbak Elva Kaliki, and Mbak Rafiatul Ferimawati, thanks for your kindness, support, and prayer 11. My big family of IMM (Muhammadiyah Students Association) Salatiga City, thanks for support, kindness and attention.
12. My beloved mother at Salatiga is Mrs. Ari Sudarsono, who always gives big support for me.
13. Mr. Hammam’s family, thanks for your kindness to stay at your house and for your library, it gives me new knowledge.
14. My beloved friends are Mas Kariim, Puji, Ika, Neneng, Mbak Dewi, Mbak Barid, thanks for your attention and support.
15. My wonderful friends in TBI 2010 especially my classmates of TBI D: Itis, Wahyu, Sofi, Matul, Sinna, Sinta, Intan, Ida, Mut, Ayu, Wilda, Mbak Endar, Mbak Khotim, Ririn and Vita thanks for sharing, support and advices. Keep our friendship.
16. All my friends in Hilal’s Boarding house: Farida, Yeni, Riska, Titik, Indah and Maya
17. The big family of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga who allowed me to conduct the research there.
18. All of my friends who help me to finish this graduating paper.
Finally, this graduating paper is expected to be able to provide useful knowledge and information to the readers.
Salatiga, Januari 08
th
2015 The writer,
Istikhayatun
11310 117
ABSTRACT
Istikhayatun. 2015. The Use of Team Accelerated Instruction Method to Improve
Students’ Reading Comprehension (A classroom action research of eleventh grade students of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga in the academic year of 2014/2015) . A Graduating Paper. Teacher Training
and Education Faculty. English Education Department. State Institute of Islamic Studies (IAIN).Counselor: Mashlihatul Umami, S. Pd.I, M. A.
Keywords: Reading Comprehension, Team Accelerated Instruction Method.
This research is aimed to improve the students’ reading comprehension through Team Accelerated Instruction Method. This research has three objectives of the study are 1) how is the implementation of Team Accelerated Instruction Method to improve the students’ reading comprehension?, 2) whether the use of Team Accelerated Instruction Method is able to improve the students’ reading comprehension or not, and 3) how far is the improvement of the students’ reading comprehension of the eleventh grade students of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga?. This research was conducted at SMA Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga in the academic year of 2014/2015 especially in XI MIA (Mathematics and Science) Class. The method of this research used Classroom Action Research (CAR). There were three cycles; each cycles comprised planning, implementing of the action, observing and reflecting. The techniques of collecting the data are observation, test and documentation.
The results show that the students’ reading comprehension improves significantly. The T-calculation results show that the T- calculation of cycle I is 3.32, cycle II is 3.53, and cycle III is 5.78. The students who reach standardized score in cycle I, the percentage for pre-test is 11.1 % and post-test is 22.2 %. In cycle II, the percentage for pre-test is 27.7 % and post test is 61.1 %. In cycle III, pre-test is 61.1 % and post-test is 94.4 %. So, it can be concluded that there is significant improvement of students’ reading comprehension by applying Team Accelerated Instruction Method in XI MIA Class of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga in the academic year of 2014/2015.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ………………………………………………………………. i DECLARATION ………………………………………………………….. ii ATTENTIVE COUNSELOR……………………………………………… iii CERTIFICATION PAGE………………………………………………….. iv MOTTO ………………...……….………………………………………….. v DEDICATION……….…………….……………………………………….. vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…………………………………………………. vii
ABSTRAC T………………………………………………………………… x TABLE OF CON TENTS…………………………………………………... xi
LIST OF TABLE…………………………………………………………… xiii
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of Study……………………………………………………. 1 B. Limitation of Study..……………………………………………………. 4 C. Statements of the Study….……………………………………………… 5 D. Objectives of the Study………………………………………………….. 5 E. Benefits of the Study………………...………………………………….. 6 F. Definition of Key Term…………………………………………………. 7 G. Review of Previous Research…..………………………………………. 8 H. Graduating Paper Organization….……………………………………… 9
CHAPTER II THEORITICAL REVIEW A. Team Accelerated Instruction Method…..……………………………… 11 1. The procedures of TAI Method…..………………….……………. 12 2. The advantages of TAI Method.…..………………………………. 13 3. The disadvantages of TAI Method……………..…………………. 13 B. Reading…………………………………………………………………. 14 1. The Definition of Reading…………………………………………... 14 2. The Purpose of Reading ……...…..…………………………………. 15 3. The Technique of Reading …..…..…………………………………. 17 4. The Principles of Reading ……...…….……………………………. 18 5. Teaching Reading at Senior High School…………………….……. 19 C. Reading Comprehension………………………………………………... 20 1. Definition of Reading Comprehension ………….…..………………. 20 2. Components of Reading Comprehension …………...………………. 21 3. Levels of Reading Comprehension …….……….…..………………. 22 4. Factors Affecting Students on Reading Comprehension ……………. 24 5. Indicators of Students’ Reading Comprehension …..………………. 25 CHAPTER III METHOD OF RESEACRH A. The Setting of the Research ……………………..……………………… 27 B.
