Graded Readers in Indonesia: A Review (original) (raw)
Related papers
2019
This community service program aims to improve the competence of students in reading English texts through the introduction of extensive reading using a graded reader book. This activity was carried out at Al Qolam and Uswatun Hasanah Junior High School in East Jakarta. Graded reader’s book level 2 and 3 are used in the extensive reading class which are selected based on the student's level of ability and the number of words used in the reading text. To see the results of this extensive reading activity, a reading test is given to students in the form of multiple choice questions. Test results show that extensive reading activities can improve students' reading abilities with an average test score of 70 for Al Qolam Middle School and 81 for Uswatun Hasanah Middle School. This extensive reading class also attracts students' attention because those who are accustomed to using Student Worksheets (LKS) for daily practice become more interested in learning English when using ...
Assessment of Readability Level of Reading Materials in Indonesia EFL Textbooks
Lingua Cultura
The research aimed to assess the readability of reading material in two different English textbooks published by different publishers. Many pieces of research have been conducted to examine the reading materials in English textbooks, and it had been discovered that the reading materials were insufficiently adequate for the levels of students. The research applied a descriptive content analysis method to analyze, interpret, and describe the data. The Flesch Reading Ease formula was as an instrument. The research’s data were derived from the English textbook “Pathway to English” by Erlangga grade X and the English textbook “Bahasa Inggris” by The Ministry of Education and Culture grade X. Based on the findings of the research, five reading texts out of 15 match with students’ level (fairly difficult level) of grade X in the first textbook, while three texts out of 13 equal with students’ level (fairly difficult level) of grade X in the second textbook. Furthermore, the first textbook’...
Graded reader readability: Some overlooked aspects
2015
Most extensive reading programs rely on graded readers as the main source of reading material, especially for learners at lower proficiency levels. There is considerable variation among publishers with regard to the way graded readers are categorized into levels of difficulty. The most common means of categorization is the number of headwords. This paper reports on some initial findings of a 3-year study of Japanese language learners. Interviews and think aloud protocols carried out with junior and senior high school and university students ( N = 83) show that additional factors need to be taken into consideration when assessing the level of difficulty of graded readers. The findings suggest that authors and editors need to pay closer attention to the likely age range of the target readers, cultural issues, use of idiomatic and figurative language, literary devices, illustrations, and plot structure when determining the readability of graded readers.
Gradation of Javanese reading teaching materials for lower elementary grades
Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences
Gradation of teaching materials will show the material leveling according to the developmental stages and student needs. This study aims to develop the gradation of Javanese reading for the lower elementary grades. This development research (R&D) used the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation). The research samples were teachers and students in grades 1 to 3 in 14 randomly selected schools. The data collection methods used document analysis, interviews, and tests. The study result was in the form of a product of Javanese reading teaching material. Using the t-test, the field trial results revealed a significant difference between grades using gradation books and non-gradation books, grade 1 had significance value of 0.017, grade 2 had 0.000, and grade 3 had 0.000. Suggestion for further research is the development of gradations of Javanese reading teaching materials for upper elementary grades. Keywords: Gradation, javanese language, lower grades, elem...
Graded Readers: Validating Reading Levels across Publishers
Hispania, 2016
Graded readers can be an optimal resource to help language students improve and personalize their learning experience. An extensive reading library with graded readers and well-defined levels of reading difficulty increases language students' chances of having a successful reading experience and become independent readers. However, when it comes to implementing such a library, there is a practical issue. A review of the graded readers available in Spanish reveals different proficiency levels and a lack of a uniform set of criteria for establishing levels of reading difficulty. Through the analysis of 203 titles by 12 publishers (from Spain, England, Italy, and the United States) complemented by an objective and uniform tool-a readability test-the present study validates and suggests alignment among reading levels across publishers. The ultimate goal of this study is to provide language teachers and program administrators with a uniform system of cataloging graded readers under the premise that a well-established library fosters independent language learning.
Students’ Literacy Skills and Quality of Textbooks in Indonesian Elementary Schools
International Journal of Language Education
Purpose of the study: to find out: 1) basic literacy skills (ability to read, write and count) elementary school early grades students; (2) quality of textbooks in aspects of content, presentation, language, and graphic design; and (3) The significance of the relationship between the quality of textbooks and students' basic literacy skills.Methodology: This research uses a quantitative approach with a survey method. It was conducted in eight provinces in Indonesia. The sampling technique used stratified random sampling, 805 teachers. Data collection used a questionnaire for elementary school teachers who teach in low grades. The data analysis used descriptive statistics and correlation analysis.Main Findings: It was found that there are still relatively many early grades elementary school students who are not fluent in reading, writing, and arithmetic. These students' basic literacy skills have a significant and positive relationship with the quality of textbooks in the asp...
