I.

INTRODUCTION

This chapter introduces the proposed research, discussing background of the

research, research questions, objectives, uses, scopes of the research and the
definition of terms.

1.1. Background

Reading comprehension is the most significant source of information access in an

EFL situation (Crystal, 1996). Many studies have shown that reading to young
learners is a predictor of their future reading success (Cid, 2009; Cullinan &
Bagert, 1996; Egan, 2014; Kung, 2012; Leckie, 2013). However, the teachers
need to find strategies to enable them better understanding the printed material
they read. While some face difficulties in connecting sounds and symbols to
create words and paragraphs, others can decode words but are still struggling with
comprehending a whole message.

However, there are individual variations among learners as to their reading

abilities and skills; some of these are innate; others are acquired during schooling
(Bell, 2012; Ellett, 2014; Tong, 2015). Instructional methods and learning
strategies matter when developing reading skills (Beaver, 2012). Indeed, there is a
variety of techniques used in reading in both first and foreign language learning
classes other than silent reading (Brown, 2007). Learning can be scaffolded by
creating and displaying anchor charts (Harvey and Goudvis, 2000). According to
Debbie Miller (2002), anchor charts allow connections from one strategy to
another, build on earlier learning, clarify a point, provide visual cues to develop
independence.

The purpose of this research is to improve the students reading comprehension by

developing an interactive anchor charts for beginner readers on the fourth-grade

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students of elementary school. The theoretical benefit of the research is to be a
reference for teachers in developing the innovation teaching reading, especially
reading comprehension. The practical benefit is as media and learning resources
that are designed based on fun and meaningful learning.

1.2. Research Questions

Related to the background stated above, the researchers formulated the

problem as follows:
1. Does the interactive anchor charts of the reading text improve the reading
comprehension to male and female EFL young learner?
2. Does gender have any significant effect to male and female EFL young
learnersof their reading comprehension?

1.3. Objectives

The objectives of this research are:

1. To improve students reading comprehension by making an interactive
anchor charts to male and female EFL young learner.
2. To find out the effects of an interactive anchor charts to male and female
EFL young learners reading comprehension.

1.4. Uses

This research will be hopefully useful both theoretical and practically,

1. The theoretical benefit of the research is to be a reference for teachers in
developing the innovation of teaching reading, especially reading
comprehension.
2. The practical benefit is as media and learning resources that are designed
based on fun and meaningful learning.

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1.5. Scope

This research will be held to find out and solve the problem of the students
in comprehending the reading text. The research focuses on the
development of anchor charts in improving the students reading
comprehension. Researcher will choose fourth grade students of elementary
school in Bandar Lampung.

In activities, the students practice to comprehend the reading text by making

an interactive anchor charts. The students were given the treatment about
how to make an interactive anchor charts. The researcher will give the
reading text and the students will create their own interactive anchor charts.

1.6. Definition of Terms

1. Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension is the ability to read text, process it, and understand
its meaning. An individual's ability to comprehend text is influenced by
their traits and skills, one of which is the ability to make inferences.

2. An Interactive Anchor Charts

An anchor chart is a tool used largely to support instruction and to move the
student towards achieving success with lessons taught in class. They are
also used as a classroom management tool for students to self-monitor their
behavior by gently reminding them of expectations and routines. Anchor
charts are created during the instruction of the lesson. As the teacher models
the lesson or strategy, the lesson reinforcement or strategy tool is written on
chart paper. Once the lesson is complete, the chart is placed in a convenient
student-friendly location that the students can access it independently. This
is another vehicle for academic support, especially for the visual learner.

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 II. LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter describes the concepts related to the research, such as reading
comprehension and interactive anchor charts. This chapter also describes the
theoretical assumption and hypothesis.

2.1. Concept of Reading

In this sub-chapter, the researchers describes the concept of reading such as
definition of reading, definition of reading comprehension and stages in reading.

