Sacred Heart Canossian College

Learning

Promotion of Reading

It is our aim to maintain a language-rich milieu and scaffold enquiry learning and character formation with a holistic approach when it comes to promotion of reading. The current reading policy is a legacy of the past and joint efforts of teachers, students, parents and alumnae.

The Reading Team and the School Library closely collaborates with each other in renewing prescribed and recommended reading lists, making reading an integral part of academic pursuit and character formation. The Team depends on advice and feedback from Heads of the Key Learning Areas and Cultural subjects when reviewing our reading lists and reading policy. The Reading Team supported the Library Department in a recent initiative to establish e-Library, with the generous donation from our alumnae. Our Alumnae Association has always been a patron promoting reading interest in school. There is a scholarship on promotion of reading for Junior and Senior form students who organise activities that spread the joy of reading.

In the regular reading period, students are expected to develop a reading habit through the guide of a prescribed reading list and finish reading books on the list in a designated duration of time. With the support from homeroom partners and reading teachers, who give advice on what is suitable for students to read in the class and schedule student sharing, the reading period becomes a whole-school time to engage in reading.

Department-based reading-related tasks are included to respond to the diversity in student needs and interests and preparation for public exams. The Chinese Language, English Language and Literature in English Department have introduced students to quality readings in a diverse range of genres from different cultural contexts. In the senior forms, many science departments have included exploration bonus tasks to boost students’ incentive to investigate into subject matters covered in class. The RME Department has devoted itself to encouraging students to reflect on what is read in Kung Kao Po.

The Reading Enhancement Scheme has promoted extensive reading across the curriculum in both Chinese Language and English Language on topics of students’ interests. There are three levels, each has its own requirements. To obtain an award, an applicant has to collect a record of reading-related coursework from different subjects and submit a quality essay or a video.

To keep abreast of the times, a student recommended list was compiled from the popular books on the School Library’s circulation record and students’ personal reading stock. By the same token, teachers share with the students in the morning assembly what is good to read. There is a teacher recommended reading list for those who wish to know what the adults are interested in. These recommended lists aim to offer some ideas about what to read beyond the prescribed reading. The recommended list and prescribed lists of the past years are accessible for student reference.

Student Librarian Association AGM