1. Definition of Reading
Many definitions of reading are explained by some specialist, some of them are complementary one another, but any others contradictory.
Reading is not simple mechanical skill: nor is it a narrow scholastic tool. Properly cultivated, it is essentially a thoughtful process. It should be developed as a complex organization of patterns of higher metal process. Reading also defines responding. The response may be at the surface level of “calling” the word. It may be the somewhat deeper level of understanding the explicit meaning of sentence, paragraph or passage. Another definition says, reading is the process of giving the significance intended by the writer to the graphic symbols by relating them to one’s own found of experience. Frank Smith in his Understanding Reading book defines that Reading is an act of communication in which information is transferred from a transmitter to a receiver.
According to Miles A. Tinker and Contance M. McCullough, Reading involves identification and recognition of printed or written symbols which serve as stimuli for the recall of meanings built up through past experience, and further the concentration of new meanings through the reader’s manipulation of relevant concepts already in his possession. Soedarsono explained, Reading is a complex activity that not gives a great amount of action separately. Daniel Hittleman in his Development Reading book, defines Reading is a verbal process interrelated with thinking and with all other communication abilities – listening, speaking, and writing.
Based on some definitions of reading by some specialists above, the writer concludes that reading is an activity to get information, increasing perception through written text and also interpreting and analyzing text.
2. Aspect of Reading
Some aspects of reading based on normal reading situation consist of three kinds. They are word recognition, comprehension and reflections.
a. Word recognition
The degree of excellence in reading is determined, to a large extent, by the ability to recognize and pronounce words. The core of view that reading is chiefly skill in recognizing words can be accurated by the form of the word itself. Decoding the printed page is one of examples of recognizing the oral equivalent of the written symbol.
Comprehension is one of competence that must be had by the readers. Reading just is not transferring the symbol printed from page to the brain but the readers have to comprehend the content of the reader’s read. Comprehension in reading becomes important because it makes the readers have meaningful in their reading. In other word, their reading is not useless.
There are three levels of reading comprehension. First: literal reading, second: Aesthetic reading, and third is Critical reading.
Literal reading is the ability to know all of the directions in the text and also understand exact words, meanings and characters. Aesthetic reading is the ability to appreciate what the reader’s read before. Critical reading consists of making factual distinction between common ideas, facts and opinion. This capability is needed for valid interpretation and analysis. It means that the readers able to analyze what the reader’s read after.
Many educators have pointed out that word recognition and comprehension does not g, reading more advantages for the readers when they apply what they read after. Globally, this aspect involves comprehension and word recognition.
Look, the process of reading necessary to be able to hold ideas they occur and to conceptualize meaningful interpretation through reflection. This process compares the written stimuli with the reader’s experiences.
From three aspects of reading above, the writer hopes to the readers that all of the readers who read any book are needed to know the aspects of reading. In order to make their reading more meaningful, of course by comprehend all of those aspects above.