฀eb-based Graded Readers for Extensive Reading

Anang mardani

฀. ฀NTRODUCT฀ON
฀earning English as foreign language remains uninteresting among
Indonesian students. It is difficult because they have to memorize a lot of
unfamiliar vocabulary with different spelling and pronunciation from Indonesian.
As being seen from the four strands of language course, reading and listening are
parts “meaning focusing input”. Reading, as basic skill, equips students by
meaningful input, including vocabulary and grammar, to develop their language
proficiency.
Realize that reading is way to develop thinking and behavior and the low
reading culture become national issue (Aziz, 2010).Reading should be done in an
easier way and comfortable environment. In contrast, learning through movie or
internet based becomes a new trend. Thus, reading can be delivered through
multimedia to reduce students’ boredom. Time allotment is a common problem in
every school because teaching and learning English must cover four language
skills, which means that English should be tough in an integrated manner.
Extensive reading can be a choice to solve this problem.
฀฀. EXTENS฀VE READ฀NG
Extensive reading gets less attention from teachers. Reading activity at
school may follow intensive reading approach which applies the classic grammar
procedure of grammar translation. Intensive reading is more likely to engage
students in text by which they gain more knowledge of the language.
Far different from intensive reading, extensive reading approach allows
students to choose what they read by themselves. Over all, this is aimed at reading
for pleasure. That is way students can read everything at their appropriate level
easily and confidently (Harmer: 2007: 283).The goal of this approach is to make
reading as a source of learning and enjoyment.

฀฀฀. ROLES OF EXTENS฀VE READ฀NG

Bell describes the role of extensive reading on students’ language learning
exposure as follows:
1. It provides ‘comprehensible input’, including information and knowledge
of language and idea or message of the text, all of which improve
‘meaning focused output’ – writing and speaking
2. It enhances learners’ general language competence, such as in providing
learner with practice in automaticity of word recognition and decoding the
symbols on the printed page using bottom-up processing which activate
students’ schemata. It also develops their prediction skills.
3. It motivates learners to read confidently because reading materials are
selected on the basis of students’ needs and interest, as to the use of
familiar material in tension-free environment.
Mutoh (2006) describes some important changes that occur during
students’ extensive reading activities. The incidentally learning influences
students’ ability in several ways:
 1. Processing written English smoothly and naturally
2. Grasping the flow of stories and organization of fiction or nonfiction texts.
3. Acquiring better vocabulary and grammar foundation..
4. Gaining high frequency of vocabulary and grammar elements.
5. Increasing confidence and satisfaction by enjoying reading many books on
their own.
6. Motivating and experiencing the foreign language practice.
฀V. GRADED READERS FOR EXTENS฀VE READ฀NG
Because reading must be pleasurable, students may get more enjoyable
reading when they read texts or book at their level of ability. Graded readers are
the main resource extensive reading materials. Graded readers are very important
resources because they can provide material at a level which is suited to the
learner’ present proficiency level, and at very wide range of levels. Use of
graded readers is under the consideration that 95% to 98% of the words are in the
text are familiar to students.
V. ONL฀NE GRADED READERS
High cost of purchasing printed books, especially hard access on English story
books has made internet technology becomes an alternative .Silva (2006)
proposes an idea web based on extensive reading program which is underpinned
on using online resource such as on-line journal, online magazine and stories. The
application of the extensive reading through internet strengthens students’
learning on various and updated materials, gain their opportunity to explore, and
decide what to read.
There are some web sites that are rich in extensive and accessible :
a) Magic key ( http://www.magickeys.com/books )
b) Children’s Digital ฀ibrary (
http://www.childrenslibrary.org/icdl/SearchWorld )
c) Oxford University Press (Student Sites) (
http://www.oup.com/elt/studens?cc=global )
BENEFIT OF WEB BASED GRADED READERS
Silva (2006) report the benefits of web-based extensive reading program
from the answers of questionnaires given to students in the research: most
students confirm that extensive reading through the internet help them to learn
vocabulary, learn to read for main ideas, acquire speed and / or fluency in reading
a texts, and develop skills that remain over time. Also, an interesting method to
develop positive attitude towards reading online and web-based ER
Meanwhile, the bad effect shows that online education makes an isolation
of students from the teacher.
V฀. TEACH฀NG PROCEDURES
฀ Pre-Reading
1. Choose one story and read aloud
2. Ask the students to discuss the story is about using such clues as
the title, cover, and illustration.
3. Have a little chat with students about the story structure.
4. Guide students to browse the given site and assist them choose a
story on their own.
5. Deliver self monitoring cue card (see Appendix 1)
฀ Whilst-Reading
 6. Ask the students to read on their own.
7. After the first reading, distribute a worksheet which consist of a
key concept (see Appendix 2) to assist student understand the
story.
8. Help students answer question by sitting beside them and guiding
those who have difficulties in recognizing words and predicting the
meaning
฀ Post-Reading
9. Distribute a story map sheet (see Appendix 3) and assist the
students to complete it based on their own story.
10. Give general questions in a table form (see Appendix 4) and give
guidance for rewriting the events in the story (based on their self-
monitoring cue card sn concept on worksheet).
11. Have them to do peer or group work to retell the stories.
V฀฀. CONCLUS฀ON
Reading for pleasure is somewhat uncommon in academic purposes
compared to reading for getting information. The idea of extensive reading with
graded readers which allow students to get an decide what to read on their interest
and level ok ability is an alternative to overcome students’ reading boredom in the
classroom. This provides comfortable atmosphere when extensive reading is done
online.