D.
The Procedure of the Research………………………………………….. 36 E. The Technique of Collecting Data…………..………………………….. 38 F. The Technique of Data Analysis……….……………………………..... 39
CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS A. Research Findings………………………………………………………. 42 B. Analysis and Discussion………………………………………………... 68 CHAPTER V CLOSURE A. Conclusion………………………………………………………………. 71 B. Suggestion………………………………………………………………. 72 REFERENCES APPENDIXES
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURE
Table 3.1: The subject for eleventh grade students …………………. 29
Table 3.2: The number of the teachers…………………..…………… 30
Table 3.3: The number of the staffs …………….…………………... 30
Table 3.4: T he number of the students………………………..…..… 31 Table 3.5:
The list of facilities……….………………………………. 32 Figure 3.1:
The Procedures of Classroom Action Research…………… 38 Table 3.6:
The list of teaching media……..…………………………. 39 Table 3.7: The list of MIA class stu dents……………………………. 35 Table 4.1: The result of pre-test and post- test cycle I…..…………... 51 Table 4.2: The result of pre-test and post- test cycle II…………..…... 59 Table 4.3: The result of pre-test and post- test cycle III……….…….. 65 Table 4.7: The mean of students’ score……………………………... 68
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Language has an important role in communication. To communicate
with people in whole world, at least people have to master English because it’s as international language. In Indonesia, English is a foreign language so many Indonesian people feel difficult to learn it.
English has been taught in all levels of Indonesian educational units, recently from kindergarten school, elementary school, junior high school, senior high school up to university. There are four language skills that should be mastered by the students, they are listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Among these four skills, reading is difficult to master since it needs many competencies including the mastery of content, vocabulary, language and grammar.
Reading is important for the students because the success of their study depend on their ability to read. They have difficulty in making progress if their reading competence is low. On the other hand, if they have a good ability in reading, they have a better chance to succeed in their study. Reading is one of the ways to know how well the students master the written form.
Being active readers, the students are able to receive information and
There are some factors that influence the students in mastering English, especially in reading comprehension. They are internal and external factors. The internal factors can come from students themselves such as knowledge and m otivation. If the students’ knowledge of English is poor, it will impact toward their achievement especially in reading skill. In addition, many students have low motivation in reading. Most of the students are uninterested in reading a lot of the text, whereas they also lack of vocabulary and grammar and these are one of obstacles which have been faced by the English teachers. Based on the interview with English teacher of second graders in SMA Muhammadiyah Plus
Salatiga, it is found that the students’ reading skill is not satisfactory yet. The difficulty of comprehending the text is one of the factors that influence the students’ failure in the mastery of reading.
While the external factors can come from the parents and teacher.At home the parents are seldom checking their children in studying. They only know their children have studied in school and they think that is enough. The parents do not care about their children’s achievement in the school. They only hope that their children are able graduate from the school. Whereas children who are good readers and have more positive attitudes toward reading often are found to have parents who highly value education and the ability to read well (Samuels and Farstrup, 1996: 24)
The other factors come from the teacher. The students do not teaching of English, especially in the teaching reading process. If the teacher only asks the students to read aloud the text sentence by sentence and asks them to translate it in the teaching
- – learning process, the students are not interested in reading seriously. It can influence the students’ achievement and they are not able to learn English well. The students should be given an interesting reading materials, motivation, and chance to study together in improving reading competence. The teachers have the important role to encourage students’ awareness in reading. They should be able toapply an appropriate technique in the teaching
- – learning to make the students interested in their learning and finally they easily master the reading comprehension.
