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Garuda 1475732
Garuda 1475732
INTRODUCTION
The teaching of reading in old curriculum led the students to practice the language components that they
had already met through the teaching of vocabulary and structure. Reading was regarded as the medium for
representation and practicing these language components. In this practice, comprehending and sharing
information and messages contained in the text is neglected.
In this era teaching of reading depends on the teacher. Teachers are always to be the sources of ideas for
developing reading strategies. To do this, teachers should prepare students to reach a higher level of
understanding in the reading process. They should help students read and understand the texts easily. Then, the
teacher can contribute to the strategy training of their students in the three stages of reading instruction in
classes. This includes: pre-reading, while reading and post reading.
In the 1994 English curriculum and the coming Competency-Based Curriculum of English for secondary
school, the teaching of reading is treated in a proper way. It is oriented towards providing real life reading skills,
such as identifying particular information containing in a text. In this orientation, reading is not separated from
the other skills. When we read a text, for example, we sometimes share what we have read with other people by
discussing or summarizing the content of the reading. This practice leads to the possibility of integrating reading
to speaking or writing. In this context, it is very beneficial for us to develop learning and teaching strategies that
help our students possess and develop their strategic reading as well as develop integration among language
skills. In this paper, we would address this issue.
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schematic (knowledge of the world); and they predict what they believe subsequent graphophonic, syntactic,
semantic structure are going to be (May, 1990; Goodman, 1994). The use of these cues will be influnced by
proficiency level of readers. Less proficient readers, for instance, tend to use the four cues, moving from one cue
to another one which result in slow inefficient reading process.
In line with strategies employed by learners or readers, that tendency is known as bottom-up strategy.
Whereas, whey they use their background knowledge (schema), their expectation, and experience in reading a
text, then they identify the cues (when they are needed), they tend to employ top-down strategy. This is
commonly used by proficient readers.
As inferences and predictions are made in the process of reading, for example, readers test these
hypotheses against their linguistic and conceptual knowledge to see if they are meaningful. This testing leads to
confirmation or disconfirmation of the semantic and of the syntax through which meaning is being is being
constructed.
In trying to infer or predict the information or message contained in the text, readers will also employ the
two strategies known as scanning and skimming.Scanning is especially used when reeders want to located
required information without reading the whole text. Skimming, on the other hand, is employed by reader when
they want to get the main idea from the text. When a reader is asked about the topic of the passage, he/she will
probably scan key words and other relevant cues like picture to respond te he questation raised by the teacher.
In the act of reading, readers will ask questions the test their predictions, such as, “Does this sound like
language?”. “Does this make sense to me?”. Here, they probably employ scanning and skimming strategies to
find required information in testing the predictions. If the answers to these questions is “yes” and if the material
is worthwhile, reading continues. If the answer is “no”. the following strategies might be used by readers
(Goodman,1994).
The first, reread and pick up additional cues until the text makes sense. The second, Stop, consider and
rethink why what is being read doesn’t seem make sense. The third, continue reading in order to build additional
context; in so doing, generate enough understanding to decade why things don’t make sense. The forth, Stop
reading because the material is too difficult or not relevant.
We probably experience this model of reading when we read a text in our language. However, this natural
process of reading exists in our sub-conscious level of thought. Since, we never realize the we as language
teacher, do not consider applying the model as the basis of learning and teaching strategies. And the strategies
must be developed by teacher with reference to the objectives of teaching reading covered in the curriculum.
Objectives of The Teaching of Reading in Senior Secondary School (SMA)
Reading English is an important skill that students need to learn. in reality, students reading a text at
school often have difficulties to understand and comprehend its meaning. So, teachers of reading must have good
techniques to teach reading to students to help them get good results. Teaching reading is not easy because the
teachers not only have to get the students to read the text but also, they have to think how the students can
comprehend all the aspects of English in it. According to Chaudron (2004) studying English is not easy for
Indonesian students because the English language and the Indonesian language are very different in terms of
spelling, sounds, pronunciation, vocabulary and culture.
The objective of teaching reading in high school is to develop the students’ reading skills in order to read
texts effectively and efficiently. Ariwiyati (1997) asserts that the specific objectives of reading are:
a) to enable the students to develop basic comprehension skills so that they can read and understand texts
of a general nature.
b) to use reading to increase their general knowledge.
c) to decide about reading purpose.
d) to adapt their strategies of reading.
e) to develop their ability toread critically.
Based on these, a teacher must have a good technique to build the motivation of students to learn and
memorize vocabulary.
When we investigate the objectives of the teaching of reading in the 1994 English Curriculum and the
coming Competence-Based Curriculum of English for SMA, we could say that the primary purposes of reading
are reading for information or intensive reading. This can be seen in the following objectives for reading as
stated in the curriculum.
