Literacy

Literacy at The Ashcombe

Literacy is key to learning across all subjects at secondary school and can unlock a wealth of knowledge and entertainment.

Besides wanting students to experience the sheer joy of reading, at the Ashcombe we are following research guidance which suggests that there is a positive relationship between reading frequently and students’ wellbeing, as well as their educational success at GCSE and beyond. At The Ashcombe School, we use a range of strategies to support any student whose reading age is lower than their chronological age. These include:

• Regular reading age testing
• Reading lessons in our school library
• Small group intervention sessions
• Tutor time intervention with literacy booklets developing students reading and discussion skills across Years 7-11

We welcome parental support with our ongoing endeavours to increase literacy support within the school. This may include:

• Reading regularly with your child. Listening to them read, but also reading aloud to them
• Allow your child to have freedom and flexibility in their reading choice – a comic they have chosen will have greater impact than a novel chosen by someone else!
• Encourage your child to read around a topic they find interesting; this might include newspaper articles about a topic they’re covering in subjects at school, or a book by their favourite sportsperson
• Read what your child is reading – this can help encourage their motivation, comprehension but also their ability to talk about their reading too
• Encourage book chat within the home – this might be talking about their favourite characters; who their favourite author is; what the book they are reading is about; maybe even why the book is exciting or boring!