2.1.1 Definition of Reading

Traditionally, reading was regarded as a linear process, a decoding one-way flow

of ideas and knowledge from a writer to a reader (Gough, 1972), involving the
reader in attempting to build up meaning from the written symbols and graphics in
the messages in the text with no reference to the role played by the background
knowledge of the reader. In the past, reading was considered as a passive skill,
i.e., the readers did not have any message production or active mental process
likes speakers or writers (Chastain, 1988). In modern views of reading, however,
there is a shift of emphasis, more in favor of the reader. For Anderson (1999),
reading is an interactive process involving the reader and the reading material in
building meaning. Meaning does not exist on the printed page; rather an
interaction occurs in reading, combining the printed words with the readers
background knowledge and experience.

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2.1.2 Definition of Reading Comprehension

Comprehension and understanding is the final purpose in the reading process. In a

reading situation, priority should be given to meaning and comprehension. Fry
(1965) found it difficult to define comprehension. According to Fry (1965),
comprehension is the communication process of attaining the thoughts present in
the authors mind into the readers mind. As Fry states, comprehension is to get
the message and meaning in the text. It means that reading comprehension is
under the influence of different variables and factors including passage content or
topic familiarity, gender, text difficulty, follow-up activities, background
knowledge, test types and the like.

2.1.3. Stages in Reading

Developing reading skill is ranging from pre-reading to the highest level. There
are some stages that are passed by someone in reading.

a. Stage 0: Pre-reading (pattern recognition) is a stage experienced by preschool

children that are characterized by pretending to read. For example, when a child is
brought to a store, the child will "read" the label of goods bought by his mother.
Whereas, children have not read, but they recognize patterns of letters.

b. Stage 1: Discovery of Alphabet Principle/decoding stage is the actual reading

stages. For example, that is when children find that letter is voiced expression
representation. However, we have not been able to "teach reading" If a child has
not been ready. Preparedness is characterized by the readiness of orthographic. It
is the readiness of the neural connections between the involvement of the parts of
the brain that records the letter moulds and parts of the brain that activates the
function to talk. For example, the word of B-O-L-A read: bola.

c. Stage 2 is Development of Automaticity ("ungluing from print"). At this stage,

the children begin quite fluent in reading. They learn to use the ability of decoding
in reading. They become curious on reading. He/she would like to read more. At
this stage, the children learn the linking between the text reading and

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pronunciation, even from the text to a new thought or idea. Their decoding skills
have developed, and their speeds in reading have increased. Reliability in reading
also increased and become more fluent. At this stage, the child should be able to
give attention to the meaning of the text. In general, this stage is reached when the
children are 8 years old.

d. Stage 3: Incorporation of Learning Subroutines (Reading for Learning the New)

or read to learn. At this stage, the motivation to read the changes. The change
from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" begins in stage 3, when children can
master the information from written materials; that can be examined through the
school curriculum. At this stage, to read text is to obtain information and thus
rapidly expanding their vocabulary. This stage of development is usually achieved
when children sit in class 4 or about age 9-10 years. They are learned from books
that she had. However, if the child has not mastered grade 4 "how to" of his
reading, then in the next intermediate reading class, they are difficult is enhanced.

e. Stage 4: Taking Multiple View Points during Reading, namely the ability to
compare two or more viewpoints, based on comparisons of the readability of
articles. This step has not appeared until the child enters high school, and this
ability will appear when the teacher gives a comparative thinking exercise. f.
Stage 5: Reading for Building Personal Testing & Theory. It is the perfect stage is
achieved at age of students and manifested through various research results.
Students read with the goal of creating formulas, or to define the position and his
opinion about such a phenomenon, as well as consolidate over what she has.

2.2. Concept of an Interactive Anchor Charts

In this sub-chapter, the researcher describes the concept of interactive anchor

charts such as the definition of an anchor charts, the purpose of an anchor charts,
types of an anchor charts and the steps in building an anchor charts.

