Children at the Prep School participate in daily English lessons, during which they learn how to adapt the way they speak and write to suit different genres and audiences. Lessons include reading a range of texts to enable them to read and respond to comprehension and inference questions. They are encouraged to explore the use of language in fiction and non-fiction texts as well as learn how and why language is used. Through a range of engaging topics, children develop and expand their speaking, listening, discussion, interaction and presentation skills.
Spellings are set every week and the children will be taught to recognise spelling patterns, to enable them to spell accurately and to widen their vocabulary to enhance both their spoken and written language.
Writing implements the grammar and punctuation taught and children use a range of resources and texts as platforms for their writing. Children are expected to read regularly at home as well as at school with their form teacher, English teacher or another adult within school during the week. Using the Accelerated Reading Scheme, they are encouraged to complete comprehension quizzes on every book read to show their understanding of the text. Children are awarded certificates throughout the year based on number of books and number of words read, and we are proud that a number of our children achieve Reading Millionaire status each year. In 2020, our children beat the school record, reading over 137 million words by the end of the Summer term!
A love for reading in inculcated throughout a child’s time at the School; a culture which is evident during our annual Book Week, when the School hallways are often transferred into scenes out of a popular book and all lessons are structured around story themes and creativity. One year, the whole school were dressed as Where’s Wally and previous themes have included Harry Potter as well as non-fiction themes. Children at Ashford Prep School LOVE to read!