Students are able to read texts in the forms of narration, description, dialog, and other genres like time
tables, brochure, menu, diary, form, letter to:
• Get a particular information;
• Get a general information about the text;
• Identify the main idea explicitly;
• Identify the main idea implicitly;
• Get the details of information about the text;
• Identify word, phrase, and sntence meanings based on the contexts
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In order to achieve he objective, the following learning activities are suggested:
• Guess the content of the text basd the given picture;
• Guess th meaning of derivative contained in the text bsed on the related word;
• Complete the given tables ased on the information contained in the text;
• Make flow chart based on the information contained in the text;
• Follow a set of instruction given in the text;
• Summarize the main points of the text;
• Some students generate questions about the txt and others answer the questations;
• Identify words,phrases or clauses through the given references;
• Identify synonym and antonym;
• Identify a particular information contained in a text quickly;
• identify key words to infer main ideas of the given text;
• identify main idea of a text or a paragraph and supporting details;
• describe the difference between main idea and supporting details;
• identify paragraph structure, eg, whetter it is organized from general to specific or vice versa;
• determine the functions of the given text (invitation,notice,instruction,informing, so on.);
• complete the text with the given word; so on.
Based on explanation above, the teaching of reading in secondary school will help student to get a
purpose for reading, focus on what they are learning, think actively as they read, monitor their comprehension,
and review content and relate what they have learned to what they already know.
The selected text can be taken from various sources, such as:
• Integrated course books that includes reading text.
• Supplementari reading comprehension and reading skills books containing text and exercies; and
• Text from’real life’ (authentic text),like leaflet, ticket, and brochure
✓ 2.4.3 Syntax. Third source difficulty in syntax (word order). Consider these santences:
“Alfan ate the fish” or “The fish ate Alfan”. Eord order of the two santences is different. The word order
communicateas important information, such as, which element in the santence is the doer and which is acted
upon (or object). Our experiences show that students are often fail to identify word order of the given sentences
found in a certain text.
✓ 2.4.4 Cohesion. A fourth source of difficulty is cohesion, the relationships between sentences contained
in a certain text student are often frustrated when they cannot identify the connections between
sentences found in the text.
✓ 2.4.5 Passage structure. A fifth source of difficult is passage structure. There are certain conventions in
writing text that follow us to see how larger elements of text are connected. For instance, if a text is
organized from general to specific, an early paragraphs may become more specific using such markes
as “There are three kinds of “. “The first is, the second is, and so on. Other common organizations are
narrative, cause and effect, sequence, so on. Our experiences indicate that student cannot identify the
main point or idea of the given paragraph because they do not know text or passage structure.
✓ 2.4.6 Prior knowledge (sample schematic cue). The final source is prior knowledge. Students are not
really efficient in comphehending a text because they are not familiar with the topic or sub-theme of the
given text. For example, student who live in remote areas and never see or know telephone or computer
will have difficulties in comprehending text about computer or telephone, it is the job of teachers, in
this context, to select theme/sub-theme on the basis of student’ background kowledge.
Pre-reading
In pre-reading stage, teacher try to do the following:
• Brainstorming first.
• To introduce and arouse interest in the topic/sub-theme;
• To motivate learnes by giving a reason for reading to provide some language preparation for the text.
In order to help prepare for this stage, the useful questions below can be used by teachers to asks themselves:
• What knowledge, ideas or opinions might the learnesrs already have on the text topic, and how can this
kowledge be draw and used?
• Why should anyone want to read the text,and can the same, or similar, reasaons be generated in the
learners.
The answers to the question will give clues to ways of introducing the text, motivating learners, and at the same
time will incorporate language preparation.
While-reading
This stage focuses on the text rather than the learners’ ideas before reading. The aims of this stage are:
• To help understanding of writer’s purpose;
• To help understanding of the text structure of clarily text content.
The following question are as guide to while-reading stage.
• What is the function of this text?
• How is the text organized or developed? (eg. A narrative, descriptive, and dialog)
• What content or information that can to be extracted from the text?
• What can the reader infer or deduce from the text?
• What language may be learned from the text?
• What reading styles (or strategies) may be practiced.
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Post-reading
The aims of post-reading are:
• To consolidate of reflect upon what has been learned;
• To relate the text to the learner’s own knowledge, interest, or views.
Teachers could use the following question to get ideas for the stage.
• Do the learners know of a similar situation to that presented in te text?
• Does the text present a situation for recommendations?
• Does the text present a situation needs for solving?
• Does the text present views that might need to be counter-balanced?
