THE EFFECT OF SIGHT WORD GAME ON STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION By Ika Wahyuni1, Hanip Pujiati2, Yanti Suryanti3 ABSTRACT This research is about “The Effect of Sight Word Game on Students’ Reading Comprehension”. The aim of this research is to find out the effect of Sight Word game on students’ reading comprehension. This research is conducted to the third grade students of SD Negeri Ciriung 06 Cibinong. Accessible population is used in determining the sample of this research. They are divided into two groups: 25 students as the experimental group and 25 students as the control group. Quasy experimental method and non equivalent control group design was used in this research. The researcher collects the data through pre-test and post-test. After conducting research, she finds that t-test value is 2.922 and degree of freedom is 48. The value of t-table at the level of significance t0.05 is 2.68 and the level of significance t0.01 is 2.42. since the value t calculated is higher than ttable (2.922> 2.68> 2.42) the alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted. It means that there is an effect of Sight Word game on students’ reading comprehension. Therefore, Sight Word game can be an alternative technique in teaching reading comprehension and can be applied to improve students’ reading comprehension. Key words: Quasy experimental method, Sight Word Game, Students’ Reading Comprehension

ABSTRAK Penelitian ini adalah tentang "Pengaruh Permainan Sight Word pada Pemahaman Membaca Siswa". Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh dari permainan Sight Word pada pemahaman membaca siswa. Penelitian penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas III SD Negeri Ciriung 06 Cibinong dan populasi sekaligus menjadi sampel penelitian ini. Mereka dibagi menjadi dua kelompok: 25 siswa sebagai kelompok eksperimen dan 25 siswa sebagai kelompok kontrol. Metode eksperimental kuasi dan non desain kelompok kontrol setara digunakan dalam penelitian ini. Peneliti mengumpulkan data melalui pre-test dan post-test. Setelah melakukan penelitian, ditemukan bahwa t-test adalah 2.922 dan derajat kebebasan adalah 48. Nilai t-tabel pada tingkat signifikansi t0.05 adalah 2.68 dan tingkat signifikansi t0.01 adalah 2.42. karena nilai tcalculated lebih tinggi dari ttabel (2.922> 2.68> 2.42) maka hipotesis alternatif (Ha) diterima. Ini berarti bahwa ada pengaruh permainan Sight Word terhadap pemahaman membaca siswa. Oleh karena itu, permainan Sight Word dapat menjadi salah satu cara dalam pengajaran membaca dan dapat diterapkan untuk meningkatkan pemahaman bacaan siswa. Kata Kunci: Permainan Sight Word, Pemahaman Membaca Siswa, eksperimental kuasi.

1 A Student of English Education Study Program Pakuan University 2 A Lecturer of English Education Study Program Pakuan University 3 A Lecturer of English Education Study Program Pakuan University

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English Education Study Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences Pakuan University November 2012

I. INTRODUCTION People realize that English has become an International language to communicate with others by oral and written form. In Indonesia English is a subject that should be learned from Elementary school until University levels. In learning English there are four skills that should be studied such as listening, reading, speaking and writing, as explained by Brown (2001:232), For more than six decades now, research and practice in English language teaching has identified the four skills listening, reading, speaking and writing as of paramount important. Reading has an important position in learning English. The students need to develop their knowledge by reading books written in English. Besides, reading is a process to understand the content of the text to get the information and to comprehend the meaning of the text, as stated by Hodgson (1990:43), “Reading is a process done by a reader to get the message conveyed by the writer through written representation”. In addition, as Burns et al. (1984:20) state “Reading is the interpretation of meaning of printed symbols”. Based on these statements, it means that the reader must get the information through the text. Unfortunately, a lot of students are often frustrated when they read in the classroom because they cannot understand the content of the text well. The teacher dominates the class and gives general meaning of words on the text to the students without giving the real information of words. It makes most students cannot memorize well of the English words. When the students are reading the text, they find Sight Words might include words like “cat” or “dog” or “me”. Sometimes students find Sight Word in every where but they do not 2

