'Reading aloud' of English texts improves reading speed. A focus on the primary three students at SK (A) Datuk Haji Abdul Kadir Hassan, Kuching / Abdullah Haji Mohammad

The purpose of this study is to find proofs that reading aloud activities can help improved learners reading speed among the primary three students of SK (A) Datuk Haji Abdul Kadir Hassan, Kuching. Factors that contributed towards reading interest such as teachers’ role in giving guidance and encouragement, learners’ demographic background and parents’ support are identified and discussed in this study. In addition to that the correlation between variables such as teachers’ role and parents’ support towards the learners’ reading interest are also analyzed. Demographical information such as parents’ occupation and language use to communicate daily are studied for their significant differences towards the learners’ reading interest. Apart from that, a series of five tests are administered to measure the learners’ reading development. The samples are made up of 15 students from primary three classes: 3 Saidatina Aishah, 3 Saidina Umar and 3 Saidatina Fatimah. From the findings, demographic background does not indicate much significance between learners’ reading interest except for their father’s occupation. The relationships between parents’ support and learners reading interest also indicate negative correlation. However, there are positive relationship between teachers’ role and the learners’ reading interest. These findings are further supported by five reading tests results which indicated tremendous development in reading speed among the learners after they undergo intensive reading aloud activities. Therefore, it can be concluded that teachers’ role, through reading aloud activities can help improved the learners reading speed.