There are many method to teach English in senior high school. The researcher chooses one of method in Cooperative learning; it is Team Accelerated Instruction method. According to Olsen and Kagan as quoted by Richard (2001: 192), Cooperative learning is group learning activity organized so that learning is dependent on the socially structured exchange information between learners in groups and in which each learner is held accountable for his or her own learning and it’s motivated to increase the learning of others. Unlike traditional method, Cooperative Learning is learning which involves healthy noise, help student’s partner solves a paper, get up and look what others did and verbalize to learn (Kagan, 2009: 124). Team Accelerated Instruction method is a group work that the students are ethnicity. Team members work on different units. Teammates check each other’s work against answer sheets and help one another with any problem.
Then without help, they take final units tests that are scored by student monitors (Slavin, 1987: 15).
Based on the problems above, teaching English in senior high school is not simple taught to be done. It needshard working between teacher and students to reach better result. The teacher needs to help the students to improve their reading comprehension by using a particular method. Thus, the title of research is
“The Use of Team Accelerated Instruction Method to
Improve Students’ Reading Comprehensionof Eleventh Grade Students of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus in The Academic Year 2014-2015 ”.
B. Limitation of the Study
In this research, the researcher limits her research on teaching reading through Team Accelerated Instruction method to the second grade students of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga in the academic year 2014/ 2015. This research is focused on understanding the important information from the text; drawing inferences from the content; following the structure of a passage; recognizing the writer’s purpose; and vocabulary knowledge, and to improve the students’ reading comprehension.
C. Statement of the Problems
Based on the explanation in the background of the study, the writer formulates the problem as follow:
1. How is the implementation of Team Accelerated Instruction (TAI) method in improving students’ reading comprehension to the eleventh grade students of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga in the academic year of 2014/2015? 2. Is Team Accelerated Instruction (TAI) method able to improve students’ reading comprehension of the eleventh grade students of SMA
Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga in the academic year of 2014/2015? 3. How far is the improvement of Team Accelerated Instruction (TAI) method in improving students’ reading comprehension of the eleventh grade students of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga in the academic year of 2014/2015? D.
The Objectives of the Study
Dealing with the problems statement, the objectives of this classroom action research are as follow:
1. To describe the implementation of Team Accelerated Instruction Method in improving students’ reading comprehension to the eleventh grade students of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga in the academic year of
2. To find out whether Team Accelerated Instruction method is able to improve students’ reading comprehension of the eleventh grade students of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga in the academic year of 2014/2015 or not.
3. To find out how far the improvement of the students’ reading comprehensionafter using Team Accelerated Instruction method of the studentsof the grade students students of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga in the academic year of 2014/2015 is.
E. Benefits of the study
This study has two major benefits, practical and theoretical benefits:
1. Practical benefits
This study is expected to help the teacher applies Team Accelerated Instruction in the process of teaching and learning. For the students it is expected to give a solution to comprehend reading materials, so they have more spirit in studying English. And the result is objected to help the researcher increasing the students to express their opinion, and students easily master both spoken and written form. This research also hoped to contribute to the Senior High School students to enlarge their knowledge.
2. Theoretical benefits
This research can support the researcher to broaden her knowledge in teaching reading and get useful experience during this study. The researcher knows teaching Reading using the method of Team Accelerated Instruction.
F. Definition of the Key Terms
The writer explains and clarifies the terms of the title of this research to make understandable meaning, they are as follow:
1. Reading Reading is the most important skill of all to be mastered. It measures the students’ ability to understand the written form. According to
Beene (1992:12) reading is the process of finding meaning in written character or symbol and interpreting and analysis text. Reading is the complement of writing.
2. Comprehension Comprehension is the ability to understand something (Oxford University Press 2003:80).
3. Team Accelerated Instruction Team Accelerated Instruction method is a group work that the students are divided into groups of four that are mixed in performance level, gender, and ethnicity. Team members work on different units. another with any problem. Then without help, they take final units tests that are scored by student monitors (Slavin, 1987: 15).
