Enhancing the Reading Comprehension Skills of Junior High School Students Using Young Adult Literature: A Review of Related Studies

This study examines the concept of reading comprehension and highlights the significance of engaging in discussion as a means of generating meaning from textual material. The process of understanding written text involves various intricate elements, primarily encompassing cognitive, linguistic, and sociocultural components. The study revealed that a significant proportion of individuals who exhibit reluctance towards reading had the ability to accurately decode words, yet struggle with comprehending the content they read. Furthermore, these individuals lack the necessary cognitive processes to facilitate their comprehension of written material. The acquisition of robust reading comprehension abilities is widely recognized as a very advantageous talent for students. Despite the fact that reading comprehension is evaluated in literacy courses spanning from middle school to high school, its explicit instruction may be lacking. In the contemporary era, the proficiency of pupils in literacy is intricately linked to the requisites of reading aptitude, hence facilitating the capacity to comprehend information in an analytical, critical, and creative manner. This advocate that young adult literature can help enhance a learner's reading comprehension. Engaging in the activity of reading and engaging in discussions centered around young adult literature presents an advantageous opportunity for educators at the middle and high school levels. This practice not only facilitates their preparation for literature-based discussions within their respective classrooms, but also serves to enhance their comprehension processes and shed light on their personal utilization of comprehension strategies in order to foster text comprehension. For these reasons, the researchers aim to determine the importance in promoting the reading comprehension skills using the young adult literature to the junior high school students