In this week’s blog, we will let you know all the fantastic things which we intend to ‘shoehorn’ into the short time we have available, including BEESTON!! Yes, it is only a week away, and we are sure that the excitement is almost unbearable at home! Thank you to all of you who attended the meeting in the last week of the half term. We will be sending home final details of the trip this week and posting them on this blog, but in the meantime, if you do have any questions, then please do call in to see any member of the 1/2 team.
Literacy
We begin one of my favourites this week – poetry! The children will hear, read and respond to poems, each using particular patterns of rhythm and rhyme. Some of them will make sense, whilst we will have great fun looking at ‘Nonsense rhymes’ – remember The Ning Nang Nong??
What can you do at home to help?
There are lots of games to play, many of which can be played in the car (and have been tried and tested over many miles my myself over the holidays!)
Alliterative poems - tongue-twisters
Make a list of possible subjects for the alliterative sentences, e.g. a pear, an aardvark, a dog, a table, a camera.
Demonstrate how to select a subject (e.g. a pear) and think of an adjective with the same sound (e.g. a prickly pear). Then try to find a verb and extend the sentence using the same sound as often as possible, e.g.
A prickly pear perched on a purple plate
An awful aardvark arriving at the airport
A dull dog digging in a ditch
Riddles
Think about who or what might be the focus for the riddle.
Think about possible subjects for riddles, e.g. sun, moon, lock, glasses, hands, candle, etc. Select one as a
focus - a familiar object such as a banana. Brainstorm a list of things that they know about the object -
thinking about its shape, its function, its colour, its taste, what people do with it, what it looks like, e.g. a banana
Banana
Boomerang
Unwrapped present
Rhino horn
Monkeys
A bunch of fingers
You unzip it
Some are spotted
Demonstrate how to take the brainstorm and extend ideas into poetic lines, which act as clues but do not give the subject away, e.g.
What am I?
I am a yellow boomerang
An unwrapped present waiting to be opened
Shaped like a rhino horn
But loved by monkeys...
The children will LOVE doing this and it will help them extend their vocabulary. They will also be expected to use specific vocabulary when describing the poems they hear and read; syllable, nonsense, poem, verse, tongue-twister and alliteration. The children are more than capable of this, as they were in fact using some of these words in Foundation Stage, so I can’t wait to read some of their own ideas by the end of next week!
By the end of the week, the children:
MUST be able to identify the rhyming words in the poems
SHOULD be able to continue the rhyming string using the same patterns
COULD create their own rhyming strings using their own letter patterns
http://www.saintambrosebarlow.wigan.sch.uk/Infant_activities/riddles2.htm match the riddle to the picture of the animals in the top screen
http://www.saintambrosebarlow.wigan.sch.uk/Infant_activities/riddles1.htm guess the object and match it to the description
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/wwww/living/kids.shtml a lovely website, not particularly aimed at riddles, but is good at extended vocabulary
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/20050415/English/Keystage1/Rhymingwords/Canyourhymeit/Introduction/default.htm investigating words that rhyme. Click on starter activity for those who need a reminder of traditional rhymes with rhyming words. The main activity is great for those who want to move onto their own poems, but be sure to click the orange juice in the fridge for this one!
http://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/curriculum/literacy/lit_site/html/fiction/my_monster/index.htm make up your own monster poem
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/starship/english/spacespins.shtml a great game which develops alliteration patterns
http://www.whiteheadm.co.uk/html/poem_index.htm a lovely collection of easy to read poems for children. This site also has many other links to poetry sites for you to explore.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/literacy/rhyme/index.shtml an old favourite!
http://www.rhymezone.com/ a great site which can help out even the most prolific poet when struggling for a rhyming word!
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/Phase2delivery/Wales/Literacy/Keystage2/Poetry/Usingverbsinpoe/Introduction/default.htm more challenging, but a great way of bringing poems to life using verbs
http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/year4/limerick.htm although this is aimed at Year 4, many of our children will be able to access it – and get the jokes!
Phonics
We begin with a review of last half term’s phonic patterns and ensure that any gaps are addressed before we move on. The children are doing really well with linking their learning in this area when writing independently. We will be having a real push on the high frequency words this half term, as they really are the ‘word glue’ which holds every piece of text they will ever read or write, together. By not having to think about these words, it will really help their writing to not only flow more easily, but it will enable them to concentrate on the content of their writing.
Please refer to earlier posts on this blog for phonics websites.
Numeracy
We begin the week, with looking at 2D and 3D shapes and the relationship between them. They will be expected to be able to describe the shapes, using specific vocabulary, such as sides, edges, vertices (corners), and faces. They will learn that the number of 2D shapes that they have to use when constructing a 3D shape, is the number of faces that that shape has.
If you have ‘GEOMAG’ at home, this is great way to construct these shapes and also talk about how the magnets hold everything together!
