A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY ON COMPREHENSION-BASED INTERACTIVE READINGAT SMP IN BANYUMAS REGENCY - repository perpustakaan
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW A. Reading 1. Definition of Reading In daily life, people cannot be apart from reading activity. Reading is like a useful tool which is needed by people to help their daily activities. By reading, people get information that is needed in every time and
everywhere they are. In short, reading can be defined as an activity in gaining information from written language.
There are many definitions of reading can be stated from experts. They have different definitions based on their own opinion about how the process of reading happened to the reader. As Leu and Kinzer (1987: 9) state that all definitions of reading are personal, it is based on one’s view of how one reads and how reading ability develops. Although there are many definition of reading, arriving the meaning is considered as the main point of reading activity.
According toGoodman in Leu and Kinzer (1987: 9), reading is perceptive language process. It involves an interaction between thought and language that help the readers to gain the information of the text. It means that reading is an active thinking process to lead the reader in constructing the meaning of the written language.
Moreover, Rumelhart in Leu and Kinzer(1987: 9) also states that reading is the process of understanding written language. He said that it is a process which is begun by a flutter of patterns on the retina and ends with the message from the author. It can be said that reading is a matter of meaning and the development of meaning or comprehension is the essence of reading.
Referring to Leu and Kinzer (1987: 9), reading is developmental, interactive and global process involving learned skill. The process specifically incorporates an individual's linguistic knowledge and can be both positively and negatively influenced by non linguistic internal and external variables or factors.
Based on definitions above, reading is viewed as a complex process that involves various activities in comprehending written language. The process of reading alsoneeds an active thinking to process the written language, so the reader can comprehend and understand what have been read. Therefore, as readers, they have to pay attention more to the process of reading so they can comprehend and understand the text than just passively readthe words.
2. The Importance of Reading
Readingis very important language skill because of the advantages people can obtain.In the article “Reading culture: The long journey to becoming a developed nation” on Jakarta Post, 15th October 2011. Sahetapystates that reading has a lot of benefits in human life.
First, at school, good reading skills lead students to become successful learners. Most of the time, a student learns from written language learning materials, such as textbooks, handouts, posters and online publications.The skill to comprehend written language is very important in academic life.Reading also encourages people to become successful lifelong learners, as books can be enjoyed throughout a lifetime. Second, reading can stimulate someone to be creative and innovative since the more reading, the more ideas and concepts come to mind, and the last, reading can promote tolerance and peace because by reading, people can know other people’s customs, traditions, religions, beliefs and ethnicity so it will develop people to respect each other.
It can be concluded that reading will support the reader to open their mind about new things which can improve their knowledge and competence. For English foreign learners, reading will help them to improve their competence in learning English because they can actually practice their competence in English and know how far they can understand text written in English.
3. The Purpose of Reading
Reading is an activity with a purpose. A person may read in order to gain information, develop skills, follow directions, or in order to verify existing knowledge. A person may also read for enjoyment and relaxation, or to improve knowledge of the language being read (Sahetapy, 2011, accessed on
The purpose of reading will guide readers to determine the way they selectappropriate reading strategies. As cited in Byrnes (1998) states that recognizingthe purpose for reading will help reader determine the appropriate approach to comprehend it.A person who needs to know whether she can afford to eat at a particular restaurant needs to comprehend the pricing information provided on the menu, but does not need to recognize the name of every appetizer listed. A person reading poetry for enjoyment needs to recognize the words the poet uses and the ways they are put together, but does not need to identify main idea and supporting details. However, a person using a scientific article to support an opinion needs to know the vocabulary that is used, understand the facts and cause-effect sequences that are presented, and recognize ideas that are presented as hypotheses and givens.
As a reader, it is important to know the purpose of reading because it can help readers to focus onthe target of reading activity. It will develop their reading activity to be effective and efficient so they can get information which is needed by them as a purpose for their reading activity.