4. Student
Student is a person who is studying at college or university or any person interested in particular subject (Oxford University Press 2003:412)
G. Review of previous research
In this study, the writer takes three of previous research to emphasize and support her research. The first, previous research is written by Gilang Riski
Habibullah entitled “Using Team Accelerated Instruction Method To
Improve The Vocabulary Mastery of the Fourth Graders of SD Negeri Sumberarum 2 Tempuran in The School Year 2011- 2012)”. In his research he
analyzed the implementation of Team Accelerated Instruction toward students’ vocabulary mastery in English teaching learning process. He concluded that using Team Accelerated Instruction is able to help the students to imp rove the students’ vocabulary mastery. The implementation is being popular and reasonable because it can give the students a great motivation and challenge to read more in English learning. There was a changing of students’ behavior after they followed English class using Team Accelerated Instruction. The students become more active and confident because they are working in groups (Habibullah, 2011). So, it can be concluded that Team
The second review is written by Any Laelasari entitled
“The Use of Students Team Achievement Division to Improve Reading Comprehension (A Classroom Action Research at the second year students of MA AL Manar Tengaran in the Academic year of 2012/2014)”. In her research, the writer
used one of the methods of Cooperative Learning; it is Students Team Achievement Division. She concluded that the students’ reading comprehension can improve using STAD Method. The implementation of STAD can enhance students’ interest in learning English especially reading (Laelasari: 2013)
The other research is
“A Study of the Effectiveness of Using Picture Media to the Students Reading Skill of the First Year Students of SLTP Pondok Modern Selamat Kendal in the Academic Year of 2003/2004”. It is
done by LeniNurhayati in 2004, students of Islamic Studies Institute (STAIN) Salatiga. She analyzed the effectiveness of Using Picture Media toward students’ reading skill. In this study, the writer found out that there is significant improvement in reading skill toward experimental group is taught using picture media in reading activity (Nurhayati: 2004).
H. Graduating Paper Organization
In order to make easy to understand this paper, the following out lines of the graduating paper as follows: Chapter I is Introduction. It contains background of the study, literature of previous research, the benefits of the study, definition of key terms, and outlines of the graduating paper.
Chapter II is theoretical framework; it contains Team Accelerated Instruction as teaching method and Reading Comprehension description. Chapter III is methodology of research; it consists of the general situation of SMA Muhammadiyah Plus Salatiga, subject of the study, method of the research, procedure of the research, technique of collecting data and technique of analysis data.
Chapter IV is teaching implementation and data analysis. It contains description of data analysis and result of the research. Chapter V is Closure. It consists of conclusion and suggestion. Bibliography Appendixes
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW A. Team Accelerated Instruction (TAI) 1. Definition of TAI According to Slavin as quoted by Robinson (1991: 3) Team Accelerated Instruction is a method when students take a placement test
and begin instruction at an appropriate place in an individualized sequence. Students may proceed at different rates and work on different units which contain a guide page reviewing the concepts, skill practice pages, formative quizzes, a 15-item unit test, and answer pages so that a student monitor may score the test.
Students take tests twice a week. The management functions of securing materials, checking student papers, and scoring tests are the responsibility of the students. After each two-weeks period of individualized instruction, the teacher conducts group-paced instruction for a week (Robinson, 1991: 4).
In TAI, students encourage and help one another to succeed. Individual accountability is assured because the only score that counts is the final test score, and students take final tests without teammate’s help.
Students have equal opportunities for success because all have been prior knowledge, it is as easy for difficult for allow achiever to complete three subtraction units in a week, as it is for a higher achieving classmate to complete three long division units (Slavin, 1987: 7) Based in the definitions above, it can be concluded that TAI teaches cooperation by forming teams of students who can help each other to achieve team goals and improve the individual ability.
2. The Procedures of TAI of English a.
Teacher divides the students into groups based on their different abilities. The teacher divides it by giving numbers to all students, and the groups consist of the students who have the same numbers. Each group consists of four students and they are assigned to complete specific learning material or homework.
b.
Each group is given the series of specific tasks to be done together.
Points in the task are sequentially distributed to each member (eg, for material that consists of 15 questions, it means four members in each group must take turns to answer the questions about it).
c.
All members have to check the answers each other in the group and give assistance each other if needed.
d.
After that, each member is given individual tests without assistance from other members. During individual tests, teachers should give more attention to each student.
e.
Each week, teacher sums how many questions can be answered by mostquestions correctly and able to finish homework well. Teacher provide extra points to individuals that are able to obtain an average score on the final exam.
In the TAI technique, students have to check their works each other and they have to work each other based on the series of specific questions, the teacher can give cursory explanation about the questions which were mostly considered complicated by the student.
