IMPROVING READING COMPREHENSION USING SENTENCE COMPREHENSION AT GRADE VIII.

2 OF SMP NEGERI 55 PALEMBANG

IRMA YUSNITA

Abstract: The action research aims at finding out whether reading comprehension could be improved by using sentence comprehension or not. Each cycle consists of four steps: 1. Planning, 2. Implementing action, 3. Observing and interpreting, 4. Analyzing and reflecting. The research findings showed that the students reading comprehension could be improved because of the teaching technique which used sentence comprehension practice, simulating the students to participate actively in the teaching and learning activities . Finally, the results of the indicated that most of the students are able to understand written English become better than before.

Key words: Sentence, comprehension, reading,

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. BACKGROUND OF STUDY English Foreign Language learners often get difficulties in comprehending reading text. This is frequently caused by the application of wrong concepts and poor understanding to fundamental theory of reading comprehension. More ever, the learners are supposed to have their own strategies to comprehend reading texts. They frequently follow reading activities through bad concept in their mind because the teachers rarely serve of how to apply correct strategies on reading. The 2006 Junior High ESL syllabus issued by Badan Standar Nasional Pendidikan (BSNP) 2008 recommends that learners should study four skills, i.e., listening, speaking, reading and writing. It also said that listening and speaking are named receptive skills while reading and writing are called productive skills. To fulfill this recommendation, the teacher need an abilty to select and apply some suitable strategies to build student interest in learning process. Some students of SMP Negeri 55 Palembang at grade of VIII. 2 were not able to understand the information of the texts given with the long or more than one paragraph or long dialogue. They were less matter of learning in using written language, read only the most important parts of the text or dialogue. As a researcher, I have given them questions such as; who is the teacher? or where are the student in written comprehension questions like what does they refer to ? there were some of students could answer the comprehension questions. Sentence comprehension has to deal with ambiguity in spoken and written utterances, for example lexical, structural, and semantic ambiguities (wikipedia, 2009). According to Harris (1970:80) silent reading gives a tendency to think in term to improve a particular reading skill, to give practice in finding the central

idea, to improve reading skill, to give practice, ability at locating answer to specific questions, to develop ability to remember sequences events. Based on theories above, in my opinion might be sentence comprehension practice became one of many good techniques in improving students reading comprehension.

B. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM The problem that would be discussed in this paper presented in following question Could students reading comprehension be improved using sentence comprehension practices? This question would become the scope in seeking an answer in this paper.

C. OBJECTIVE OF STUDY This paper might be useful to several people. First, it might facilitate students to learn English especially reading comprehension giving practices in finding the central idea and improving ability at locating answer to specific questions. In Harmers (2007; 110) feedback view, students should have an opportunity to give feedback on what they have read, either verbally or in written form. Second, it also improved my technique in teaching English involves selecting and grading materials by observing the principles of the few before the many; the short before the long ; the simple before the complex; the general before the particular ; the nearer before the more remote ; and the regular before the irregular (Comenious cited in Finocchiaro, 1982, in Saleh, 1987:18).

D. SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY This significance of research for the English teacher is they will have an alternative of problem solving in improving their students reading skill, it is

hoped that the use of sentence comprehension in reading activity can help them read enjoyable. Finally, this action research might be useful to other English teachers of Junior High School and interested in this result.

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A. THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK 2.1 Reading Comprehension According to Vaughn ( 2004:98-99 ) Comprehension is the active process of constructing meaning from text, it involves accessing previous knowledge understanding vocabulary and concepts, making inferences and linking key ideas. Sharon and Thomson (2004) emphasized that comprehension involve Accessing previous knowledge, understanding vocabulary and concepts, making inferences, and linking ideas process. Students are regarded as good readers when they are successful in activating those processes of comprehension. Cochran (1993) states that reading comprehension is defined as getting meaning from the printed word. As Farr (cited in Cochran, 1993:120) describes that meaning can be both public and private. The public meaning occurs when the readers obtain the same information that the author intended to convey. The private meaning is the personal understanding that the written materials have for the reader. Our goal as Quantum readers is to read whole groups of words at once using the right brain, the part that understands the whole group (Deporter et.al, 1999:184). What the students have just read which is as input learning in their memory and increases their understanding of material and later they can use it to do next tasks namely test.

2.2 Sentence Comprehension According to Aebersol and Field (1997), during reading, readers minds repeatedly engage in a variety of process. Using bottom-up strategies, readers start by processing information at the sentence level. In other word, they focus on identification of the meaning and grammatical category of word, sentence syntax, and text details. In this case, reading is understanding the main idea and supporting idea of written language, reading skills usually come before writing skill (Saleh, 1987;27) and after doing speaking and listening (Saleh,1987;62) Based on the theories above, in my opinion might be sentences comprehension practices become one of many good techniques in improving students reading comprehension. But not all the information needed for comprehension is provided in the written sentence, one of the important requirements for successful reading comprehension is the readers ability to make inference (Aaron, 1989:236). For this reason, exercises can be helpful. The smallest complete unit of meaning, full expression is sentences (Hariss, 1970;63) and one of Franciss type sentences classified according to the context and response evokes produces a linguistic or non linguistic respond (Saleh ; 1982; 24)