CHOOSING THE ADEQUATE LEVEL OF GRADED READERS - PRELIMINARY STUDY
Abstract: Graded readers have been used as second language teaching material since the end of the Second World War. They are an important source of simplified material which provides comprehensible input on all levels. It is of crucial importance for a successful usage of graded readers in the classroom and in studies which focus on graded readers, that an adequate level of graded readers is chosen. In this paper the following will be explored: the theoretical background of choosing the adequate level of graded readers, explanation of the criteria for placement of graded readers in different levels, the differences in levels between the most important publishers and the selection of the adequate level of the graded readers. Furthermore, this paper presents preliminary research results, the goal of which was to test whether assigned CEFR levels represent a sufficient criterion for the selection of graded readers without previously testing reading skills or using tests provided by the graded reader publishers. Six subjects participated in the research; they were divided into three levels of English language knowledge (A2, B1, C1). Each participant read one and listened to another graded reader. In this research an interview was used for gathering data, the key component of which were text and audio material comprehension questions. The results showed that not all graded readers used in the study were adequate and that there are grounds for conducting further research with a larger sample.
Developing Graded Reading Materials to Enhance Extensive Reading for Students of Senior High School
Lingua Pedagogia, Journal of English Teaching Studies, 2020
Improving literacy and a reading habit remains a major challenge to the Indonesian education system. To achieve maximum fluency in reading, the students should not only rely on classroom activities. They need a considerable amount of exposure. Therefore, there is a need to develop self-access learning materials to enhance independent learning through extensive reading. The objectives of this research were to identify the students’ target needs, identify the learning needs, and develop self-access graded reading materials to enhance extensive reading. The study employed the procedure of materials development by Jolly and Bolitho (2011) with some adaptations. There are originally 7 main stages, however, the steps were adapted and reduced into 5 stages. The adapted stages include needs analysis, syllabus planning, materials production, materials evaluation, and revision for the final draft. The data of this research were collected by using questionnaires and interviews. The developed ...
The Readability of Malaysian English Children Books: A Multilevel Analysis
International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 2016
These days, there are more English books for children published by local publishers in Malaysia. It is a positive development because the books will be more accessible to the children. However, the books have never been studied and evaluated in depth yet. One important factor in assessing reading materials is readability. Readability determines whether a text is easy or difficult to understand and a balanced mix of both can promote learning and language development. Various researchers mentioned a multilevel framework of discourse that any language assessment on a text should take into account. The levels that were proposed were word, syntax, textbase, situation model and genre and rhetorical structures. Traditional readability measures such as Flesh Reading Ease Formula, Gunning Readability Index, Fog Count, and Fry Grade Level are not able to address the multilevel because they are based on shallow variables. In contrast, Coh-metrix TERA provided five indices that are correlated to grade level and aligned to the multilevel framework. This study analyzed ten Malaysian English chapter books for children using this Coh-metrix TERA. The result revealed that the Malaysian English children books were easy in shallow level but there was a possible difficulty in textbase and situation model level because of the lack of cohesion. In conclusion, more attention should be given on deeper level of text rather than just word and syntax level.
Extensive Reading in Indonesian Schools: A Successful Story
TEFLIN Journal - A publication on the teaching and learning of English
The low level of literacy of the Indonesian students has become a major nation-wide concern in Indonesia. The 2015 PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) result showed that Indonesian students’ literacy level in English was one of the lowest in the world. Gerakan Literasi Nasional (GLN) was established in 2016 as one of the possible solutions to increase the Indonesian students’ literacy level. The extensive reading programs done in the schools and in the universities described here is in line with GLN’s vision and mission, in that the Extensive Reading programs and activities play a tremendous role in the schools’ and communities’ effort to create more established, well-planned actions to increase the students’ literacy level. Therefore, this paper will discuss two objectives: (1) describing steps to establish a successful Extensive Reading program at Indonesian schools and (2) reporting factors that contribute to the success of an extensive reading program. The findin...