In this TAI method, individual accountability, equal opportunities for success, and motivational dynamics become the main elements to be emphasized by the teacher (Huda, 2011: 125).
3. The Advantages of TAI
There are some advantages of TAI, They are: a.
The students can work together as a team.
b.
It increases students’ motivation.
c.
They can help each other in doing task.
d.
It makes the learning more interesting.
e.
The students become active and creative.
4. The Disadvantages of TAI a.
The students are possible to cheat each other. b.
If there is homework and students are supposed to work with team, they have to work together. However, there is student’s house is too far from the others.
c.
The team which has members who have same low abilitywill have difficulties in doing task.
B. Reading
In mastering English, students have to master the four basic languages of English which consist of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. From those four basic skills, reading is considered as important skill. Students need good reading skill for acquiring knowledge and learning new information.
They have to practice continually and extensively to develop reading skill.
1. The Definition of Reading
Reading is a verbal process interrelated with thinking and with all other communication abilities-listening, speaking and writing, specifically reading is a process of reconstructing from the printed patterns on the page ideas and information intended by the author (Dallman, Rouch, Char and Deboer, 1982:23)
Carrell (1988: 12) states that Reading is a receptive language process in hat it stars with linguistic surface representation encoded by a writer and ends with meaning which the reader constructs. There is thus an Reading is a complex process that requires the analysis, coordination, and interpretation of a variety of sources of information (Scanlon et al, 2010: 9)
According to Dechant (1982: 5) Reading is also a language and communication process, it means that the process of putting the reader in contact and communication with ideas. Reading always involves an interaction between the writer and the reader. It is culminating act of the communication process, initiated by the thoughts of the writer and expressed through symbols on the page. Reading also as an interaction by which meaning encoded in visual stimuli by author becomes meaning in the mind of the reader.
From the definition above it can be concluded that reading is an effort to understand the content of the texts and the result of interaction between the perception of graphic symbols and the readers’ language skills and the knowledge of the world. Besides that, reading is used to get an idea, pleasure, or feeling that is expressed by the writer. Reading is also interaction between the reader and the author’s ideas.
2. The Purposes of Reading
The purposes of reading described by Grabe (2009: 8-10) there are at least six main purposes for comprehensive reading. These purposes include: a. Reading for information The combination of scanning (identifying a specific graphic form) and skimming (building a simple quick understanding of the text) allows a reader to search information.
b. Reading for quick understanding (skimming) Reading for quick understanding used for variety of other reasons and so may be seen as a superordinate purpose. The readers used skimming when they want to determine what a text is about and whether or not they want to spend more time reading it.
c. Reading to learn Reading to learn is often carried out in academic and professional settings. Reading to learn places more processing demands on the reader because the reader is expected to remember the main ideas and many supporting ideas and be able to recall this information as needed.
d. Reading to integrated information This type of reading requires that the reader synthesize and learn information from multiple texts or bring together information from different parts of a long text.
e. Reading to evaluate, critique, and use information It often also represents an increased level of demand and a more complex interaction of reading processes.
Reading for general comprehension is the most common purpose for reading among fluent readers, and it is the default assumption for the term reading comprehension.
3. The Techniques of Reading
According to Wright (1989: 159) there are some techniques of reading, such as: a.
Skimming Skimming is glancing rapidly through a text to determine its general context. Dechant (1982: 346) also states that Skimming is selective reading. In skimming, readers choose what they want to read. They select those sentences, clauses, and phrases that best serve their purposes, get a general impression of the selection, and decide on the basis of the examination whether to read the selection more intensively.
b.
Scanning Scanning is reading to locate specific information. For example, locating a telephone number in a directory, being able to search through material rapidly with given purposes in mind in order to find a specific fact or an answer to particular question plays a large role in much of a youngster’s reading. c.
Extensive Reading Extensive reading is reading longer text, usually for one’s own pleasure. This is a fluent activity, mainly involving global understanding. For example, reading novel, newspaper, and short story.
d.
Intensive Reading Intensive reading is reading shorter to extract specific information. This is more an accuracy activity involving reading for detail. For example, reading dosage instruction of medicine.
4. The Principles of Reading
In accordance to Harmer (2001:70), there are some principles behind the teaching of reading: a.
