Darajat product

The reason why this product was made is because we wanted to bridge the gap between our youngsters and reading and to turn reading into an easy and engaging activity.

We have realized that our kids rarely read and if they ever do, they encounter difficulties in comprehending what they are reading.

Therefore, there is a gap between novice readers and books

How to use this product:

Following the instructions below is very important as they were written with care and caution. These instructions are written for caregivers if the novice leaner is a child but if the student is an adult, the instructions are directed at him/her directly. However, we have addressed caregivers throughout the entire product for consistency purposes.

Which shade of color are you starting with?

You are to start with the third shade or level if you are able to comprehend a sentence composed of 7 words and all question articles. On the other hand, you are to start with the first shade if you experience difficulty with the aforementioned.

Dos:

1. Ensure readers are able to read all letters with correct pronunciations regardless of their speed.
2. Present this product to readers as a fun interactive activity since you have a huge role in making sure learners are engaged and enjoying themselves while learning.
3. Give readers the opportunity to read out loud by independently and practice spelling of words.
4. Questions have to follow reading of texts immediately and if there was a break between them the text should be read again
5. Very Important: Move through the product horizontally. For example, if you are at the first shade, finish the first paragraph under each topic included in this shade (poetry, short story, science, traditions and cultures, biography, personalities, how to build/make & touristic attractions) then move forward to the next step in the same shade. In other words, only move on to the following paragraph under the aforementioned topics when you are finished with the first paragraph in all the topics.
6. Encourage readers to read out loud more than once. That is because novice readers are often focused on separating letters in a word and experimenting with pronunciation when they are reading something for the first time. However, the second time around, readers often have a mental image of a word and they are able to spell it out all together without having to separate letters. Sometimes it takes three attempts for novice readers to comprehend the whole question posed and understand what is being asked of them.

Don’ts:

1. If learners are unable to read do not rush in introducing this product to them and wait until they are able to read at a basic level before suggesting this curriculum to them.
2. Ensure learners are not exhausted from school or homework when you are offering this book and do not make them feel that they are obliged to learn its content.
3. Do not offer to read content for learners and encourage them to be independent in reading paragraphs and questions and answering them.
4. Do not rush in explaining paragraphs to learners and give them time to process information. When you are asked about a meaning of a certain word, ask readers to repeat the whole sentence and if they still find challenges in understanding feel free to offer an explanation to them.
5. Focus on explaining questions to readers rather than giving them answers to questions.
6. Do not move forward to upper levels unless learners have finished all required readings in the levels preceding.

What do to when a leaner does not understand a paragraph and is unable to answer any of the questions?

When a student is not able to understand or answer any questions, please do the following:

1. Ensure that the learner is able to read and fully pronounce all letters in the alphabet, if not, stop using this book immediately and start with basic reading exercises such as separating letters and putting together a sentence. This helps the learner overcome difficulty in reading.
2. If you are confident that the reader is able to read but unable to comprehend what s/he is reading, then:
3. Ask the reader to read out-loud the whole paragraph multiple times as this helps the reader in processing information. You might notice that the reader is able to understand the paragraph better and is able to answer the questions.
4. If you have not noticed a difference even after trying suggestion a, move to the level lower than the current one.
5. Keep moving downwards until you have reached the first level in the book. If you realize that the reader still does not understand anything, offer one on one support and explain new terminology and concepts. Keep in mind that this reader is living in a non-Arabic speaking country and with parents that may not speak Arabic at home. In this case, Arabic is a second language to the student overwhelmed by their first language.

Keep offering extra support to enrich the learner’s vocabulary such as watching age appropriate Arabic TV shows. Keep these supports until the student reaches the required level. From there on, observe and monitor the student’s progress while offering words of encouragement.

Finally:

This product is a result of studies and a collaborative team effort and our hope is that you get the desired outcome after following the instructions mentioned above.

Asking God to bless our steps and those who help our young people in acquiring Arabic, the language of Quran, and understanding it.

We welcome your comments and feedback on this product after using it.

“It is He who provides success”