How Reading Comprehension and Reading Habits Affect Seventh Grade Students’ Writing Skills

JOTE Volume 4 Nomor 4 Tahun 2023 Halaman 207-215 JOURNAL ON TEACHER EDUCATION Research & Learning in Faculty of Education ISSN: 2686-1895 (Printed); 2686-1798 (Online) How Reading Comprehension and Reading Habits Affect Seventh Grade Students’ Writing Skills Herlina1, Tahrun2, Masagus Firdaus3 Master of English Education Study Program, PGRI Palembang University e-mail: Abstrak Penelitian ini mengeksplorasi bagaimana kebiasaan membaca dan pemahaman siswa kelas tujuh di SMP N 36 Palembang mempengaruhi keterampilan menulis mereka. Metode penelitian ex post facto digunakan dalam penelitian ini. Data dikumpulkan dengan menyebarkan kuesioner kebiasaan membaca dan melakukan ujian pemahaman membaca dan menulis. Data yang diperoleh kemudian dianalisis dengan menggunakan regresi linier berganda, uji-t parsial, dan uji F simultan dengan kriteria signifikan 5%. Semua nilai signifikansi yang diperoleh dalam penelitian ini kurang dari 0,05, yang menunjukkan bahwa pemahaman membaca memiliki pengaruh yang baik dan substansial terhadap keterampilan menulis siswa. Kebiasaan membaca memiliki pengaruh yang baik dan cukup besar terhadap kemampuan menulis siswa. Pemahaman membaca dan kebiasaan membaca secara simultan memiliki dampak yang signifikan terhadap kemampuan menulis siswa. Menurut temuan yang diperoleh, disimpulkan bahwa pemahaman membaca dan kebiasaan membaca berperan dalam memungkinkan siswa kelas 7 di SMP N 36 Palembang untuk mencapai tingkat kemampuan menulis yang lebih tinggi. Kata Kunci: Kebiasaan Membaca, Pemahaman. Kemampuan Menulis, Membaca Abstract This study explores how seventh-grade students at SMP N 36 Palembang's reading habits and comprehension affect their writing skills. Ex post facto research is used in this study. Data were gathered by distributing a reading habits questionnaire and conducting reading and writing comprehension exams. The acquired data was then analyzed using multiple linear regression, partial t-test, and simultaneous F-test with a 5% significant criterion. All significance values obtained in this study were less than 0.05, indicating that 1) reading comprehension has a favorable and substantial effect on students' writing skills. 2) Reading habits have a favorable and considerable impact on students' writing abilities. 3) Reading comprehension and reading habits have a significant and simultaneous impact on students’ writing skills. Reading comprehension and reading habits, according to the findings, can enable grade 7 junior high school students at SMP N 36 Palembang to reach a greater degree of writing ability. Keywords: Reading Comprehension, Reading Habits, Writing Skill. INTRODUCTION The primary requirement for learning a language is for pupils to possess language abilities, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. All of the languages are closely related and significantly associated (Tarigan, 2013). Volume 4 Nomor 4 Tahun 2023| 207 Considering the four language skills play a crucial role in human existence as a means of communication and a method of social control, language skills, and abilities are necessary for the educational process. However, the writer solely analyzes the relationship between reading and writing skills in this study. The act of reading exercises should be handed out to children at a young age, beginning when they recognize differences between letters. Put reading experiences as pleasant and necessary for students. Reading may be accomplished everywhere and at any time as long as there is a desire, passion, and inspiration. As this occurs, the matter is hoped that reading would become engrained in life, as the phrase "no day without reading" suggests. progressively a result, persistence, and continual practice are required to inculcate the habit of reading and improve reading skills, including comprehension. Furthermore, writing and reading also play a significant part in human life because reading can give the reader information. Students are able to not only broaden their knowledge but also gain a better understanding of various scientific subjects by participating in this reading exercise (Firdaus, 2022). Additionally, reading educational tasks for students consider not only the compilation of phrases or letters but also the process of understanding reading and students' reading habits, so that the reader can grasp the meaning or content of the reading (Dalman, 2015). Nevertheless, reading comprehension and habits remain a worry for grade 7 students at SMPN 36 Palembang, as do their writing skills. In reality, the majority of the Final School Exams for English subject questions demand students to demonstrate their understanding by recognizing key ideas, key phrases, reading charts, narratives, messages, locations, and other features. Without excellent reading comprehension skills, students' answers to these questions cannot be reached. Reading comprehension is critical in this situation to gauge the correct response. Second, bad reading habits are widespread among students. This is evidenced by the number of kids who prefer to play or visit the canteen in their spare time rather than read in the classroom or school library. Third, pupils in grade 7 at SMPN 36 Palembang have inadequate writing skills. Low writing scores among students, particularly in English classes, demonstrate this. Many children continue to struggle to comprehend or write down the meaning of the reading passage. Focusing on the problem's background information, the writer is intrigued in examining it by conducting an inquiry to determine the influence of Reading comprehension and Reading Habits on the Writing Ability of Grade VII Students at SMP N 36 Palembang. Reading comprehension, according to Oakhill et al. (2015), is critical not just for understanding the text but also for broader learning, and educational and professional achievement. It is increasingly vital for our social lives because of emails, messages, and social networks. Reading comprehension is a difficult undertaking that necessitates the coordination of numerous cognitive skills and abilities. Reading comprehension is defined as the ability to comprehend the text, analyze it, and comprehend its significance (Oakhill et al., 2015). As stated by Tarigan (2008), the goals of reading comprehension are to: 1) understand specifics and the truth, 2) understand the main concept, 3) understand the sequence in which the text is organized, 4) understand the endpoint, 5) understand the categorization, and 6) draw analogies or inconsistencies. Volume 4 Nomor 4 Tahun 2023| 208 Reading is an everyday endeavor that each individual needs to do. Every aspect of daily life demands reading, rendering having the capacity to read essential for survival in a society that is becoming more complex. If readers frequently devour books for any reason that they choose, they will develop reading habits. Reading can become a habit for someone if they get used to doing it and start l (...truncated)