CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background

Language is very important in communication with the people in world.

Language is one of the way to express our message in the spoken and written

form. Almost each nations have their own languages which is different from the

other. So that is why the people have an international language, the people call it

as English. It can be used to communicate with people around the world.

English is a foreign language in Indonesia. Nowdays, English becomes

the most important language because almost all the sources of knowledge are

written and stransferred in English. Teaching English in this country is to provide

students not only mastering English structure, vocabulary, speaking, listening and

writing but also reading as a way to help students to understand the information

that presented in English form.

Reading is one of the major skills to master English. By reading, the students

can get information, knowledge and pleasure. Reading gives more priority to be

taught as one of the basic skills, reading is very important. Reading is an essential

skill for English as a second language.1 For most of these learners, reading is the

most important skill to master in order to success in learning English. The Students

is spend their time to read and get understand or meaning from the sentence of the

1
David Nunan.Practical English language Teaching. New York:McGraw-Hill.2003,p.69

1
 texts. In addition, the source of reading is available in various and different texts,

the student do not only focus on one kind the text. Reading text itself is very easy

if the students think it is easy and reading text is also very difficult if the students

think it is difficult. Reading is an exercise dominated by the eyes and the brain.

The eyes receive messages and the brain then has to work out the significance of

these messages”.2 In other word, reading is process transfer information from the

text then our brain can process it and conclude what the text tells about.

Reading comprehension is very important that should be processed by

students in order to understand the text. It can be gotten from many experts that

share their ideas in the books or the articles. Reading comprehension is usually a

primary focus of instruction in the post primary grades, after readers have largely

mastered word recognition skills, although comprehension of text should be an

integral part of reading instruction with beginning readers as well. 3 It means,

reading comprehension can make the material is neither easy to be understood and

it can help teacher to guide the students to be better in reading.

Then the researcher observation and interview to the eight grade students

when they do teaching practice at SMP N 20 Kota Bengkulu. The researcher also

asked to the teacher there in order to find the real problems that are faced by the

2
Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of English Language Teaching, (New York: Longman, 1996),
p.190.
3
Catherine snow and chair, reading for understanding toward and research and development
program in reading comprehension, RAND reading study group, Santa Monic,CA,2002,p.11

2
students in learning English material. The researcher found that the eight grade

students still have difficulties in many aspects of English skills, such as: writing,

speaking, listening and reading. But in this research, the researcher would like to

make it specific about the problem that is faced by the students. The students need

a lot of time to understand a sentence and find the meaning of the sentences in a

paragraph. It means that their skill in English is still low. Most of the students

seem like they were difficult in understanding or guessing the meaning of new

word, because their knowledge about sthe vocabulary is limited. Therefore, the

students need teaching strategies which can solve their problems to improve their

skill in read\ing comprehension.

There are many variants about method and teaching strategy in improving

students’ reading ability, like, Jigsaw, Number head togathered, Reciprocal

Learning. Teaching a language is different with teaching other subjects. In

teaching a language, especially English teacher have to make the students more

active than the teacher. The students should have more chance to practice the

target language. It means that the students do not listening the explanation from

the teacher only, but also they should practice the target language directly that

appropriate with the contact of the subject.

Based on the statement above, this research try to apply a strategies namely ‘’

THIEVES Strategies. Strategy is one of the important elements for the teacher in

order to success in learning process. There is strategy that can be used by the

3
 teacher in teaching reading such as THIVES strategy. T (Title), H (Headings), I

(Introduction), I (Every first Sentence in a paragraph), V (Visual and

Vocabulary), E (End-of-chapter question), S (Summary) THIVES strategy. This

strategy can give contribution for students in learning process. The THIEVES is a

pre reading strategy that sets the purpose for reading using easily remembered

acronym. In this strategy, students learn to organize the chapter’s infornation as

they read it. Than, Students learn how to ‘’steal’’ information from the title,

headings, introduction, every first sentences, visual and vocabulary, endings and

summary.4 THIEVES an acronym that reminds students of the places in their

texbook where they are learning And also this strategy can be used in nonfiction

text such as, letters, diaries, advertising and propaganda, descriptions,

explanations, tables, forms, arguments, reports, notice and signs, catalogs and

directories. Therefore, the goal of English language teaching is to develop reading

comprehension.

Based on the background above, the researcher can do the research with entitle,

‘’ improving students reading comprehension by using (THIEVES) strategy in

narrative text at SMP N 20 grade VIII 20 Kota Bengkulu.

B. Identification of the Problem

Based on the background above, there are some problems in reading

comprehension at SMP N 20 Kota Bengkulu in learning reading. The students

4
Suzunnsserliff Mans.(2002) A strategy for previewing texbook:Teaching Readers to became
THIEVES.USA.Bucciarelli,Lanenorwork.No 5 (55):p 343

4
need a lot of time to understand a sentence and find the meaning of the sentences

in a paragraph of reading text. It means that their skill in English is still low. Most

of the students seem like they were difficult in understanding or guessing the

meaning of new word, because their knowledge about sthe vocabulary is limited.

So that is why it needs improvement especially in reading comprehension.