B. REVIEW OF RELATED FINDINGS Hariss view (1970;419) says the essential ideas of most sentences can be tested by question with who, where, when how or why. For example; A horse can run fast . what can a horse do? And as well as multiple choices can be used to check students comprehension. James Asher,(1982) in Saleh, ((1987 ; 35 36) assumes that a sentence based syllabus for which the material are selected in terms of grammatical an lexical criteria, stressing meaning rather than form from the beginning stage of instruction. For example: Open the door and close the
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door and asking for the students physical action and activities in responses to the commands. Reading was used to know the knowledge of structure and vocabulary presented. A good reader is one can respond simultaneously and appropriately to the language, idea and stylistic of mature writing and moreover, can achieve these understanding with reasonable speed and fluency. Reading comprehension is ability to grasp the meaning of units of increasing size; sentence and to find answers to specific questions (Harris, 1970;9) and according to Richards (2005; 12) good habit are formed by having students produce correct sentences and not through making mistakes. Error was to be avoided through controlled opportunities for production (either written or spoken). So the teacher must control students learning very much.

CHAPTER III
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METHOD OF THE RESEARCH

A.

Location and Source of the Data This classroom action research was conducted in SMP 55 Palembang. It was conducted on Grade VIII.2 in Academic Year 2009/2010 with consisted of 38 students with 2006 Curriculum applied for them. In this research, the writer applied collaboration between the writer and the other English teachers. So the writer invited them (2 teachers) to observe both process of research and learning in the classroom. The collaborators used observation checklist to evaluate the process of learning, and then reported the result to the writer.

B. Research Procedures The research was held on the even semester in 2009/2010 Academic year for one month from March to April 2010. It was conducted in 4 meetings in the classroom, and each meeting consisted of 80 minutes. There are two cycles in this research, cycle1 and cycle 2. For each cycle consisted of 2 meetings. There was no special time in conducting the research because the mechanism of the research was conducted during the process of teaching and learning in classroom as well as the schedule of English lesson. This action research was done in the following procedures: 1. Planning This research was done by using an action research that was carried out in the following procedures: a) pre-test
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that is, to know the students ability before the treatment. This test also serve as diagnostic test; b) treatment the classroom action was done in three cycles. Each cycles consisted of two treatment c) post-test after the treatments the students were given a post test with the purpose of knowing the students progress after treatment.

2. Implementation The implementation of the action was in two cycles. In completing the roles of this study simultaneously I introduced sentence comprehension cycle in class. These cycles were as follows: at time at which the first cycle began students were given three steps for three weeks. In the first step, I used a sentence with some comprehension question true/ false question and binary choice, yes/ no. The second step was the revision of first step. The revision would continue until students became better than before. In the second cycle I introduced rather longer sentence with true/ false questions and questions word questions. In the third cycle I used a paragraph with multiple choice (four options) to check they comprehension of a paragraphs.

_________________

One Cycle __________________

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Elicitation -------------

Revision --------------------Revision

3. Observation and Evaluation Observation was conducted by using observation from to record teacher and students activities during process of learning. The observation was done by collaborators/observers who were invited to see teaching and learning activity. On each cycle, teacher gave evaluation to know students development in reading.

4. Analysis and Reflection The quantitative data were analyzed by describing the score of students on each cycle. The result of evaluation was also verified as the tools of making description in this research. The qualitative data such as the result of evaluation, the result of observation form, and other information from observers were analyzed by reflecting them into a wise description for the next teaching and learning activity

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CHAPTER IV RESULT OF THE RESEARCH

A. RESULTS Before conducting the classroom treatments, a pre-test was administered to see the students mastery in reading. It was found that score was of students vary-the highest score was 8 and the lowest one was 5,25 the mean score of pre-test was 6,98.Aft the students were given pre test the treatments of the first cycle were conducted. In the treatment of this cycle, it was found that the highest score was 8 and the lowest one was 6,50 the mean score of progress test-1 was 7,48. 8.50 -10.00 = excellent 7.00 -8.49 = good 5.50 6.99 = average < 5.49 = poor

From above the score distribution of the pre test, it was found that the in the pre test, no students had excellent achievement, 32 students had good achievement, 6 students had average achievement, and no students had poor achievement. After giving the pre test, the students were given the treatment of the next cycle. The treatment, as the main activities in this action research. For example: What does my refer to?
a. Sisters

b. The writer
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c. Sister

d. Anita and I

B. DISCUSSION The result of the second cycle was better than the result of the first cycle. The students in the cycle showed some progress like, the percentage of good to excellent (G to E) increased 15 students, Average to good (A to G) became 6 students. Generally the class average of each cycle increased, cycle I was 7,48 and cycle II was 8,12. Based on the data, observation and interview teaching and learning using sentence comprehension could improve students reading comprehension.

CHAPTER V
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CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS

A. CONCLUSIONS After doing the treatments, I concluded that sentence comprehension could be used as the materials for teaching reading. These materials could facilitate the students to comprehend the materials to read about. Before reading, the students were prepared to have the materials in comprehending on what they had known or familiar.