4. Reading Comprehension
Reading is not only a matter of linguistic recognition, but it is also about how the reader gets the meaning of the information from written language. People read for many reasons but understanding is always a part of their purpose. Based on the statement above, it is important to have comprehension in every time readers do reading. Without comprehension, reading will not provide any information which is needed by the reader from written language. In short, it can be said that reading is nothing when comprehension is not there since the essence of reading is comprehension.
According to Leu and Kinzer (1987: 44), reading comprehension is viewed as a product of the interaction process between text and the reader.
It is not simply something readers get from a text by passing their eyes over the words. In fact, it needs an active and constructive process to build meaning from a text.
It can be concluded that comprehension is the important aspect of reading. It is the act of understanding what readers are reading. If readers can readthe words but do not understand what they are reading, it can be said that theyare not really reading.
5. The Major Components of Reading Comprehension
There are important components contribute in the process of reading comprehension. It is proved by reading instructions that usually conducted to develop those components in supporting the reader to have a good comprehension in reading. As Leu and Kinzer (1987: 30-47) state that decoding knowledge, vocabulary knowledge, syntactic knowledge, discourse knowledge, readiness aspects, and affective aspects have important contribution in reading comprehension. a.
Decoding Knowledge It refers to the knowledge of readers to determine the oral equivalent of a written word. Sometimes decoding knowledge is important for comprehension; other times it is not. Decoding knowledge is not important for comprehension when determining the oral equivalent of a word does not help a reader to identify the meaning, so it will be flexible to use this aspect regarding with the context of the text.
b.
Vocabulary Knowledge The knowledge about word meaning used in determining the appropriate meaning for a word in a particular context. As English foreign learners, it is crucial components since vocabulary knowledge can be easier their activity in reading English text. Therefore, in teaching reading, activities in developing vocabulary knowledge become important part in teaching and learning process.
c.
Syntactic Knowledge Knowledge of sentence syntax, or word order, is also crucial for the comprehension process. Syntactic knowledge includes understanding word order rules that exist within sentences and permit the reader to determine the grammatical function and often the meaning and pronunciation of words. It has to be wise in developing this knowledge since readers do not only focus on it. They also have to focus on developing reading activity effectively. d.
Discourse Knowledge Discourse knowledge is the knowledge of language organization at units beyond the single sentence level. It includes knowledge of the structural organization of different types of writing which is useful during reading comprehension e.
Readiness Aspects Reading readiness has also included being ready to read and understand a particular selection. Prepare students to read a specific story such as developing background knowledge about the topic of a selection, learning new vocabulary words, understanding the purpose for reading the selection, or learning a comprehension skill required to understand the selection.
f.
Affective Aspects Reading is a language process but it is also an affective process. Affective aspects of comprehension include a reader’s attitude and interest in reading.
Based on the components of reading comprehension above, much of reading instructions always consist of activities designed to develop these six components which support the reader to be able to comprehend the text. The development of these components should be designed carefully in the reading class since they will support students’ reading activity. Besides that, it is important to present it balanced and integrated so reading activity can be effective without only focused on one components of reading comprehension above.
6. The Focus of Reading in this Research
It has been stated before that there are some components in reading that support the process of teaching and learning reading in the classroom.
Based on interview with English teacher and references about activities that usually take part in the instruction of reading at junior high school, some specific reading skills below are proposed as aspects of questioners in this research. By analyzing to the development of these specific reading skills below, it can be shown how comprehension-based interactive reading has implemented in junior high school at Banyumas regency.
They are: a.
Oral activity, including reading aloud and pronunciation b. Vocabulary c. Text Structure, including grammar, translation, and text genre d. Readiness aspects e. Reading speed f. Summary activity g.
Group work activity B.