English Education Study Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences Pakuan University November 2012

realize it, but in the other hand they learn it in school. Studies about Sight Word (Dr. Edward William Dolch, 1984) show that 50-75 percent of all words used in school books, library books, newspapers, and magazines. Sight Words are a group of common words with a high-frequency of use that readers must know on sight usually find at the text such as pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, preposition, conjunctions, and verbs. Novelli (Edward William Dolch “Problem in Reading” in 1984, 2002:13) states that “Learning these word “by sight” will assist your child in becoming a stronger reader”. By using Sight Words game, the students enjoy the class especially in reading class. The reason for choosing the topic is because most students at Elementary school do not understand about pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, preposition, conjunctions, and verbs which are often found in the reading text such as the, of, and, is, in, that, and to. They just memorize the words that they often see, but if the teacher introduces new words the students are confused. That problem makes the students difficult to comprehend the text. Learning Sight Word game will ultimately help that problems. The students can develop their reading comprehension through the Sight Word game by using various techniques are: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. The aim of the research is to find out the effect of Sight Word game on students’ reading comprehension. The statement of the problem is: Is there an effect of Sight Word game on students’ reading comprehension? To limit the problem, the writer only investigates reading comprehension. This research investigates two aspects: the students’ reading comprehension before and after the treatment, also the effect of Sight word game on students’ reading comprehension. Comprehension is the only reason for reading, it refers to the students’ ability to understand the text.

Without comprehension, reading is a frustrating, pointless exercise in word calling. According to Nevills (2004:9), “Comprehension involves higher-order cognitive and linguistic reasoning, including intelligences, vocabulary, and syntax which allow children to gain meaning from what they read.” Besides, Koda (Grabe, 2009:14) says, “Comprehension occurs when the reader extracts and integrates various information from the text and combines it with what is already known.” It means that reading comprehension is the way of thinking in which the reader must get the author’s main thought. The writer concluded that reading comprehension is the ability to understand something to get the general and specific information from the written text. Learning by playing game makes students easier to compherend what the lessons taught by the teacher. A best do done been cut four full come for her him Five he know let Has keep new not jump myself please pull must pick sing six over she there they seven them walk warm The use work write upon wish always an Why again black both about better does don’t before did from funny could found here his Fly help laugh light have kind nine now Just never no put My play pretty sleep Own show sit think shall then these was their very want yellow Us with would and Will all am bring after big blue down

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Wright et al (2006:1) says, “Game to mean an activity which is entertaining and engaging, often challenging, and an activity in which the learners play and usually interact with others.” Novelli (2002:13) states, “Sight Words are words that children encounter frequently in print”. It means that, Sight Word game are highfrequently words that occur often in print and have predictable soundspelling pattern. It is called Sight Word because the students read with visual whole rather than decoded phonetically. For example, a child might be able to read on sight such as there, their, and they are but do not understand the differences in meaning. There are 220 words that appear on the “Dolch Basic Sight Word Vocabulary List” based on Novelli (2002:5) as follows:

gave hold like of ran small this wash yes any brown draw get hot little off read so those we you are but drink give

English Education Study Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences Pakuan University November 2012

how live old read some three well your around buy eat go hurt long on ride soon to went as by eight goes I look

once right start today were ask call every going if made one round stop together what at came fall good in make only run take

too when ate can far got into many open said tell try where away carry fast green is may or saw ten two which be

Clean Find Grow It Me Out Say Thank Under White Because Cold First Had Its Much Out See That Up Who

To help the students learning reading easily, there are steps of teaching Sight Word game based on Novelli (2002:5) such as: a. The teacher introduces the words to the students by saying and spelling the words. b. Read the words in a sentence perhaps one that appears in a book. Then, point out the Sight words by underlining the words, saying and spelling it again. c. Invite students to notice distinctive features of the words. d. Have students practice writing the words in the air, at the chalkboard, or making a sentence. e. Revisit the word often, encouraging students to notice the new words they are learning. Based on the theory, learning Sight Word game helps students to decode and pronunce each word correctly. For example how to read, spell, and use the words two, to, and too. Sight Word include “service” words like articles, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and common verbs. For example, the ability to quickly read and understand the meaning of the pronouns “I” and “you” is essential to comprehending many sentences. After the students can easily recognize over half of a sentence, they typically possess the confidence to attempt to read the text. ESL students are at an advantage if they can recognize Sight Word. (Vaugh and Thompson, 2004) 2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The method used to conduct this research is quasy experimental method and non equivalent control group design, as stated by (Sugiono, 2009: 77-79). The design is as follows: O1 X O2 O3 O4

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English Education Study Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences Pakuan University November 2012

