Comprehension one step at a time
A local woman has put her passion on paper by writing her first set of three children comprehension -skills workbooks. These are geared towards helping learners from grades three to seven and were published five months ago.
LYDENBURG – A local woman has put her passion on paper by writing her first set of three children comprehension -skills workbooks. These are geared towards helping learners from grades three to seven and were published five months ago.
Maryam Cassim, a mother of five, a wife and the author of Comprehension Skills Workbook, said that writing had been her passion for years and when her daughter came home with comprehension homework a couple of years ago she knew she had to start writing.
“When I saw that my daughter got two out of 10 marks for her comprehension homework, it troubled me knowing that she was struggling to figure out how to reply to questions which are about a story that is right in front of her,” Cassim explained.
“I went to bookshops looking for a book that can help her to better understand how to do her homework, but I could not find one.”
After that she started with her own research to gather information for writing her first book. “It took me two years to compile all three books. I talked to many teachers about the challenges and needs that pupils face in class. I went to publishers too so that I may know what was needed in the market,” she added.
According to Cassim the three books are a first of its kind. “If you go to other shops outside Lydenburg you will not find a book like this one on the shelves,” she said.
Each book has 12 stories, all focusing on our daily life experiences. “My aim is to get children thinking and reading while they’re doing their homework.”
“I would like to urge parents to buy all three, even if your child is in grade five, since each level builds up to the next, that’s why I wrote the books together.”
“Book one for grades three to four, is a beginners-level comprehension exercise. It has questions that pay attention to language and spelling. In this book you can also find a recipe which helps little ones to learn how to bake while learning how to answer comprehension questions.
Book two, for grades five and six, is the intermediate level. Children will be explaining, providing definitions and analysing words so that they get a better understanding of the language used. It has a comprehension which teaches children how to read a calendar and understand the dates marked in the calendar.
“Book three, is more advanced than the other two since it’s for older children who are in grade seven, preparing them for high school. It has magazine articles, mock email and web page exercises. The mock email exercise helps children understand how to send an email,” she explained.
Cassium has a bachelor’s degree in communication. If you want to order the books call Maryan on 082-869-3231 or visit Lydenburg PNA store.