TeachingReading
Reading instruction in the classroom is critical factor in teaching reading.Teaching reading is more than translating the passage in order to make students understand the meaning of the text, but the development of specific skills in reading should also be considered as a part of instruction.Deschant in Leu and Kinzer (1987: 9) states that reading is more complex:
“Reading cannot occur unless the pupil can identify and recognize the printed symbol and generally the pupil must also give the visual configuration a name. Even so, it is only one aspect of the reading process. Meaning too, is an absolute exquisite reading. Perhaps too much emphasis in reading instruction has been placed word identification and not enough comprehension”.
Based on the view above, it can be concluded that teaching reading is not an easy work. There are many considerations in teaching reading that should be noticed as a way to build a good reader. Those considerations are related with the major components of reading comprehension that have been stated before. Decoding knowledge, vocabulary knowledge, syntactic knowledge, discourse knowledge, readiness aspects, and affective aspects are agreed as important components which are exist in teaching reading as instructional activities that support reading lesson.
In fact, there will be no single rule that can define how to teach reading. It will relate with the different types of learners and their needs which influence the different aspects of reading that are important in the design of their reading instructions. The use of appropriate instructions in teaching reading is vital because it will impact upon students’ learning.Referring to the conclusion of a case study that conducted by Richards in Nunan (1991: 76), he found that the following principles capture the essence of effective instruction.
1. Instructional objectives are used to guide and organize the lessons. (The teacher formulated and conveyed to learners what the lesson was intended to accomplish.)
2. The teacher has a comprehensive theory of the nature of reading on a foreign language, and refers to this in planning his/her teaching.
3. Class-time is used for learning.
4. Instructional activities have a teaching rather than a testing focus. (He provided opportunities for learners to develop and improve skills and strategies rather than demonstrating mastery of such skills.)
5. Lessons have a clear structure. (The structure was outlined to students, and each activity was clearly framed.)
6. A variety of different reading activities are used during each lesson.
(Variation and pacing contributed to positive attitude of students.)
7. Classroom activities give students opportunities to get feedback on their reading performance. (The teacher provided information on the kinds of strategies they were using for different tasks, and on the effectiveness of these strategies.)
8. Instructional activities relate to real-world reading purposes.
9. Instruction is learner focused. (Learners were encouraged to try and work things out for themselves.) From those principles, it can be concluded that effective teaching is seen as interactive process which really support students to learn. In this process, students are the subject of learning that should be developed to have a good competence in reading since the standard of learning achievement is seen from the performance of students in reading. By understanding it, it is very useful to consider those nine principles of effective teaching as guidance for teacher in designing teaching reading strategy.
C. Comprehension-Based
More important thing that should be considered in designing teaching strategy is comprehension aspect. The essence of comprehension here does not mean to only memorize the subject matter, but deeply comprehend the term for a long time, so learners can apply it in everyday life.
Bloom’s taxonomy defines comprehension as the ability to grasp the meaning of material (http://www.corrosiondoctors.org/Training/Bloom.htm).
This may be shown by translating material from one form to another (words to numbers), by interpreting material (explaining or summarizing), and by estimating future trends (predicting consequences or effects). These learning outcomes go one step beyond the simple remembering of material, and represent the lowest level of understanding. Examples of learning objectives at this level are: classifies; cites; converts; describes; discusses; estimates; explains; generalizes; gives examples; makes sense out of; paraphrases; restates (in own words); summarizes; traces; understands.
Designing instructions by considering comprehension aspect will avoid spoon-feed activities in teaching and learning process. Teaching and learning process become more meaningful and effective for students’ learning to be independent.
D. Interactive Reading 1. Definition of Interactive Reading
Difficulties are often happened when teacher conducts teaching reading for English learners.These difficulties sometimes influence the way teacher present reading lesson to be more stressful and bored for students.It leads the teacher to present reading lesson in the traditional way by providing conventional teaching that may lack the enthusiasm of a conversation class. As a teacher, providing their instructions to be more fun and alive in the classroom is a challenge in presenting reading class. Teacher has to transform a reading class into an interactive environment that facilitates learning.