O1 = pre-test of experimental group without choosing randomly O2 = post-test of experimental group without choosing randomly O3 = pre-test of control group without choosing randomly O4 = post-test of control group without choosing randomly X = treatments for four times using Sight Word game This research was conducted at SD Negeri Ciriung 6 Cibinong. There were two classes of the third grade students as the sample and population in the reasearch. X is the treatment for the experimental group by using Sight Word game in reading lesson. The research is conducted in six sessions consisting of some steps, they are: pre-test is given test to both experimental and control groups to know the students’ ability in reading comprehension. Then, the treatment is given for four times to experimental group using Sight Word game. Besides, reading is taught for the control group using Presentation, Practise, and Production (PPP). After the treatments, the students of both groups were given the same post-test to find out the effect of the technique on their reading comprehension. The data are collected from the result of pre-test and post-test both in experimental and control groups. Reading comprehension test is used for the instrument. Both experimental and control groups are given the same reading texts; they are: Nadias’ Hobby as the pre-test and post-test; Pet Animals, My Neighbour, My Garden, and My School as the treatments. The students must answer the test consisting of 10 questions in the pre-test and post-test. The questions consists of scanning, skimming, reference, and intensive questions. The correct answers or complete sentences get different points based on the kinds of questions, and the maximum total score is 100. To make the

students enjoy in learning reading, Sight Word game is used as the treatment with different techniques, they are: song as auditory, coloring the picture as visual, then kinesthetic for example Bingo and Puzzle words. 3. RESEACRH FINDING In collecting the data of the research, the writer should calculating

the standard deviation taken from the score of pre-test and post-test. The experimental group, pre-test and post-test presented as X1 and X2, while the control group presented as Y1 and Y2. Then, the number of students of experimental group presented as Nx, and the control group presented as Ny.

Table 4.3 Deviation of Experimental Group Nx 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 total score

Pre-test X1 68 64 52 68 72 56 60 40 64 64 44 56 60 48 68 60 60 52 68 64 64 68 60 40 60

Post-test X2 96 76 88 88 80 96 96 80 80 80 72 88 92 88 88 84 92 88 80 96 88 76 80 72 84

Deviation Dx 28 12 36 20 8 40 36 40 16 16 28 32 32 40 20 24 32 36 12 32 24 8 20 32 24

784 144 1296 400 64 1600 1296 1600 256 256 784 1024 1024 1600 400 576 1024 1296 144 1024 576 64 400 1024 576

∑X1 = 1480

∑X2 = 2128

∑Dx = 648

∑Dx2 = 19232

Table 4.3 shows that the result of post-test is higher than the result of pretest in experimental group. The total score of pre-test is 1480 and the post-test is 2128. The total score of deviation of

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English Education Study Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences Pakuan University November 2012

Dx2

experimental group is 648, while the total score of quadrate deviation is 19232. The result of the deviation of control group is as follows:.

Table 4.4 Deviation of Control Group Nx 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 total score

Pre-test Y1 64 64 56 60 64 56 60 60 56 56 40 56 72 56 60 60 48 40 52 60 64 40 64 40 60

Post-test Y2 80 88 80 92 80 68 76 80 80 76 68 76 84 68 76 84 52 72 68 72 72 56 92 60 76

Deviation Dy 16 24 24 32 16 12 16 20 24 20 28 20 12 12 16 24 4 32 16 12 8 16 28 20 16

256 576 576 1024 256 144 256 400 576 400 784 400 144 144 256 576 16 1024 256 144 64 256 784 400 256

∑Y1 = 1408

∑Y2 = 1876

∑Dy = 468

∑Dy2 = 9968

Table 4.4 shows that the result of post-test is higher than the result of pretest in control group. The total score of pre-test is 1408 and the post-test is 1876. The total score of deviation of experimental group is 468, while the total score of quadrate deviation is 9968. Calculating the mean is to find out the balance points or average. The mean of experimental group (Mx) is 25.9, while the mean of control group (My) is 18.7. Range is the interval scale between the highest and lowest score. The range at the pre-test of experimental group is 32, while at the post-test of experimental group is 24. The range at the pre-test of control group is 32, while at the post-test of control group is 40. The standard 6

English Education Study Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences Pakuan University November 2012

