Reading her way to the nationals
Cassidy Hendricks reading the article about her rounds in the semi-finals when she was featured in the Jellybean Journal. supplied image
Cape Town - Seven-year-old Cassidy Hendricks has been selected to compete at the national final rounds of the South Africa Literacy Association for English First Language.
Last month, Cassidy was part of the semi-finals and is able to master Mathematics for a Grade 8 pupil.
Cassidy, who is in Grade 1 at Buck Road Primary School, is now preparing to participate in the national final round in October.
Cassidy began reading at the age of two and is even delving into foreign languages such as Spanish and French, as well as tackling Geography and Science.
She was also recently tested for Grade 8 Mathematics, including completing Grade 4 worksheets.
During the semi-finals, Cassidy was tasked with reading a sample for two minutes, which she completed successfully, and was selected for the next round.
Her grandmother Brenda Tommy, who has an educational background and facilitates the reading and activities, said they were thrilled and working hard: “We are immensely proud of her achievement.
“I expected her to get to this level because of the hard work she has put in and her dedication,” she said.
“To date she has been placed as one of four learners, in her grade, English First Language, reading and effectively by July 28, we will be informed of the rules and guidelines for the next round.”
Four learners of each grade who are proceeding to the nationals.
They will compete with learners from the other provinces.
“I will be sitting up until the last round of the competition, they will also receive unseen content to read,” Tommy said.
Cassidy’s mother, Amanda Hendricks, said her daughter lived up to her name, which means intelligence.
“I am elated and excited and I'm thankful to my mother who is the project coordinator behind this whole literacy competition,” Hendricks said.
“I want to say thank you for everyone who has been supporting her and praying for her. Her name means curly-headed, intelligent founder, she is exactly what her name means, I am so proud of her.”
Cassidy said she has been praying for a place in the National team:
“I prayed to God that I come in and I practised my reading.”
Soon after the semi-finals, she was also congratulated in front of her classmates in school.