C. Research Question

The research question of the research as follow:’’ How can THIEVES strategy

improve students reading comprehension of at second year students in SMPN 20

of Bengkulu Academic year 2016/1017? ’’

D. Research Objective

The objective of this research is to implement describe the action of THIEVES

strategy to solve students problem and improving students reading comprehension

at first year students in senior high school at SMP N 20 Kota Bengkulu Academic

year 2016/2017.

E. Significance of the study

The research hoped to be able to give contribution to help the English teacher,

as alternative strategy in teaching reading. As well for the students, this strategy is

expected to motivate the students to read can improve their reading skill.

In addition, the find of this research expected can contribute well for the next

researcher as reference in conduct their research about THIEVES strategy.

5
F. Definition of Key Term

1. Reading is an active process that depends on both an author’s abolity to convey

meaning using words and your ability to create meaning from them. 5

2. Reading comprehension is usually a primary focus of instruction in the post

primary grades, after readers have largely mastered word recognition skills,

although comprehension of text should be an integral part of reading instruction

with beginning readers as well.6

3. THIEVES is a pre reading strategy that sets the purpose for reading using easily

remembered acronym. Students learn how to ‘’steal’’ information from the title,

headings, introduction, every first sentences, visual and vocabulary, endings and

summary.7

5
Deborah Daiek.Nancy Anter.Critical Reading for College and Beyond. New York
Roudlege.(2004) p 5.
6
Catherine Swon and chair, reading understanding toward and research and development
program in reading comprehension, RAND reading study group, santa Monica. CA, 2002, p 11.
7
Suzunner Liff Mans. Loc.cit

6
 CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

A. Reading Skills

1. Definition of Reading

Reading is one of the four important skills required in master English. The

other skills needs are speaking, writing, and listening skill. Through reading people

gets more knowledge, Allen and Bruton said that reading is described as a complex

process of making meaning from a text, for variety of purposes and in a wide range of

contexts by other experts.8Reading can be an activity with a purpose. Students may

read in order to gain information or verify exist knowledge. Student may also read the

text book, magazine, novel and news paper for enjoyment.

Reading consists of two related processes: word recognition and

comprehension. Word recognition refers to the process of perceived how written

symbols correspond to one’s spoken language. Comprehension is the process of

making sense of words, sentences and connected text.9 Reading must always be a

meaning get process called reading comprehension. Comprehension is a process of

deriving meaning from connected text. It involves word knowledge (vocabulary) as

well as think and reason. According to Deborah , reading is an active process that

8
Majdi Abdullah Ahmad AD-Heisat,et al,The Use of Reading Strategies in Developing
Students’ Reading Competency among Primary School Teachers in Malaysia.European Journal of
Social Sciences – Volume 12, Number 2 (2009)
9
Ayik puspa yunita. The effectiveness of using DRTA (DIRECTED OF READING THINKING
ACTIVITY) Strategy in Teaching Reading Comprehension.Kediri:unpublisher Thesis Universitasty of
Nusantara PGRI Kediri.p.6

7
depends on both an author’s abolity to convey meaning using words and your ability

to create meaning from them From.10 The theory above, it means that reading as the

process that is used to understand information presented in wtiring and people are

able to read if the words printed can be identified.

According to Walker Reading is a cognitive activity in which the reader takes

part in a conversation with the author through the text. On the other hand, reading

strategies are considered as one of the features of cognitive psychology which are

essential for a successful comprehension.11 By reading, the students can increase their

knowledge such as social, culture, and politic. Reading is the tool for the student to

get a comprehension about what they have read. Reading also helps the student to

refresh their ideas, and also they can understand many types of word and sentence

which can improve their ability. Harmer states that reading is useful for many

purposes: any exposure to English (provided students understand it more or less) is a

good thing for language students. At the very least, some of the language sticks in

their mind as part of the process language acquisition, and if the reading text is

especially interesting and engaging, acquisition is likely to be even more successful. 12

Than, according to C.J. Weir defines reading is seen as selective process taking

place between the reader and the text, in which background knowledge and variation

types of language knowledge interact with information in the text to contribute to text
10
Deborah Daiek.Nancy Anter.Critical Reading for College and Beyond. New York
Roudlege.(2004) p 5.
11
Pezhman Zare and Moomala Othman.(2013).The Relationship between Reading
Comprehension and Reading Strategy Use among Malaysian ESL Learners. Universiti Putra
Malaysia.No 13 (3). P 188.
12
Jeremy Harmer.How to Teach English.Longman.Malaysia.(1998) p.68.

8
comprehension, it means reading is a complete process which that involved our
13
knowledge. In which background knowledge interact with information in the text

comprehension. It means that when the reader interacts with the printed material

his/her prior knowledge combines with visual written information in order to again

comprehension about message. Based on some definition of reading above, it can be

conclude that reading is an interaction between the reader and the text. When reader

read they are involved their think to understants message of text or get some

information from the text.

2. Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is a communication that make connection is relating

what has been read to personal experience to get informatio. Comprehension that

means an ability to understand the meaning of something or knowledge acquires as a

result. Reading comprehension is the capability of understanding what the reader

14
read. In this understant the reader should recodnize eight skill,they are recogniz

definition and examples, enumerations, heading and sub heading. Signal words, main

ideas in paragraph and short selections, know how to summarize, and understant

graph and table.

According to Catherine Snow, reading comprehension is as the process of

simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and

13
C.J.WEIR.Understanding and Developing Language Tests.(1993).Redwoods
Book,Britain,p 64.
14
Penny Ur,A Course in Language Teaching,Cambridge University,Australia,1996,p 72.

9
involvement with written language. She also mentions that comprehension entails

three elements.1)The reader who is doing the comprehending. 2) The text that is to be

comprehended. 3)The activity in which comprehension is a part.15

Besides that, Catherine Snow states that to comprehend, a reader must have a

wide range of capacities and abilities. Cognitive capacities (e.g, attention, memory,

critical analytic ability, inference, visualization ability ), Motivation (a purpose for

reading, an interest in the content being read, self-efficacy as a reader), Various types

of knowledge (vocabulary, domain and topic knowledge, linguistic and discourse

knowledge of specif ic comprehension strategies).16 To comprehend, readers must use

information they already possess to filter, interpret, organize and reflect upon the

incoming information from the page.

Reading comprehension is very important that should be processed by students

in order to understand the text. It can be gotten from many experts that share their

ideas in the books or the articles. According to Hedgcock stated that reading

comprehension is process in which the reader has to decide linguistic symbol and

reconstruct them up to meaningfull whole intended by the writer.17 Reading

comprehension is only a term referred to reading skill through the important thing is

not pronounce or load reading, but is the understant taken to into consideration.

Comprehension includes recognized and understant a main idea and related detail. A

15
Catherine snow and chair, reading for understanding toward and research and
development program in reading comprehension, RAND reading study group, Santa Monica, CA,
2002,p: 11
16
ibid.p.12.
17
Hedgcock,Jhon s & Dana R.Ferris.2009. Teaching Readers of English.New . Roudege.

10
good recognized that many ideas are implied and he must read between the lines to

get the full meaning. In other words, the people can say that to get the information

that is given by the written source. In the process of construction of meaning trough

the interaction with written source, two sources are involved: the new incoming

information and exist information.

Reading comprehension is designed to help the readers becomes better readers.

According to Linse reading comprehension refers to for meaning, understanding, and

entertainment. It involves higer-order thinking skills and is much more complex than

merely decoding specific word.18 It means that the reader read something to get a

meaning of the text, to make reader understand about the something and to entertain

his/her self or other people.

Brown states that there are some principal strategies for reading

comprehension. They are: 1) Identify your purpose in reading a text. 2) Apply

spelling rules and conventions for bottom-up decoding. 3) Use lexical analysis

(prefixes, roots, suffixes, etc.) to determine meaning. 4) Guess at meaning (of words,

idioms, etc.) when you aren‟t certain. 5) Skim the text for the gist and for main ideas.

6) Scan the text for specific information (names, dates, key words). 7) Use silent

reading techniques for rapid processing. 8) Use marginal notes, outlines, charts, or

semantic maps for understanding and retaining information. 9) Distinguish between

18
Linse, C.T.Young Learners.New York.2005.Mgraw Hill. P. 71.

11
literal and implied meanings. 10) Capitalize on discourse markers to process

relationships.19

3. Skill In Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehesion is very important in reading process. Comprehension

requires the reader to identify explicit stated information in text. According to

Caldwell, reading is important for academic success, the reading skill can help the

reader and teacher and who establish reading skill for the students.20

According to Mikulecky, Beatrice S, there are four types of reading skill. They

are Scanning, Skimming, Extensive Reading, and Intensive Reading. The

explanations are as the follows:

1) Scanning

Scanning is making a quick overview of a passage looking for specific

information. It commonly occurs where using telephone book, reading the

classified ads, ordering from a menu, and so forth.

2) Skimming

Skimming use the same approach, expect that instead of concentrating

on specific information, we are looking from main idea or general gist of a

passage.

19
Dwi Wahyuni Alfajar. Improving students’ Reading Comprehension of Narrative Text
Through Draw Strategy.Semarang. unpublisher Thesis University.p 11
20
Cadwell.2008.Reading Assesment A Primer for Teacher and Coaches.New York: Guiford
Press.p

12
 3) Extensive reading

Intensive reading is reading for main idea of a large amoun of text. In

extensive the students encourage by teacher to choose for themselves what

they read for pleasure and general language improvement outside the class,

the students should read materials approriate for their level. Original fiction

and non-fiction books, so that increase reader motivation.

A major elementin the way we process text, this processing is what we shall

now consider, 1) Top-down processing we draw on our intelligent and experience, the

prediction we can make, based on the schemata we have acquired to understand the

text, we make conscious use of if when we try to see the overall purpose of the text,

or get a rough idea of the pattern of the wraiter’s argument, in order to make a

reasoned guess at the next step. 2) The bottom-up approach, in the bottom-up

processing, the reader builds up a meaning fromthe black markers on the page,

recognizing letters and words, working out sentence stucture.