B. SUGGESTIONS I suggest the teachers of English could use sentence comprehension practice to improve the students reading comprehension abilities. The sentence should be simple and complex. In addition the teachers of English should always find out other techniques for TEFL at their school so that the students will have a good mastery in English.

REFERENCES

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Aaron, P. G. (1989). Dyslexia and Hyperlexia : Diagnosis and Management of Developmental Reading Disabilities, from http://www.Google books search.com/. Deporter, B. Reardom, M. & Nourie, S.S. (1999). Quantum Teaching: Orchestrating Student success, A Viacom Company Harris, Albert. J (2007). How To Increase Reading Ability, David McGraw Company,Inc.New York. Harmer, Jeremy, (2007). How To Teach English, Stenton Associates, Saffron Walden, Essex, UK Richards, Jack C. (2005). Communicative Language Teaching Today, RELC Portfolio Series 13, SEAMEO Regional language Centre, http//www.relc.org.sg Aebersold, J.A. & Field, M.L. ( 1997 ).From reader to reading teacher. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Sharon, V.; & Thompson, S.(2004) . Research-Based Method Reading Instruction Grades K-3. Alexanderia, VA, USA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development . Vaughn, S. (2004). Research Based Methods of Reading Instruction. Danvers: ASCD. Cochran, Judith A. (1993). Reading in the Content Areas for Junior High and High School. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, Inc.

APPENDIX 2

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Lesson Plan
School Subject Class Academic year Time : : : SMP Negeri 55 Palembang : English : VIII.2 2009/2010 4 X 40 Minutes

Competency standard : -Reading

To understand the meaning in short simple essay formed recount and narrative to interact with around environment. -To response the meaning of rhetoric

Basic competency : steps

and short simple essay accurately, fluently, and available related with around environment in formed recount and narrative text. A . Indicator : -read aloud with pronounce well -answer some question based on the text -identify characteristics of narrative text

B. Learning objective: correctly

-students

can

read

narrative

text

-students can identify characteristics of narrative text. -students can answer the question based on the text.

C. learning material:

-Narrative text Rapunzel

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D. Learning method: and

-the students listen the teacher to read repeat it. -the students read the text one by one correctly.

E. The instructional step : a. pre-teaching - greeting - checking attendant list - apperception - asking some question about tale/fable. b. whilst teaching - read the text about Rapunzel - ask for students to read the text - identify difficulty words in the text c. post teaching - concluding -give the test to the students -review the lesson -give the home work

F. Resource G. Technique -Form

:Text book Lets Talk : written test : Answer - question

-Instrument:
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1. Who were Rapunzels parents? 2. Why did Rapunzels father steal the plant? 3. What happened to him? 4. Who is mother gothel? 5. Who heard her lovely voice? 6. Where is prince hunted? 7. What is color of Repunzels hair? 8. What happen to princes eye? 9. How did Repunzel cure the princes eyes? 10. Did Rafunzel and prince get married?

Jumlah skor max= 10 Nilai siswa = Skor perolehan X 10 Skor max

Palembang, English Teacher,

IRMA MM

YUSNITA,

S.Pd,

17

APPENDIX

Lesson Plan
School Subject Class Academic year Time : : : SMP Negeri 55 Palembang : English : VIII.2 2009/2010 4 X 40 Minutes

Competency standard : -Reading To express the meaning of transactional and interpersonal short conversation to interact to thing around us.

Basic competency : -To express the meaning of transactional conversation (to get thing done) and interpersonal ( socialize ) by using various of simple language accuretly, fluently related with nearest environment by using expressing to offer something ( recount text ) A . Indicator : -read the recount text correctly -answer some question based on the text -identify characteristics of recount text

B. Learning objective:

-students can read recount text correctly -students can identify characteristics of recounttext. - students can answer the question based on the text.

C. learning material:

-Recount text MY personal experience

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D. Learning method: and

-the students listen the teacher to read repeat it. -the students read the text one by one correctly.

E. The instructional step : a. pre-teaching - greeting - checking attendant list - Apperception - asking some question about tale/fable. b. whilst teaching - read the text about My personal experience - ask for students to read the text - identify difficulty words in the text c. post teaching - concluding -give the test to the students -review the lesson -give the home work

F. Resource G. Technique -Form

:Text book Lets Talk : written test : True false Yes- no

-Instrument: I.Task
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Circle T ( true ) and F ( false ) for sentences below 1.Andi cooks in his spare time. T-F 2.Andi is fond of reading books. T-F 3. His hobby is cooking. 4. Novel is a kind of book. 5. Andi reads and cooks in his leisure time. II.Task Circle yes or no for these sentences. 1. Does his refer to Andi? Yes-No 2. Does Andi like cooking books? Yes- No 3. Is Andi interested in newspaper? Yes-No 4. Does Andis hobby read some books? Yes-No
5. Does he read in his spare time? Yes-No

Jumlah skor max= 10 Nilai siswa = Skor perolehan X 10 Skor max Palembang, English Teacher,

IRMA MM

YUSNITA,

S.Pd,

20

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