Reading Culture
Aims
Having successfully adopted the innovative curriculum of Integrated Humanities using project assessment and English Across the Curriculum in junior forms for the past two years, our school now heads on to promoting reading culture in SPCS. As ensuring quality education in SPCS has always been our prime aim, curriculum development and reform must be ongoing, so that we can face the challenges of the 21st century, through learning to read and reading to learn to best equip ourselves to smoothly cross the milennial threshold.
Focus
To promote a reading culture in the school so as to enhance the students' language proficiency and learning capacity.
Targets
Language proficiency: knowledge and skills
Learning capacity: learning to read, reading to learn
Enriching students' life experiences
Extending students' knowledge basis and skills
Appreciation in the beauty of words and phrases from books
Personal reflection
Incorporated school-based reading-related strategies in support to the 'learning to read, reading to learn' task:
1. Incorporating reading as a key task in the school development programme
The Reading Culture Team will work collaboratively to nurture the good habit of reading and reading to learn task in the school.
2. Allocating time for reading both inside and outside the KLA framework
A reading lesson per cycle was allocated to each class.A daily Silent Reading session was introduced and implemented to nurture regular reading habit.
Subject teachers in all Key Learning Areas were invited and encouraged to adopt and focus on reading to learn as predominant learning strategies for in-depth learning and motivation.
Book exhibitions on the Key Learning Areas were organized throughout the academic year.
3. Teaching essential reading skills
All language teachers play a vital role in the teaching and development of reading skills and strategies. For example, scanning and skimming in reading other than reading for pleasure.
Teachers from other discipline will encourage students to extend their horizon through reading materials relevant to their distinct field. For example:
Geography - National Geographic, School of Ocean and Earth Science
Sciences - Discovery, Newton, Science Explorer, Medical Journals and Periodicals - Education in Chemistry, Chemistry Review, Chem Matters
4. Developing and sustaining motivation and interestA research was done in the light of providing more reading areas for students.
A survey on students' area of interest in reading was conducted.
Numerous Reading Culture Activities will be introduced throughout the academic year in our 'Time Line'.
A reading programme was arranged for book lovers in the school's Diversified Interest Programme (D.I.P.)
5. Acquisition of diverse and appropriate reading materials
Each department was given the liberty to bring in books, magazines, periodicals¡Ketc. that help elevate the interest and academic background of both students and staff.
A survey on students' area of interest in reading was conducted.
6. The new role of teacher-librariansTeacher-librarians were invited to work collaboratively with the school to enhance the reading culture of the whole school.
7. Harnessing the support of parents
Students were encouraged to read to their parents.
Parents will show their concern and appreciation in their child's reading. For example, by reading to the child, and encouraging the child to share stories with them.