4) Intensive Reading

Intensive reading is reading for complete understanding of an entire text. The

aim intensive reading is to arrive at a profound and detailed understanding of the text:

not only of what it means, but also of how meaning is produced, intensive reading

involved approaching the text under the close in purpose. The aspect of intensive

reading. 1. Comprehension (intensive reading can aim understanding a particular

text), 2. Regular and irregular sound-spelling relation (this can be done though the

13
teaching of phonics, though teaching spelling rules, and though reading aloud), 3.

Vocabulary (learners’ attention can be draw to useful words, and underlying meaning

and use of these words can be explain, 4. Grammar (difficulties grammatical features

can be explains and analyses, 5. Cohesion (learners can practice interpreting what

pronouns refer to in the text), 6. Information structure (certain texts contain certain

kinds of information), 7. Genre features (the vocabulary, grammatical features,

cohesive features and information all contribute to the communication effect of a

text), 8. Strategy (intensive reading can be used to help learners develop useful

reading strategies). 21

In conclusion, reading comprehension is the process of get meaning through the

interaction between the reader and the writer. During the process, the reader used his

or her prior knowledge and combines it with the new information on the text.

4. Teaching Reading

The aim of teaching reading is to develop the students’ ability so that they can

read and understand the text effectively and efficiently. According to Johnson,

there are some conditions that should be created by teachers for learning reading:22

a. Help children fall in love with books. Reading is a pleasurable act. A teacher’s or

tutor’s number one job is to help student fall in love with books.

21
Beatrice S Mikulecky. More Reading Power. Baton University .1996. p 21
22
Andrew P. Johnson, Teaching Reading and Writing: A guide book for Tutoring and
remediating students, (USA: Rowman and Education,2008),p. 11-14.

14
b. Create a space every day for sustained, silent reading. Just like learning to play a

musical instrument, children who are learning to read get better at it by

practicing.

c. Allow children to make choices about their reading material. Choice is important

in helping reading grow. Reading is more pleasurable when we are able to make

choices about what we read. Most of the time adults are allowed to choose their

own reading material. We can go to the library and select any book we want.

d. Connect reading pleasure to reading practice. A simple behaviorist principle is that

if we find something to be enjoyable (a positive reinforcement), we are more likely

to do that thing again. In the same way, in the act of reading in linked to

instruction that students find unpleasant or disagreeable, they will be less inclined

to engage in future reading behavior.

e. Keep your reading program simple.

f. Keep instruction simple. Good teachers make things seem as simple as possible.

g. Make reading like real life. The kind of reading and writing we have children do in

school should be very much like the kind that adult do in real – life situations. In

my adult life I read for pleasure or to understand ideas and information. I write to

organize my thoughts, to express ideas and to convey important information to

others.

h. Include talk and other forms of social interaction. Talking and social interaction

enhance learning of any kind. Children need to talk to each other about what

they’re reading and share their ideas and insights with others. In this way, the

15
 stories come to life, students gain insight and ideas from others, and language

learning is enhanced.

In addition, Harmer says that there are some principles in teaching reading that

will be appeared in the following points:23

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, see the pictures the words are printing,

understand the arguments, and work out if we agree with them.

b. Students need to be engaged with what they are reading Students who are not

engaged with the reading text, will not be actively interested in what they are

doing. They are less likely to benefit from it.

c. Students should be encouraged to respond the content of a reading text, not

just to the language. We must give students chance to respond the message in

some way. It is important that they should be allowed to express their feelings

about the topic- provoking personal engagement with it and the language.

d. Prediction is major factor in reading

The book cover, the headline, the word processed page sometimes will make

our brain start predicting what we are going to read. Teachers should give

students hints, so that they can predict what is coming too. It will make them

better and more engaged readers.

23
Jeremy Harmer. How to Teach. London: Longman. 2000. pp. 70.

16
 e. Match the task to the topic.

Once a decision has been taken about what reading text is that the students are

going to read, we need to choose good reading tasks.

f. Good teachers exploit reading texts to the full. Any reading text is full of

sentences, words, ideas, descriptions, etc. it doesn’t make sense just to get

students to read it. Good teachers integrate the reading text into interesting

class sequences, use the topic for discussion and further tasks, use the

language for study and later activation.

In teaching reading as well as teaching other skills such as listening, speaking

and writing, the teacher should as students’ reading comprehension. To assess

students’ reading comprehension the teacher needs indicators. The indicator as the

guidance for teacher and students what aspects should be reached. Based on

Wetphal’s opinion there are some indicators of reading comprehension: 1) The

students are able to find factual information. 2)The students are able to identify main

idea. 3) The student are able to identify supporting idea. 4) The student are able to

locate the meaning of vocabulary in context. 5) The student are able to make

inference from the reading text.24

24
Judith Wetphal Irwin. Teaching Reading Comprehension Processes. New Jersey:
Englewood Cliffs.1986. pp. 3.

17
According to Harmer there are six principles in teaching reading. Those are: 1)

reading is not a passive skill. 2) students need to be engaged with what they are

reading. 3) students should be encouraged to respond to the content of a reading text,

not just to the language. 4)prediction is a major factor in reading. 5) match the task

to the topic. 6) Good teachers exploit reading texts to the full.25

As stated before, teachers need specific strategy or techniques to teach the

learners a certain skill, in this case is reading. Learners can be instructed in strategy to

improve text comprehension and information use. Teaching reading in junior high

school is not easy for the teacher since the teacher should introduce English to the

students. Even though in elementary school the student has been introduced to

English, but it is only a basic. They are introduced to English vocabulary not the

skills.

