“Books and doors are the same thing. You open them, and you go through into another world.” – Jeanette Winterson
“Some books leave us free and some books make us free.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Mrs Graham
English Leader
“We read to know we are not alone.” – C.S. Lewis
Having spent many years as a High School English and Drama teacher and Head of English, I am delighted to be in Primary Education where creativity, inspiring literature and a love of writing composition can be freely developed.
I aim to make all English lessons inspiring and active so that children are fully engaged in their learning. This comes from reading quality children's texts so that children can empathise and fully imagine the world of their story.
High expectations are at the core of Dale Hall School and this is reflected in the carefully crafted writing, drafting and editing that you will see in our school and in the richness and diversity of the reading curriculum.
- English is great! Our Power of Reading books take a lot of thought to understand! (Lily: Year 6)
- I love the freedom of writing independently. (Tommy: Year 6)
- I love reading it takes you into a whole new world! (Josie: Year 6)
- We ask lots of questions in English. (Noah: Year 3)
- We have been writing poems -I love rhymes. Poems don't always have to make sense, you can be free, you don't have to follow the rules! (Zara: Year 3)
- I love The Ice Bear- it showed how humans and bears are so similar, this is like people, even if we have a different colour skin we are the same. (Isla: Year 4)
- I love reading! I am meant to read until bedtime, but I sneakily read on! (Amelia: Year 5)
“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.”
- Read as often as possible with your child, discuss motives , think of questions , make predictions, talk about new vocabulary, but most of all enjoy reading together.
- Go to live productions! We are lucky enough to have New Wolsey Theatre on our doorstep and many live shows at Christ Church Park and in our surrounding towns
- Retell stories: children love hearing stories so share your family tales!
- Ask your child to write a shopping list, send a thank you letter, keep a diary for a special holiday, write an imagined story, anything that shows them a real purpose for writing.
- Discuss books and stories on television and at the cinema, so that children begin to have a critical language with which to discuss their preferences
- Talk about new words that children come across in daily life.