Ex-teachers promote reading comprehension

Educational development is usually looked at as a government activity…and when private advice is sought, that help usually comes from abroad. But as the nation matures in resources and sophistication, an increasing quantity of expertise is becoming available locally. Today teachers were invited to sample some of that home grown knowledge.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting

The book, “Practice Makes Perfect”, is not intended to replace any existing English programme in secondary schools, but the publication will complement what is already being taught to students. It specifically focuses on comprehension and its editors, a mother and daughter team, former English teachers Alice Craig Castillo and Dianne Castillo Maheia, believe the work will help to develop and improve the skills of teachers and students.

Dianne Castillo Maheia, Editor, “Practice Makes Perfect”

“We are facing a crisis in English in the schools, in our country. And when our students don’t know how to read, or even if they can read the printed word, they can’t always understand fully what they are reading. And we need to tackle that as a problem, step by step, see how we can make this better.”

Alice Castillo, Editor, “Practice Makes Perfect”

“What we have set out to do is to put together twenty passages with ten questions each in one book–comprehension, so that teachers will have an easily available resource to work in comprehension.”

This morning English teachers and Heads of the English Department from high schools were officially introduced to the new approach to see if the material is workable, and hopefully to encourage their principals to make the book a part their school’s Language Arts programme.

Alice Castillo

“We are happy about their reaction, we’re a little concerned about the time because usually parents buy books, August, September, and you know buying books is not always a priority among our parents, and so we are a little concerned about that. But we’re hoping that they will like it enough to make recommendations to their principals and to their students, yes, let get this.”

Castillo says the Ministry of Education has responded favourably to the publication, but nothing yet officially has been decided on whether the material will be used in schools.

If you would like more information or a copy of Practice Makes Perfect, Book One you can contact the editors at Chapter One Consultancy Firm, P.O. Box 231 Belize City, or email them at casgirls@btl.net.