25
Merisa Rndi S P.2014.use of the think-aloud strategy to improve reading
comprehension.Yogyakarta:unpublisher Thesis University Yogyakarta.p 20

18
B. Title, Heading, Introduction, Every first sentence, visual, End of paragraph,

Summary (THIEVES) Strategy

1. Definiton of Strategy THIEVES

THIEVES strategy can give contribution for students in learning process. Than

THIEVES, was developed by Suzanne Manz. THIEVES an acronym that reminds

students of the places in their textbook where they can be likely to find information

they need to understand the concepts they are learning. According to Manz THIEVES

is a pre-reading strategy that set the purpose for reading using easily remembered

acronym. Student learn how “steal” information from the title, headings, introduction,

every first sentence, visual / vocabulary, ending and summary.26 Moreover, Gear say

that THIEVES strategy is helpful for trying to determine what is important in a place

of information text.27 This definition emphasize that THIEVES make the reading that

much easier. Students can find that, after reading the main body of the text, they can

be easy to find the most important information that they need about text, because they

know how to be a THIEVES.

Based on the theory above, the writer can concludes that THIEVES is a

reading strategy to build extensive knowledge of the students when they are reading

a text. This strategy is easier analyze the main idea, supporting detail and what are

26
Suzunnsserliff Mans.(2002) A strategy for previewing texbook:Teaching Readers to
became THIEVES.USA.Bucciarelli,Lanenorwork.No 5 (55):p 343
27
Mutia Fatmalia. Teaching Reading by Combining THIEVES strategy and Rule-Based
Summary strategy.STKIP PGRI Sumatera Barat.

19
 talk about the text and very effective to increase student’s comprehension and it can

help student interest.

2. Step of THIEVES strategy

In THIEVES strategy, the teacher can be component of THIEVES in reading

process. According Zwiers states that there are three steps of THIEVES in learn:

Firstly, tell the students something such as “we now get to become can “steal” from

the text before we actually read it. Secondly, model how to go through each of the

items in acronym THIEVES. Use in overhead to write down the information.

Students can use the reproducible THIEVES practice with boxes for each letter and

can give students a THIEVES bookmark to fill in as they read. Finally, after going

through steps 1 and 2 students can use the THIEVES strategy in reading process.28

Based on the concept of THIEVES the advantages of this strategy are students

have learned where to look for the smost important information in their textbooks,

they can then focus their attention on those resources. It can be clarified in the follow

points. This allows students to organize what they are reading, this makes more

efficient use of their reading time, this organization also empowers students to deepen

their reading comprehension, Since they can already have schema with which they

can associate what they read and Provides students with a scaffold for active reading,

whether they are reading independently or which coach.

28
Yanti putri. Teaching Reading By Combining Text Stucture With THIEVES Strategy.
Sumatra Barat. 2013. STKIP PGRI.p 5.

20
 This activity can help students with comprehension by allow them to preview

the text structure in an organized manner. This pre-reading strategy can allow

students to “steal” information before they actually begin reading the chapter.

Students can survey the text in the follow manner:29

1. Title

Students sometimes skip the title, but it provides valuable information by

establishing the topic and the context of the chapter. If the text is written in

chronological order, the title may indicate where the chapter would fit on a timeline.

Some questions that the student may ask while looking at the title include: “What do

they already know about this topic?” or” what do they think this is going to be

about?”

2. Headings

Headings indicate the important sections of the chapter. They help students

identify the specific topics covered. Students can turn the headings into questions to

create a more focused look at information covered in the chapter. Some questions that

the student may ask while looking at the headings include: “what does this heading

let you know what they will be reading about?” or “ what is the topic of the paragraph

beneath it?”

29
http://wvde.state.wv.us/strategybank/THIEVES.html.

21
3. Introduction

The introduction provides an overview of the chapter. It may come after the

title and before the first heading. Sometimes the goals and objectives of the chapter

are stated in the introduction. Some questions that students may ask when previewing

the introduction include: “Is the introduction marked or do they have to locate it?” or

“ do you know anything about this already?”

4. Every first sentence in a paragraph

First sentences are often the topic sentences of the paragraph, and by reading

these, a student can get an idea of the information that will be contained in the

chapter. “Does the first sentence of the paragraph to tell them what the topic is?”Or “

what important information is given that provides me with clues about the topic of the

paragraph?”