K-W-L strategy
KWL is stand for Know-What-Learned. This involves three major cognitive steps: assessing students’
background knowledge about the topic, and evaluating what they learned about the topic. The steps used in fails
strategic reading cover the following:
• Talk with Aa about what they already know about the topic of the text. This information should be freely
volunteered and written, for example, in section 1 in the given strategy sheet.
• Ask students to categorize the information they have voluntered. This can be done through various
grouping strategies, such as, semantic webbing or word map. This can be recorded in section 2.
• Ask students to make predictions about the information the text will contain. These prediction should be
based on students’ background kowledge and on the categoris of information genered in step 2, this can be
re-corded and discussed in section 3in strategy sheet.
• Have students generate their own questations about the text this can be discussed and recorded in the “W”-
what we want to find out section.
• Have students read the text and record any answers to their question. This can be recorded in section 5 in
the strategy sheet.
• Upon competition of the text, provide Aa with an opportunity to discuss and record ( in section 6 in the
strategy sheet) the information learned and how that data relates to their prior knowledge. For example, talk
about questions posed for which no information was found in the text.
Jigsaw technique
Basically, the activity suggested by this procedure consists of two main stages:
1. READ – EXTRACT INFORMATION
2. COMMUNICATE – SHARE INFORMATION
Example of the Strategic Reading
A. The Three Stage Strategy
Suppose, you teach reading with the theme about “Shopping” to your student. The sub-theme is
“Shopping advertisements”. In teaching reading with this sub-theme, you apply the P-W-P strategy that
works as follows:
Specific aim : To train the students to read the text quickly in order to locate specific information.
Skill Involved : scanning (see object)
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Why? : When. Aa are trying to locate specific information we need not read the whole text
carefully. What they do is try to find out in which paragrah the information they are looking
for is likely to be, then read this paragraph carefully.
Suggested text type : Advertisement, Menu, leaflet and so on.
Level : First years Student of SMA.
Pre-Reading
To begin with the pre-reding, the teacher might put on the board of wall shopping ads that you take from
newspaper or magazine like.
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While-reading
In this stage, you provide the students with the questions that train them to apply ‘scanning’ skill. The following
are questions specifically designed to train this skill (related to the above ads)
1. You want to buy these things. Which store probably sells them?
2. Are these statements’ true (T) or false (F)? Then, cross (X) your choice.
a. Deli stand near town square. T F
b. There is no promo special price. T F
c. Pantene is containg shampoo and conditioner T F
d. Special price Hp samsung is only 500.000 T F
e. Deli Stand has a delivery service. T F
(source:Richards,J.C.etal., 1992)
Post-reading
In this stage, you have to give the opportunity to the students to consolidate what they get from the text.
You may ask them to transfer the information they take from the text into other forms, such as ask the students to
compare what s(he) wants to buy with what her/his friends want to buy by using these questation:
- Do you want to buy things advertised here?
- What do you what to buy?
Then, ask the students to put what they compare in the give table.
Shampoo headphones
...
By providing this activity, the integration of one language skill to other skills can be realized with ease. This
is commonly suggested when we use this technique.
5. Conclusion
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Our knowledge of the comprehension process gained through natural strategies of reading can inform the
teaching and learning of reading comprehension. In order to apply the strategies effectively in new instructional
settings, teachers must have a clear understanding of the reading comprehension process and the natural reading
strategies that commonly applied by our students. By knowing this, they can select and demonstrate appropriate
reading strategies that their students need in reading the text.
Reference
Goodman, Watson, & Burke, 1994. Reading Strategies; Focus of Comprehension. Draft Copy. Arizona:
Arizona State University.
Grellet, F.1991. Developing Reading Skills; A pracitial guide to reading comprehension exercises.
Cambridge: Cambridge Univesity Press.
Garis-Garis Besar Program Pengajaran SMA/U 1994, Mata Pelajaran Bahasa Inggris.Jakarta: Depdikbud.
Kurikulum Berbasis Kompetensi; Kompetensi Dasar Mata Pelajaran Bahasa Inggris SMA dan MA. Jakarta:
Pusat Kurikulum, Balitbang Depdiknas.
May, Frank B. 1994. Reading as Communication. New York: Macmillian Publishing co.
Meinbach, Federicks & Rothlein. 1993. Thematic Units. New York: HapperCollins Colledge Publisher.
Roller, Cathy M. 1983. Teaching Reading Comprehension Through Real Reading. Lowa: Course Pack.
Richards, J.C.et.al.1992. Interchange; English for international communication. Student’s Book I. Cambrige:
Cambridge University Press.
Williams, Eddie. 1984. Reading in The Language Clasroom. Hongkong: Macmillan Publishers Ltd.
Sundayana, Wachyu,dkk.2003.Contextual Learning; Developing Competencies in English for SMU.
Bandung: PT.Grafindo Media Pratama.
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