The Use of Guided Reading to Improve Reading Comprehension of the Eighth Grade Students

The objective of the research was to find out whether the use of guided reading can improve reading comprehension of the eighth grade students of SMP Negeri 12 Palu or not. The research used a pre-experimental research design. The sample was the students of Class VIII A consisting of 28 students selected by using a purposive sampling. The test was distributed twice as a pre-test and a post-test. The data from the tests were analyzed statistically. After analyzing the data, the researcher found that the result of the mean score of the pre-test was 50.42 and the post-test was 76. By applying 0.05 level of significance with the degree of freedom (d.f.) 27 (N – 1= 28 – 1= 27), the researcher found that the t-counted value (16.49) was greater than the t-table value (1.703). It means that the hypothesis was accepted. In conclusion, the use of guided reading can improve the reading comprehension of the eighth grade students of SMP Negeri 12 Palu