Actually, interactive teaching is the term given to a strategy of teaching developed through research undertaken as part of the Learning in Science Project (LISP) at Waikato University in the 80s. The concept of interactive teaching is focused on the interaction of teacher to interact and challenge students to be active in developing them to be independent learners. It will support students to be motivated in joining teaching and learning process and influence the learning outcomes of the students. Interactive teaching helps students engage with the process of teaching and learning since they can fully involve and do the activity presented by the teacher in the class (http://www.leadinglearning.co.nzqualitylearning interactiveteaching.html).
This concept of interactive teaching is adapted to the teaching reading as interactive reading. It is a way to teach reading interactively and motivate students to follow reading instructions and provide them with opportunities to develop their reading skill. Students will do more than just read and be passive to the reading instruction of the teacher, but they will also write, discuss or get engaged in solving problems which enable them to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the instructions of the teacher.
2. Characteristics of Interactive Reading
The key point of interactive reading is in interaction. Interaction is the basic method of modern teaching brings teacher, students, and the learningcontent into positive atmosphere of teaching and learning process. Without this interaction, the teaching and learning reading will be meaningless. The interaction between teachers and students is shown in the form of teaching organizations, classroom presentations, question asking, class comments, and classroom exercises. It is presented as a case study, scenario teaching, group discussion, brainstorming, sand table exercises, simulation training, video-on-demand, etc.
Teaching has its law. Interaction has no set-style. Teaching strategies are decided base on the needs of the students. Sometimes it is an interactive questioning between a teacher and an individual student, discussion among teacher and a group of students, or brainstorming between teachers and all students. All strategies above are effort to bring the classroom into full play in order to achieve a variety of ways of the exchange of thought, emotion and information, thus to achieve the best learning effects. The important thing is to bear in mind that the teaching reading objective is to ensure students know how to read by transforming the traditional passive reading to active reading in a wayto acquire knowledge from a one-way to two-way, to study from spoon-feeding to a research study(Shao’an and Li accessed on com/.../detail.php?id...).
E.
The Practicalof Comprehension-Based Interactive Reading on Specific
Reading SkillsThe practical below presents some ways to conduct comprehension- based interactive readingon specific reading skills that usually take part in reading class. It is cited from “Teaching Reading on International Academy of Education”
1. Teacher can provide opportunities for children to develop their oral language through story-telling and show-and-tell activities.
2. During read aloud, shared reading and guided reading explicitly teach how to predict the meaning of a word and look for clues to help figure out the meaning.
3. Read aloud texts with interesting words and then use the words in retellings or use pictures or drama to retell using the words.
4. Model pronunciation of difficult words by using comprehension strategies and phonics rules. When it comes to a word that may be problematic for students, show them how to use strategies like context clues to figure out the meaning of the word, which sometimes helps them to pronounce it. Then demonstrate decoding skills like breaking a word down into parts then blending the parts together to sound out the word.
5. Make the read aloud interactive by asking thought-provoking questions.
This can be done during and after the reading. An effective method is to pair students so they can learn to share responses with each other. This also teaches them to express their opinions about what they read. Ask questions that require more than recall of facts. Get them to speculate on the characters' motives and compare them to their own prior experiences.
6. Vocabulary learning should involve active engagement in tasks, e.g. learning new vocabulary by doing a class project.
7. Multiple methods, not dependence on a single method, will result in better vocabulary learning.
8. Encourage students to develop strategies for inferring the meaning of new words from the context in which they occur, and teaching them to use a range of cues, both verbal n non verbal to determine
( meaning Nunan, 1991:121).
9. Construct definitions together in many ways, such as using antonyms and synonyms, using example sentences, comparing and contrasting words, and creating frames based on what the object is and what features it has (suitable for nouns).
10. Discussing new words and concepts with students beforereading a text is generally helpful. It helps to activate priorknowledge and improve comprehension.
11. Asking students to tell everything they know about a topicis a useful way to begin to get students to activate their priorknowledge. They should then begin to think about whatthey don’t know. After reading, they should summarize whatthey have learned about the topic.