5. Visuals and Vocabulary

Students should look at all pictures, charts, tables, maps and graphs contained

in the chapter. They need to read the captions and labels on each. This enables

students to learn a little about the topic before they begin to read. Questions that

students may ask about the visuals include: “How do these visuals relate to the

content of this chapter?” or “are there photographs, drawings, maps, charts,

graphs?”Vocabulary unlocks the meaning of the content. Students need to understand

22
vocabulary in order to comprehend the text. Vocabulary may or may not be identified

as key words. It might be highlighted or italicized in the text. the question that

students may ask about the vocabulary include: “Is there a list of key words and are

they defined In the glossary?” or “ Do they know the important words?”

6. End-of-Chapter Questions

These questions indicate important points and concepts from the chapter. Just

reading these questions will help students target information that is important in the

text and establish a purpose for reading. The question that students may ask about the

end-of-chapter questions include: ”What do these questions ask?” or “What

information will be important in this chapter?

7. Summary

Many texts contain a summary at the end of the chapter. Students can read the

summary to activate prior knowledge and give them an idea of the important concepts

contained in the chapter. The question that students may ask about the summary

conclude: “What are the most important points of this chapter?” or “What do they

understand and recall about the topics covered in the summary?“

23
C. Narrative Text

1. Definition of a Narrative Text

Narrative text is a text which contains about a story in the past, and it may be a

fiction or nonfiction story. The purpose of this text is actually to entertain the

reader.30 Moreover, there are a lot of messages stated implicitly in the text. To

understand the message in the text, students should identify it in the right way.

Anderson mentioned that narrative is a piece of text which tells a story and, in doing

so, entertains or informs the reader or listener.31 Its social function is to tell story or

past events and entertain the reader. Narrative articles and essays are to tell a story,

they review events that had happened. Usually the events are presented in the order in

which they occurred. According to Gerrot and Wignell the generic structures of a

narrative text consist of three parts: orientation, complication, resolution, evaluation,

and re-orientation.

a) Orientation

This element usually describes scene or the problematic events. It also tells

thereaders the characters who were involved and where it was happened.

b) Evaluation

This element contained the sequences of events, which is talk about the activity

30
Dino, S., Puji, S. 2014. The Implementation of Think-Pair-Share Model to Improve
Students’ Ability in Reading Narrative Texts. International Journal of English and Education. 3(3).
P.207
31
Andrew P. Johnson, Teaching Reading and Writing: A guide book for Tutoring and
remediating students, (USA: Rowman and Education,2008),p. 8

24
 or event on the past.

c) Complication

This element of an event that talks about the crisis that arises.

d) Resolutions

This element contained of an event that talks about the crisis is resolved (problem

solving); even it is for better or worse.

e) Re-orientation

This element contained of a brief summary, which is aimed to give or submit a

moral lesson to the readers.32

It is also important to discuss about language usage in narrative texts because

narrative texts use different characteristic of language with other genres. To give clear

characteristic of narrative text, it is important to explain about generic featurea that

narrative has. According to sudarwati and Grade the generic feature are: (1) focus on

specific and individualzed participants, (2) the use of material process (action verbs),

(3) the use of some behavioral and verbal process, (4) the use of relational process

and mental process, (5) the use of past tense, and (6) the use of temporal conjuntion

and temporal circumstances.33

32
Dessy Natalia Samosir.Imroving students’ reading achievement in Narrative text through
experince-text-Relationship Method..Medan.
33
Etik Kurniati.An Analysis on Narrative texts Used in English Texbooks of SMAN 1 Topos
Lebong Regency. 2014.Bengkulu.Unpublisher Thesis IAIN Bengkulu.p18

25
 As a kind of genre, narrative has its language features. Literacy and Education

Research Network and for the Directorate of Studies, NSW Department of School

Education mentions that the language features of narrative are:

1) Focus on specific (usually individualized) participants

e.g. Snow White, her mother, Malin Kundang, and lion.

2) Use of past tense

e.g. lived, was, didn’t care, and was looking for.

3) Use of temporal conjunctions and temporal circumstances

e.g. a few years ago, sometimes, once upon a time, and for three months.

4) Use of material (or action) process

e.g. Rapunzel lived, would not play, and the crocodile jumped.

5) Use of relational and mental processes

e.g. the mousedeer was unhappy, his friends were fascinating.34

D. Previous Studies

There are many researchers who conducted research that related with this study.

First is a research by Gusvianti Dina, (2012) entitled ‘’ Using THIEVES Strategy to

Increase Students Reading Comprehension at junior high school Padang in the years

2012/2013, The result of the research show that, it could be concluded that there was

Dwi Wahyu Alfajar.Improving students’ Reading Comprehension of Narrative Text

34

Through Draw Strategy.2015.Semarang. Unpublisher Thesis.University Semarang. P 21

26
significant difference of student’s reading and writing between students who were

taught by use THEIVES.

Second, a research by Ibrahim Mohamed Alfaki & Ahmed Gumaa Siddiek,

(2013) with title The Role of Background Knowledge in Enhancing Reading

Comprehension, English Department, Shaqra University, KSA. In this research a

preview strategy called THIEVES is used to verify this hypothesis. The research

design was Experimetal research The primary objective of this study was to

investigate the effect of schemata activation (background knowledge) through text

preview on the reading comprehension of learners of English as a foreign language.