Dy2

deviation of experimental group (SDx) is 2435.84 and the standard deviation of control group (SDy) is 1207.04. Degree of freedom is used to test the hypothesis is 48. 4. RESEARCH DISCUSSION From the calculation, the writer found that the t-test value is 2.922 and the degree of freedom d.f is 48. The significant score of t-table can be checked in the distribution table at level of significance score of 0.05 and 0.01. The value of t-table on d.f is 48 with the level of significance 0.05 is 2.68 and with the level of significance 0.01 is 2.42. The result of the test can be described as (2.922> 2.68> 2.42), the

value of t-calculated is higher than the value of t-table. The Alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted, where tcalculated is higher than t-table (2.922> 2.68> 2.42). It means that there is an effect of Sight Word game on students’ reading comprehension. 5. CONCLUSION After analyzing the data, the writer concludes that Sight Word game has a good effect on students’ reading comprehension. It is proved by the result of the t-test value (2.922) which is higher than t-table value of t 0,05 with degree of freedom 48 (2.68) and t-table value of t0,01 (2.42). It means the value of t-test is higher than the value of t-table, the Nullhypothesis (Ho) is rejected and the Alternative hypothesis (Ha) is accepted. The hypothesis indicates the students who are given Sight Word game can mostly answer the questions and comprehend the text well. They can also pronounce the words in the text correctly. The writer suggests that the teachers be selective with the material lesson used in reading class, is good or bad for the students’ reading comprehension. The teachers can find other sources to teach reading. The teacher can create fun game to make the students enjoy and more active in the classroom activities.

Brown, H. Douglas. 2004. Language Assessment Principles and Classroom Practices. New York: Pearson Education Fry, E.B., Ph.D. & Kress, J.E., Ed.D. 2006. The Reading Teacher’s Book of Lists 5th Edition. Sanfransico, CA: Jossey Bass. [26/12/11] Grabe, William and L Predika Soiler. 2002. Teaching and Researching Reading. Hong Kong: Pearson Education Grabe, William. 2009. Reading in a Second Language. New York: Cambridge University Press Grellet, Francoise. 1981. Developing Reading Skills. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press Harmer, Jeremy. 1983. The Practice of English Language Teaching. New York: Longman Harmer, Jeremy. 1991. The Practice of English Language Teaching. New Edition. New York: Longman Harmer, Jeremy. 1998. How To Teach English. New York: Addison Wesley Longman Limited

BIBLIOGRAPHY Arikunto, Suharsimi. 2006. Prosedur Penelitian Suatu Pendekatan Praktik. Jakarta: PT. Rineka Cipta Brown, H. Douglas. 1994. Teaching by Principles an Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Regents Brown, H. Douglas. 2001. Teaching by Principles an Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. 2nd Edition. London: Addison Wesley Longman Inc. 7

English Education Study Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences Pakuan University November 2012

Harmer, Jeremy. 2007. How To Teach English. New Edition. New York: Pearson Education Limited Herawati, Atti. 2005. A Simple Handbook of Research on ELT. Bogor: English Education Study Program Faculty of Teachers Training and Education Sciences Pakuan University. Unpublished. Novelli, Joan. 2002. Sensational Sight Word Games. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Pang, Elizabeth. S. 2003. Teaching Reading. Switzerland: Bellegarde Rath, L.K., Ed.D & Kennedy, L. 2004. The Between the Lions Book for Parents. New York, NY: Harper Collins.< http://www.sightwordsgame.com/lear ning-to-read/basic-comprehensionstrategies/> [26/12/11] Sugiono. 2009. Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif Kualitatif dan R&D. Bandung: Alfabeta. Vaugh, S & Linan-Thompson, S 2004. Research-Based Methods of Reading Instruction. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. [26/12/11] Wolfe, P. and P. Nevills. 2004. Building the reading Brain, Pre-K-3. California: Corwin Press. [28/4/12] Wright, Andrew. 2006. Games for Language Learning. 3rd Edition. New York: Cambridge University Press AUTOBIOGRAPHY Ika Wahyuni was born on June, 12th 1989 in Jakarta. She is the only child from Sunarto and Tukijem. She started his study when she was six years old in Pondok Cempaka 02 Elementary School at Jatiwaringin, Bekasi and moved in Cibinong 01 Elementary School at Cibinong, Bogor. She was graduated in 2001 and she continued her study in Puspanegara Junior High School at Citeureup, Bogor. In 2004 she continued his study in Cibinong 1st Islamic School (MAN 1 Cibinong) at Cibinong, Bogor. She finished his study in 2007 and continued again for her first degree (S1) in Pakuan University Bogor. She took English Education Study Program on Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences. In 2012 she was graduated for his first 8

English Education Study Program Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences Pakuan University November 2012

degree from Pakuan University. She has written the paper entittled “The Effect of Sight Word Game on Students’ Reading Comprehension”. She has done the research in Ciriung 06 Elementary School at Cibinong, Bogor to the third grade students.