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2.2.1 Definition of an Anchor Charts

(Sibberson and Szymusiak, 2003). An anchor chart is a tool used largely to

support instruction and to move the student towards achieving success with
lessons taught in class. They are also used as a classroom management tool for
students to self-monitor their behavior by gently reminding them of expectations
and routines. Anchor charts are created during the instruction of the lesson. As the
teacher models the lesson or strategy, the lesson reinforcement or strategy tool is
written on chart paper. Once the lesson is complete, the chart is placed in a
convenient student-friendly location that the students can access it independently.
This is another vehicle for academic support, especially for the visual learner.

2.2.2 The Purpose of an Anchor Charts

The purpose of an anchor charts are,

1. Anchor charts build a culture of literacy in the classroom, as teachers and

students make thinking visible by recording content, strategies, processes,
cues, and guidelines during the learning process.
2. Posting anchor charts keeps relevant and current learning accessible to
students to remind them of prior learning and to enable them to make
connections as new learning happens.
3. Students refer to the charts and use them as tools as they answer questions,
expand ideas, or contribute to discussions and problem-solving in class.

2.2.3 Types of an Anchor Charts

There are three common types of anchor charts: procedural, process, and strategy.

1. Procedural anchor charts help reinforce the teaching of the classroom

routines. Some examples of procedural anchor charts include how to use
the MP3 player at a listening center or how to check out a book from the

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 classroom library. You may find that procedural anchor charts need to stay
posted for a longer period of time than other anchor charts.

2. Process anchor charts remind students of how to work through a process

such as how to participate in a peer conference, how to solve a word
problem, or how to find a word in the dictionary. Students are required to
write a response to a reading passage. Most classrooms have a process
anchor chart on the steps for writing a good extended response. Standard-
sized copies of process anchor charts are especially useful for students.

3. Strategy anchor charts support students in developing strategic behaviors

such as choosing what to do when encountering an unknown word while
reading or how to use the text features of a nonfiction book. Consider
sharing standard-sized copies of strategy anchor charts with
interventionists who work with the students. It is important that these
students hear consistent language.

2.2.4 The Steps in Building an Anchor Charts

1. Teachers model building anchor charts as they work with students to

debrief strategies modeled in a mini-lesson.
2. Students add ideas to an anchor chart as they apply new learning, discover
interesting ideas, or develop useful strategies for problem-solving or skill
application.
3. Teachers and students add to anchor charts as they debrief student work
time, recording important facts, useful strategies, steps in a process, or
quality criteria.
4. Students create anchor charts during small group and independent work to
share with the rest of the class.

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2.3 The Previous Study

There is a positive relationship between learners reading strategies and their

reading comprehension skill. Brookbank, Grover, Kullberg, and Strawser (1999)
indicated that the application of various reading strategies increased learners
reading comprehension proficiency. Golinkoff (1975) showed that poor readers
read different texts similarly and did not try to learn through reading strategies.
Ahmadi and Pourhossein (2012) represented that reading strategy has a positive
effect on the reading comprehension proficiency of readers.

Ahmadi and Pourhossein (2012) stated that learners who learn reading strategies
try to recognize the main point of a paragraph, to elaborate unclear words,
phrases, or sentences, and to summarize their reading. The impact of reading
strategies on the learners reading proficiency was investigated by Su (2001). The
results obtained from this study represented that readers reading strategies are
very useful to make better their reading skill.

2.4 Theoretical Assumptions

In reading comprehension, the teachers need to find strategies to enable the

students better understanding the printed material they read. While some face
difficulties in connecting sounds and symbols to create words and paragraphs,
others can decode words but are still struggling with comprehending a whole
message. Making an anchor charts of the redaing text will record the students
thinking and highlight really important parts of a lesson. Anchor charts build a
culture of literacy in the classroom, as teachers and students make thinking visible
by recording content, strategies, processes, cues, and guidelines during the
learning process. Students refer to the charts and use them as tools as they answer
questions, expand ideas, or contribute to discussions and problem-solving in class.

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2.5 Hypotheses

In conducting this study, the writer will try to prove the following hypotheses:

1. The interactive anchor charts of the reading text can improve the reading
comprehension to male and female EFL young learner.
2. An interactive anchor charts of reading text has a significant effect to
female EFL young learner than male EFL young learner.

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