Third, a research by Yanti Putri ( 2013 ), with the title Teaching Reading by

Combining Text Structure with THIEVES Strategy ( Study for junior high school

Sumatra Barat ). The research design was classroom action research. The research

aims to discuss the teaching of reading text descriptive with a new strategy that

combines the Text Structure With THIEVES strategy in junior high school. In this

strategy the student can be easier find information from the text, in this strategy the

student is given the opportunity to find information before they read and understand

the structure of the text so that they are more active and motivated in learning English

in particular in reading.

27
 So, this research have the similarity to the recent study about reading

comprehension. The difference previous research with this research are research

design, location, years and subject, entitled ‘’ Reading comprehension using

THIEVES strategy ( A Classroom Action Research at the Eight Grade of SMPN 20

Kota Bengkulu in Academy years 2015/2016. The similiar previous research that

focus on a study of Reading Comprehension achievement and this problem that

looked about students difficulties in reading comprehension and used THIEVES

strategy. In other hand, this research focused on implement a strategy to improve

students reading comprehension by use THIEVES.

28
E. Conceptual Framework

Promblem Students’ reading comprehension is still

low

Problem THIEVES Strategy

Solving

Title

Headings

Introduction

Every first Improving of students’ Reading Comprehension

Sentences

Visual and
Vocabulary

Endings

Expected Result
Summary

Figure 2.1 : Conceptual Framework

29
 Based on the THIEVES strategy, Hopefully students can improve their ability

through reading, writing, and think. There were some steps in the research. The first

step is the research prepared all materials such as: reading text, made a group

discussion. The second students a reading text to their read through THIEVES

strategy. Students learn how to “steal” information from the title, headings,

introduction, every first sentence, visual/vocabulary, ending and summary. The

research were done some cycle, and pre assessment and post assessment.

30
 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHOD

A. Research Design

In this research, it will be appl\ied classroom action research. The researcher

used CAR action because the researcher would like solved the problem through direct

action. Accrording Arikunto (2008), classroom action research is the way to observe

of the process teaching and learning which implementing the new method in order to

improve the learning. Thus, Ary (2010) stated that classroom action research is about

taking action based on research and researching the action taken. According to

Kunandar (2012), the action research that was done aimed to improve the quality of

learning practice in the class. Then, Hall and keyness (2005) said that action research

( CAR) can be describes as: any research into practice undertaken by those involved

in that practice, with an aim to change and improve it. It is therefore, a process of

enquiry by the researcher as a practitioner into the effectiveness of her own teaching

and students’ learning. Furthermore, Kunandar ( 2012) stated action research that

was done aimsed ti improve the quality of learning practice in the class. There are

important stepsin this research which consist of planning, Action, observation and

Reflection.

In this research, the researcher choose first years junior high school at SMPN

20 Kota Bengkulu as the place to collect the data and information as needed.

Research find problem small observation and little interview to the English teacher

and students of firs year in SMPN 20 Bengkulu.

31
 Picture. Procedur of classroom action research ( Sthephan Kemmis,

2002)

B. Research Setting

The subject of this research is the students at frist year students of SMPN 20

Bengkulu in academic year 2015/2016. The object of this research was the students of

class VII A, which was consisted 25 students in the classroom. There was 16 females

and 9 males. The reason why the researcher choose that class because based on

32
observation have done on august 27th 2015 some of the students in this classroom

usually get lower score in reading comprehension and a lot of their score under

average is a minimum completeness criteria (KKM) is 75 . It mean they have problem

with their English text comprehension during English and learning process in

classroom. This research will be conducted in location at SMPN 20 Bengkulu. This

school has some facilities that help the teaching and learning process, such as library,

language lab, ect.

Table of class VIII A of SMPN 20 Bengkulu in academic year 2015/2016:

Table 1.1 Number of students at SMPN 20 Bengkulu.

ClassVIII.A Male

Female

16

C. Research Procedure

In classroom research, there is more one cycle. But, in this research, research

will conduct in one cycle. If the first cycle was failed, the research will continue it as

33
revision cycle with the second cycle and so forth. The cycle would be conduction in

four meeting where the approach that used by the researcher would be implanted

repeatedly and simultaneously in order to solve students’ problems in learning

reading comprehension and improve the students’ reading comprehension . There are

four components in classroom action research that should be considered. There are

planning, action, observation, and reflecting. in every cycle, there would be:

1. Plan

Plan is the starting of the research. In this step, the researcher identifies the

problem appear in teaching learning and find out an alternative way to solve the

problem, there are some activities will done by research, the kind of this activities,

such as: organize the schedule, prepare the lesson plan and syllabus, prepare material

to free assignment/ some reading comprehension to try out, prepare material to

teaching and learning process in every meeting, prepared observation checklists of

students’ and observation checklists of teacher’s activity, and also, prepared

alternative to teaching reading comprehension by using THIEVES strategy for

students.

2. Action

In this step, the researcher applied the teaching strategy which has been taken to

solve the problem. There are some steps of action, such as: the researcher made some

discussion group, every group procedure a text about narrative text. After that, the

researcher will do evaluation to the students to get the result how far the

improvement.

