Key words: Reading, Ability, Narrative Text
This research tries to describe the students’ ability of the tenth grade students at SMK
Muhammadiyah 1 Banjarmasin in reading narrative text. The skills of reading comprehension
used in this study to measure the students’ ability. They are reading for main idea, reading for
detailed information, guessing meaning from the context, and drawing conclusion of moral
value.
The researcher uses descriptive qualitative as the method. 83 students are taken as the
sample by using purposive sampling method. In collecting the data, the researcher uses
comprehension test. There are 40 test items about narrative text which already valid and
reliable to use. In analyzing the data, the researcher calculates the mean and modus to find
out the level frequency and percentage of the students’ ability in reading narrative text.
The research finding shows in detailed information based on the reading ability. The
students’ ability in finding main idea is in moderate category, it is shown by the average of
students’ correct answer is 56.50%. Then, the students’ ability in finding the detailed
information falls into good category, it is shown by the average percentage of students’
correct answer is 64.21%. For students’ ability in drawing conclusion of moral value falls
into moderate category with the average was 55.54%. Meanwhile, guessing meaning from the
context are in bad category with average 33.97%.
Based on the results, it is suggested that the students should realize the important of
mastery reading ability by practicing and read as much as possible many English texts. For
the teachers, they should drills more vocabulary exercises on students and improving the way
in teaching reading skills by using various techniques and strategies to make overcome the
students’ lack in reading ability.