Books Review

Reviewer has read 5 books during extensive reading class. The title of the first book is Reading and Learning Difficulties by Peter Westwood. This book published 2001 by The Australian Council. The second book is Effective Teaching and Learning Reading; the author of the book is Greg Brooks, Maxine Burton, Pam Cole and Marcin Szczerbin´ski and published 2007 by the National Research and Development Centre. The third book is Teaching Reading Comprehension to Students with Learning Difficulties; the author of this book is Janette K. Klinger, Sharon Vaughn, and Alison Boardman and published 2007 by The Guilford Press. The fourth book is Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension; the author of the books is Judi Moreillon and published 2007 by American Library Association. Then, the last book is 8^TH Grade Reading Comprehension Success; the author is Elizabeth Chesla and published by Learning Express, LCC, New York. Even though, not all of book have the same target or just focus to the students at college but all of them discuss about the strategies and approaches to teaching and learning reading, to improve reading comprehension  that can use for students at college.

All of the books have interesting topic to be discussed because each book gives knowledge about reading especially how to teach reading well. This books provide different strategies and method to teach reading. It can be guideline for teaching reading. So I can to be a professional English teacher in the future. My students do not get boring and have problems  to learn reading and help them to easily understand about what they read or improve their reading comprehension. Each book has correlation each other and they have similar topic. I will begin to discuss about the first book “Reading and Learning Difficulties”. I more interest with this book, because it discusses about specific strategies and method to teach and learn reading. According to Peter, there are some strategies and specific method to teach are shared book experience, language-experience approach, guided reading, and directed reading–thinking activity. This strategies which is dicussed in this book can apply to the students at college. I think it is the best strategies for teaching and learning reading to students at college because I can feel the advantages of those strategies. For instances, in my extensive reading class, I guess my lectures use strategy of shared book experience. She ask us to read some book and then she give assignment to read other friend’s book, and the last we should make review of that book and shared our experience about  each book, and present it to the in front of class. The result is I more understand about what I read and get knowledge also. Besides, I found quotation from this book especially in the chapter 5, according to Høien & Lundberg, reading is something that has to be taught and learned. It means that reading is really important skill that should to be taught and learned. We can use some strategies to teaching and learning reading, because we are going to be an English teacher.  The quotation and some specific strategies will be support me to teach well.

However, strategies and method are not the only factors that give effect to the students reading comprehension and reading score. In the next book “Effective Teaching and Learning Reading” discusses about another factor that influent to the reading score of students especially in the chapter 5. This book discusses some factors that influence to the students reading comprehension and improvement students attitude in the class. Gree, et.al states  that the factors are the teachers’ profiles, class grouping, and pattern of activity in the class, general teaching strategies, opportunities for learner involvement, and specific teaching strategies. I really support this book, because not only specific strategies and method can give effect to the students’ reading comprehension and the students’ reading score. I am as English teacher to be not only focus to the strategies and method that I will be used but I also consider another factors which is discussed by this book. I have seen applying of class grouping in my extensive class. We divided into several groups. I know that it has purpose to make us better in the progress because the research of this book stated that learners who worked alone less in class made better progress, and learners who worked in pairs more made better progress. So I think this method is applicable in the class room. Thus, we should consider some factors for teaching and learning reading.

Then, after I know some strategies and method to teaching and learning English  and another factors that have effect to the student’s reading comprehension and reading score from books which is discussed before. Next, I get some knowledge or information about specific instructional practices that promote reading comprehension from book “Teaching Reading Comprehension to Students with Learning Difficulties”. According to Janette, et.al. to organizes these comprehension strategies in terms of when they are typically used: before, during, and after reading. Prior to reading, teachers should assist students in activating, building, and using their background knowledge to make connections with the text and predict what they will learn. During reading, students need to know how to monitor their understanding, use fix-up strategies to assist with comprehension, and consider linkages between what they are reading and previous knowledge and experiences. After reading, they should summarize the key ideas they have read and respond to the material in various ways. Based on this book, I also use some strategies and method into tree part: before, during and after reading. I really like to read this book because it can give creative ways to teaching and learning reading. Then, that way more easily for students to understand about what they read.

Then, I really surprised about new strategies in teaching and learning English by read book of Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension especially in chapter 5 discuss about reading comprehension strategy three questioning. This book discusses about teaching and learning English by using questioning. It is unusual strategies for me because teachers are rarely use this strategy even though it is really having many advantages. Based on this book, questioning is an essential component of reading comprehension, of conducting research, and of critical thinking. In short, questioning is a key to learning. I said like this because I think by using questioning students can learn and develop their critical thinking.

The last book is 8^TH Grade Reading Comprehension Success. Actually I really not interesting about this book even though this book discuss about the strategies to get success in reading comprehension but that strategies has include of another books before. So this book is not too interest for me, besides this book is not focus on student at college. I do not interest this book because this strategies that is presented repetition.

To sum up, I really suggest for lecturers of English Department or teachers to read these five books because it gives essential knowledge for lectures or teachers to teach reading by using the best strategies. These books connect each other and will be more significant if lecturers or teachers read all of them. I think if lecturer or teachers read these books, there is much knowledge that can be obtained. It will help lecturers or teacher to teach reading well. These books give specific strategies to teach reading at college students.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Westwood, Peter. (2001). Reading and Learning Difficulties. Australian: Australian Council

Brooks,Greg.et.al. 2007. Effective Teaching and Learning Reading:London: the National Research and Development Centre

Klinger, Janette K.et.al. (2007). Teaching Reading Comprehension to Students with Learning Difficulties.London: The Guilford Press

Moreillon, Judi. 2007. Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension. Chicago: American Library Association

Chesla, Elizabeth. (2011).8^TH Grade Reading Comprehension Success.Boston: Wadsworth.    USA: Learning Express, LCC, New York