THE CORRELATION BETWEEN READING HABIT AND READING ACHIEVEMENT OF THE EIGHTH GRADE AT ONE PRIVATE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN PALEMBANG

ABSTRACT Reading is the window to the world, it appears as one of important skill to achieve. In this technological era, students are demanded to cultivate their reading habit in order to be able to compete for their future life. This study aimed to find out whether there was a correlation between reading habit and reading achievement of the eighth graders at a private junior high school in Palembang. It was a correlational study as a part of quantitative research design. Eighty-five students were the samples of this study selected by using purposive sampling technique. Reading comprehension test and reading habit questionnaire were used to collect the data of students’ reading comprehension achievement and reading habit. Those da ta were analyzed by Pearson Product Moment formula. The result of desscriptive statistic analysis reported students’ reading comprehension achievement: 49.4% of students belonged to good level of achievement, while 49.4% of them placed the excellent level of achievemen. Then 1.2% belong to avarage level of achievement. Furthermore, the results of Pearson Product Moment formula indicated that there was significant correlation between reading habit and reading achievement. It can be clearly seen that having intensive reading habit might contribute the improvement of reading comprehension achievement. Keywords: Reading habit, reading achievemen