34
3. Observation

In this step, the researcher was helped by the English teacher so make the

process of the research to be easier. Than, the researcher collect the data from the

action and planning that is made, including all of what the students do in classroom

based on observation and treatment that made by the researcher.

4. Reflection

In last step of the cycle. In this step, result of observation and evaluating step

will be collected and analyzed to measure the success level of the implementation in

cycle 1. The result is taken as the consideration for next cycles whether the next

cycles are needed or not.

D. Instruments of the Research

In this research, the research is going have three instrument to collect the data

from school, the purpose in getting or collection data is for the teacher and the

students in the school that the researcher will choose to determine the data reading

test, observation sheets, and interview.

1. Reading Comprehension Test

According to Riyanto (2010), test is a number of question, exercise and so on

are done to measure the competence, intelligence, ability, and talent that can be

belong to individual or group. The research uses reading test into multiple choices as

35
text. It is to find out the students’ reading comprehension achievement in the pre-

assessment and each cycle.

2. Teachers’ Observation Checklist and Field Notes

Observation checklist is used to observing students in process of teaching and

learning activities, it design to planning to solve the problems and the data was used

to revise the planning for the next cycle. And also to know the factor that influenced

the process of teaching and learning process. While field notes are used to support the

use of observation checklist.

3. Interview

Interview is the collection of data by asking people question and following up

or probing their answer, interview can be defined as a way to get information from

the participants of a research through face to face interactions, interview can be used

to investigate a range of issue including developmental aspects of leaner language

and learning- style preference. The purpose of the interview is to know the subjects’

opinion about the implementation of THIEVES strategy. There were 5 questions that

were prepared by the researcher. The researcher used English-indonesia while doing

the interview. The researcher used the theory of Arikunto in determining the number

of students to be interviewed. The researcher took 25% of the research subject or 10

students on first years students SMP N 20 Bengkulu.

E. Data collecting Technique

36
 In the process of collecting the data, the researcher asked the students to

conduct pre-assessment test and test for every cycle. The pre- assessment test will be

given to the students to measure the ability of the students in understanding reading

materials which would be used as students’ basic skill. Then, the researcher gave

action to treat the students to be better by using THIEVES strategy. THIEVES

strategy will give

contribution for students in learning process. According to Manz (2002) THIEVES is

a pre-reading strategy that set the purpose for reading using easily remembered

acronym. Student learn how “steal” information from the title, headings, introduction,

every first sentence, visual / vocabulary, ending and summary. At the end of every

cycle will be conducted a test. When the students’ score of cycle would show the

students’ improvesment of their ability.

F. Data Analysis Technique

The date of this research were the score of pre-assessment, three action and test.

The formula from Nurgiyanto in Heny (2015) would use to kwon the students

individual score as follow:

1. Quantitative Data

Quantitative data was analyzed through the following steps:

The individual score of the students’ reading comprehension test by researcher

will be done following formula:

P= x 100
xi
37
 The explanation:

X= The total of the students’ correct items

Xi= The total of items

P= precentage.

The students average to get the score which was detained KKM. The target score

is 75.

2. Qualitative Data

Qualitative methodology is a research procedure, which procedure descriptive

information in the form of written or oral symbols from people and their behavior

which can be observed ( Leo : 2013). The qualitative data in this research consisted of

test, observation checklist, field notes and interviews. It aimed to know the

improvement of students’ learning activity. In analyzing qualitative data, there were

some general steps. The researcher followed those steps. The steps described as

follows: Get to know the data in this step, the researcher collected the test,

observation checklist, field notes and the interview result. After that, the researcher

discussed the result on the test, observation checklist and field notes with the

collaborator. The researcher marked up some important points in the data, for

38
example highlight, underline or note any impression through the data. It was a useful

way to help the researcher remembering the impression of data change.

1. Focus on the analysis

In this step, the researcher managed the result of the data that will be analyzed.

The researcher also checked the data to get clear data in order to know the

improvement of students’ reading comprehension by using THIEVES strategy.

2. Categorize Information

In this step, the researcher described the data collected. Then, the researcher

classified the result of the test, observation checklist, field notes and interview

through into categories.

3. Identified pattern and connection within and between categories, in this step, the

research identified the correlation between the improvements of students’ reading

comprehension through the result of the test, observation checklist, field notes and

interview.

4. Interpretation

After the researcher identified the data, the researcher made some interpretation

based on the result of the data. The researcher made interpretation about the

findings of students reading comprehension solved by THIEVES strategy, the

39
 teaching and learning process during the THIEVES strategy used, and the factors

improved students’ reading comprehension.

G. Indicator of Success

The indicator of this research will explain as follow:

1. This classroom action research will be success if the using of THIEVES

strategy could improve students’ reading comprehension, the study of the first

year students of SMPN 20 Bengkulu with mean score of reading test is 75.

2. The students have enthusiasm, effective of study time and more interest to

learn about English text. During implementation of reading encoding

annotating and pondering technique, proved by using observation checklist

and file notes.

40
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