Welcome back after the half term break. The teachers have been really busy planning some exciting new learning for the children for this, the second half of the Spring term...can you believe we are half way through the year already?!
As the title of this week’s blog suggests, we will investigating Explanations in our literacy work for the next 3 weeks. We will be linking this with our science topic on Forces and Movement, as it lends itself very well to explaining how things work.
This week, the children will read a range of non-fiction texts, identifying organisational features of the text including index pages, glossary and title pages. They will learn how to construct a glossary of words drawn from the science topic. We will also discuss how diagrams, charts, labels and captions are used in non-fiction texts.
Why not visit the library this weekend, and for a change, choose a non-fiction book which includes an index and a glossary. As you read through it with your child, ask them if they can give you a definition for the ‘technical’ words in the text. Then, check in the glossary to see if they are right.
As this also involves work on alphabetical order, maybe you could try these activities to help:
· Write down the names of the people on your family and put them in order
· Order the names of all the players in their favourite football team
· Use the phone book to search for names – would it be at the beginning, middle or end of the book?
http://www.starfall.com/n/skills/alphabet/load.htm?f a fun animation to show how the alphabet got its order!
Explanations
http://www.howstuffworks.com/ quite a difficult website and you will have to sit with your child when they look at this. There are some really good ideas and questions which they could ask on this site!
http://www.bnsc.gov.uk/lzcontent.aspx?nid=3306 what happens in the solar system
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/dynamo/den/dynamake/make.shtml lots of different games to print off and play – useful for those rainy holidays or trips in the car.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/dynamo/den/index.shtml click on the games section to access lots of numeracy and literacy online games.
Reading
As part of our continuous drive to raise standards, we have included a couple of links to sites which can be used both online and give you some ideas of reading materials which you could look for in the library, or add to your own collection at home.
The children are progressing really well with their reading and we are grateful for the support which you are giving up at home with this. In the last week of the half term, the percentages for each class regarding comments in their diaries were:
Mrs Worrall’s class – 83%
Mrs Malone’s class – 63%
Mrs Pinto-Edwards class – 63%
When we assess the children’s readiness to move onto the next colour book-band, we assess their ability to decode the words, or sound them out AND their understanding of the text. It would be a real help if you could refer to the targets which are in your child’s diary to help you make a comment regarding your child’s reading. We are also in the process of compiling some ‘prompt’ questions to help you support your child when they are reading at home. These will be sent home in the diaries in the next couple of weeks.
http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/load.htm?f some excellent interactive texts, which also have pre-reading activities to show the children how to decode some of the more difficult words.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/dynamo/parents/books/index.shtml a list of recommended reading materials for Year 1-2 and beyond.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/kids/bigtoe/ listen to favourite stories read online. These are particularly good at stretching the children’s comprehension skills, as the written texts are quite difficult.
Phonics
This week, we will be reviewing the letter patterns from the last half term and introducing four new ones, which they will be expected to be able to blend for reading and segment for spelling.
The children will learn:
‘ay’ and talk about the difference between this and ‘ai’ and that ‘ay’ usually comes at the end of a word.
‘ou’ and compare to ‘ow’. Explain that ‘ou’ rarely comes at the end of a word.
‘ie’ and compare to ‘I’. I is a word on it’s own, ‘ie’ makes the sound in other words – usually at the end.
‘ea’ and compare to ‘ee’
If you are working through the High Frequency words, then they can all now be downloaded from the main school website at http://www.stvincent.ik.org/ If you click on the class pages, then either Foundation, Year 1 or Year 2, then the lists can be printed off from there, as well as some flashcards for you to use at home.
Numeracy
We begin by looking at addition and subtraction facts to 10 and 20 and also by the end of the week, the children should be able to mentally add 3 one digit numbers.
The children will seem quite daunted when we tell them they are going to add these numbers mentally, but they will be let into a trick!
7 + 4 + 3 = ??
First, find the largest number...in this case, 7.
Does it have a partner to 10? Yes! So, 7 + 3 = 10
Then, add the 4 by counting on and the answer is 14.
You could try this at home, by choosing 3 playing cards from a deck. Then add the three number together, using the same method.
Also, we are trying to broaden the children’s mathematical vocabulary, so they will come home with a mathematical bookmark each week in their diaries, which explains different ways of saying ‘add’ ‘subtract’ etc.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/numbers/ch1.shtml look carefully at the sign!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/numbers/ch2.shtml subtraction questions
http://www.mathsyear2000.org/games/circus/climber.html the children have used this before, but this time we are trying to increase the speed of their answers!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/numbertime/games/test.shtml solve the problems to make the toad jump along the line
http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/maths/mathsC1.htm we have been asked if we are able to provide links to where parents can find some ‘sheets’ to print off at home for addition and subtraction. This site is used by teachers to support children’s learning in all areas, but the hyperlink may not work properly. If this is the case, then just cut and paste the above link into the address bar and it should work!
http://nwlg.org/pages/resources/ma_num/swf/y2d2a3.html a good site for developing children’s understanding of mathematical vocabulary
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/add/add.html I like this game although it will require some patience and a bit of explanation!
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/mw/swfs/rockhopper_grade2.html make the frog jump to the other side by the smallest number of jumps. This helps the children to develop both addition and subtraction facts.
Both of the following websites have links up to Year 6 level, so you will have to choose level 1, 2 or 3 in each of the links.
http://del.icio.us/mathslinks/Addition_Mental lots of links for supporting addition
http://del.icio.us/mathslinks/Subtraction_Mental lots of links for supporting subtraction
Science
This week's question...How does it move...a push or a pull?
We start our new topic of Forces and Movement for this half term. As mentioned earlier, we will be linking this topic with our work on Explanations in literacy.
This week, the children will learn that pushes and pulls are examples of forces; that pushes and pulls can cause objects to move, to stop, to change shape.
By the end of the week they could be able to describe what they did using words such as twist, squeeze, stretch, pull out and classify actions as pushes or pulls, e.g. stretching is a pull, squeezing is a push.
http://wsgfl2.westsussex.gov.uk/aplaws/intergames/science/v5_CyrilsCheese2.swf help Cyril pull or push his cheese! This one made me giggle for ages!
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/push_pull/eng/Introduction/default.htm we will using this in school this week to start our topic
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/identify_forces/eng/Introduction/default.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/forces_movement.shtml an old favourite of ours!
http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/interactives/science/energy/electricity.asp good for review of electricity, but also a good example of how an explanation could be presented.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/dynamo/lab/make.shtml make and do science experiments which can be done with materials which are readily available in the house.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/dynamo/lab/quiz/index.shtml a fun website which challenges children to think about science knowledge. Can they answer the questions before the ‘goo’ gets you?
Here I Am
This week we will start the Relate section of our Thanksgiving topic. The children will look at the celebration of the Eucharist during Mass. Maybe you could ask your child to listen out for the responses during Mass and discuss their meanings with them.
The children will also be expected to sequence the parts of the mass and label them with their names.
Writing Workshop
A quick reminder that the Writing workshops for Year 1/2 will take place this Wednesday at 3.15 and 6.15. Many thanks to those who have already returned their reply slips to confirm attendance. It would be helpful, for our preparation of resources etc. if you could return them by Monday if you are able to attend. Many thanks.
Think that’s all for a busy first week back!
Year 1/2 team.
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