Asian Research Thesis Index

Abstract

Reading is an interactive- constructive process in which readers comprehend, interpret, and respond to the text according to what they already know. Effective readers have personal expectations about what they will get from a selection, and they bring those expectations to bear as they read by predicting and testing their predictions. The children actively create meaning by constructing, or generating relationship between what is within the text and what they already know. Some researchers describe reading as a ;transaction, (Rosenblatt 1988) in which meaning emerges from a give and take relationship between the reader and the print on the page. The interaction between the reader and the text allowed reader to construct their own meaning background Knowledge and experience according to there. This research was therefore conducted to identify strategies that were being implemented by the teacher to develop reading comprehension in students. And how, the teachers could be facilitated to improve their teaching strategies to enhance students reading comprehension skills. This study was divided into two phases. Phase 1 dealt with implementing strategies that could develop comprehension skills through stories in an ESL classroom. Story helps to develop language in the classroom, as Meek (1988) points out, ;Stories encourage them to take on new meaning regularly in a context of shared enjoyment. They learn about language and the different ways it is used. (P.37) They learn new language of stories, which is different from everyday spoken language. Gradually children take possession of the language of books and they begin to learn vital lessons about the reading process Phase II was an exploration of how to facilitate the teacher in her professional development. For enhancing her knowledge about implementing effective strategies like predicting, questioning, silent reading and group work, to develop children reading comprehension. The findings revealed the teachers understanding and her changes in her perception throughout the course of the study. And how this study helped her to professionally develop her style of teaching in order to get the desired children's reading comprehension. The findings also revealed that as a result of teacher development and reflection on practice, the teacher could change her conception and her approaches to the teaching of reading comprehension skills.

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