Reading

At Roger Ascham we inspire our pupils to develop the speaking, listening, reading and writing skills which are essential for success in the rest of the curriculum and beyond. These skills are taught in English lessons and in lessons across the curriculum.

Speaking and listening underpins children’s development in English. Children have opportunities to speak and listen in a range of group sizes, with different people and with different purposes. These include role play, acting and public speaking. They learn to ask questions and check understanding in order to be active listeners who can learn from discussions. Children are taught vocabulary and structures in the context of meaningful communication and we inspire them to develop the habits of clarifying meaning and of seeking better ways to describe and structure their ideas.

Whether recognising their name; following a structured phonics program; reading novels; or non-fiction texts in core subjects; children at Roger Ascham learn that reading is a meaning making activity which affords infinite possibilities for communication, learning and enjoyment; we teach children to read so that they read to learn and read for enjoyment. We support our children to develop the habits of reading – by reading to them in class and by expecting and supporting them to read at home. High quality literature is available in classrooms, the school library, the local library and online.

The skills that the children learn in English at Roger Ascham are integral to success in the broader curriculum and in life.