At yesterday’s Pre-Prep assembly, we were treated to a wonderful presentation on the power of reading, led by Mrs Rigby, Head of English at Hampton. From the sidelines I was so impressed to watch the children’s faces as they sat fascinated while Mrs Rigby guided them on a journey through time, from the first marks made on clay tablets in Mesopotamia, through Egyptian papyrus scrolls and medieval manuscripts, to the invention of the printing press and beyond.
Mrs Rigby, who brings a wealth of professional expertise and a personal lifelong love of literature to her work, helped everyone at the Pre-Prep appreciate just how extraordinary the written word really is. Books, she reminded us, have shaped the way we think about the world and about ourselves; they have allowed people across the centuries to share ideas, emotions and stories, and to imagine worlds beyond their own.
We take pride in encouraging all our pupils to connect with their emotions, regardless of age. Mrs Rigby’s uplifting visit this week reinforced this critically important aspect of our overall approach and her vivid reading aloud of (a personal favourite of mine) The Very Hungry Caterpillar reinforced this point magnificently! She reminded us that reading does far more than help us to learn, it helps us to feel i.e. to understand other people’s experiences, to see life through different eyes, and to grow as curious, thoughtful human beings.