Reading is not a passive skill. Reading is an incredibly active occupation. To do it successfully, we have to understand what the words mean.
b.
Students need to be engaged with what they are reading. As with everything else in lessons, students who are not engaged with the reading text, actively, not interested in what they are doing, are less likely to benefit.
c.
Students should be encouraged to respond to the content of a reading way they use language, the number of paragraph they contain and how many times they use relative clause.
d.
Prediction is a major factor in reading. When we read texts in our own language, we frequently have a good idea of the context before we actually read.
e.
Match the task to the topic. Once a decision has been taken about what reading text the students are going to read, we need to choose good reading tasks, the right kind of questions, engaging and useful puzzle etc.
f.
Good teacher exploit reading text to the full. They integrate the reading text into interesting class sequences, using the topic for discuss and further tasks, using the language for study and later activation.
5. Teaching Reading at Senior High School
Teaching reading at senior high school is focused on the achievement of the competence, which can be shown on the stu dents’ ability in comprehending the text. In further meaning, teaching reading is not merely reading and comprehending certain topic but also on the students’ competence in comprehending the text, such as how to use the prior knowledge and students’ experiences, how to comprehend the text, how to analyze the text and the paragraph, which have been realized into
Basic competence for reading skill is that the students are able to understand the meaning of the text and the arranging of rhetorical development in the written text, especially in narrative, procedure, hortatory, spoof, recount, report and news item. So, the writer would like to have an observation on the eleven grade students of senior high school.
C. Reading Comprehension 1. Definition of Reading Comprehension
Reading cannot be separated from comprehension, because reader has to comprehend what he/she reads to get information from a text or a book. According to Scanlon et al (2010: 276), Comprehension is an active, constructive process in which the ultimate understanding of the text is determined by a combination of what is stated directly in the text and the reader’s preexisting knowledge related to the topic of the text.
McGuinne (2004: 234) also said that Reading comprehension was seen not as a passive receptive process, but as an active one that engaged the reader. Reading came to be seen as intentional thinking during which meaning is constructed through interactions between text and reader.
Reading comprehension was seen as the construction of the meaning of a written text through a reciprocal interchange of ideas between the reader and the message in a particular text. the organization and retention of meanings, the ability to reason one’s way through smaller idea segments and the ability to grasp the meaning of a larger unitary idea (Dechant, 1982: 311)
Based on the above explanation, the writer concludes that reading comprehension is a process of understanding written text, integrate new ideas and generalize from what is read.
2. Components of Reading Comprehension
A study by Davis (in Heilman, Blair, & Rupley, 1961:241) is generally regarded as the significant attempt to delineate separate comprehension skills. His analysis showed the following five comprehension skills: a.
Recalling word meaning (vocabulary knowledge) b.
Drawing inferences from the content c. Following the structure of a passage d.
Recognizing a writer’s purpose, attitude, tone and mood.
e.
Finding the answers to questions answered explicitly or in paraphrasing.
3. Levels of Comprehension
In constructing the meaning of a text, readers may engage in different types or levels of thinking. According to Heilman, Blair, & Rupley (1961: 246), there are three levels of comprehension are typically identified: literal, interpretative, and critical.
a.
Literal Comprehension Literal comprehension is an understanding the ideas and information explicitly state in the passage. The abilities are:
1) Knowledge of word meaning
2) Recall of details directly stated and paraphrased in own words. 3)
Understanding of grammar clues-subject, verb, pronouns, conjunctions, and so forth.
4) Recall of main idea explicitly stated. 5) Knowledge of sequence of information presented in passage.
b.
Interpretative comprehension Interpretative comprehension is an understanding of ideas and information not explicitly stated in passage. The abilities are:
1) Reason with information presented to understand the author’s tone, purpose, and attitude.
2) Infer factual information, main ideas, comparisons, cause-effect relationship not explicitly stated in the passage.
3) Summarization of story content.
c.
Critical Comprehension Critical comprehension includes analyzing, evaluating, and personally reacting to information presented in the passage. The abilities are:
1) Personal reacting to information in a passage indicating its meaning to the reader.
2) Analyzing and evaluating the quality of written information in terms of some standards.
In the other hand, Dechant explains that learning to comprehend involves a complex of skill. Various writers have attempted to categorize these into three or four levels. Lanier and Davis in Dechant (1982:313) summarizing comprehension skills, categorize them as: 1)