In the second half of the week, we move onto looking at fractions of shapes and applying this to find fractions of numbers. By the end of the week, they should be able to find half of all even numbers to at least 20, and then move onto finding a quarter of numbers – remember that to find a quarter of a number, find half, then half again.
MUST: Be able to know addition and subtraction facts for pairs that total up to 9; to know addition and subtraction facts for pairs that total 10.
An awful aardvark arriving at the airport
A dull dog digging in a ditch
Riddles
Think about who or what might be the focus for the riddle.
Think about possible subjects for riddles, e.g. sun, moon, lock, glasses, hands, candle, etc. Select one as a
focus - a familiar object such as a banana. Brainstorm a list of things that they know about the object -
thinking about its shape, its function, its colour, its taste, what people do with it, what it looks like, e.g. a banana
Banana
Boomerang
Unwrapped present
Rhino horn
Monkeys
A bunch of fingers
You unzip it
Some are spotted
Demonstrate how to take the brainstorm and extend ideas into poetic lines, which act as clues but do not give the subject away, e.g.
What am I?
I am a yellow boomerang
An unwrapped present waiting to be opened
Shaped like a rhino horn
But loved by monkeys...
The children will LOVE doing this and it will help them extend their vocabulary. They will also be expected to use specific vocabulary when describing the poems they hear and read; syllable, nonsense, poem, verse, tongue-twister and alliteration. The children are more than capable of this, as they were in fact using some of these words in Foundation Stage, so I can’t wait to read some of their own ideas by the end of next week!
By the end of the week, the children:
MUST be able to identify the rhyming words in the poems
SHOULD be able to continue the rhyming string using the same patterns
COULD create their own rhyming strings using their own letter patterns
http://www.saintambrosebarlow.wigan.sch.uk/Infant_activities/riddles2.htm match the riddle to the picture of the animals in the top screen
http://www.saintambrosebarlow.wigan.sch.uk/Infant_activities/riddles1.htm guess the object and match it to the description
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/wwww/living/kids.shtml a lovely website, not particularly aimed at riddles, but is good at extended vocabulary
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/20050415/English/Keystage1/Rhymingwords/Canyourhymeit/Introduction/default.htm investigating words that rhyme. Click on starter activity for those who need a reminder of traditional rhymes with rhyming words. The main activity is great for those who want to move onto their own poems, but be sure to click the orange juice in the fridge for this one!
http://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/curriculum/literacy/lit_site/html/fiction/my_monster/index.htm make up your own monster poem
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/starship/english/spacespins.shtml a great game which develops alliteration patterns
http://www.whiteheadm.co.uk/html/poem_index.htm a lovely collection of easy to read poems for children. This site also has many other links to poetry sites for you to explore.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/literacy/rhyme/index.shtml an old favourite!
http://www.rhymezone.com/ a great site which can help out even the most prolific poet when struggling for a rhyming word!
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/Phase2delivery/Wales/Literacy/Keystage2/Poetry/Usingverbsinpoe/Introduction/default.htm more challenging, but a great way of bringing poems to life using verbs
http://www.amblesideprimary.com/ambleweb/year4/limerick.htm although this is aimed at Year 4, many of our children will be able to access it – and get the jokes!
Phonics
We begin with a review of last half term’s phonic patterns and ensure that any gaps are addressed before we move on. The children are doing really well with linking their learning in this area when writing independently. We will be having a real push on the high frequency words this half term, as they really are the ‘word glue’ which holds every piece of text they will ever read or write, together. By not having to think about these words, it will really help their writing to not only flow more easily, but it will enable them to concentrate on the content of their writing.
Please refer to earlier posts on this blog for phonics websites.
Numeracy
We begin the week, with looking at 2D and 3D shapes and the relationship between them. They will be expected to be able to describe the shapes, using specific vocabulary, such as sides, edges, vertices (corners), and faces. They will learn that the number of 2D shapes that they have to use when constructing a 3D shape, is the number of faces that that shape has.
If you have ‘GEOMAG’ at home, this is great way to construct these shapes and also talk about how the magnets hold everything together!
In the second half of the week, we move onto looking at fractions of shapes and applying this to find fractions of numbers. By the end of the week, they should be able to find half of all even numbers to at least 20, and then move onto finding a quarter of numbers – remember that to find a quarter of a number, find half, then half again.
MUST: Be able to know addition and subtraction facts for pairs that total up to 9; to know addition and subtraction facts for pairs that total 10.
SHOULD: Be able to classify and describe common 2D and 3D shapes.
COULD: Be able to recogonise and halves and quarters of shapes and numbers of objects
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/Phase2delivery/Wales/Numeracy/Keystage2/Number/Sharingcakes/Introduction/default.htm sharing cakes - what a better way to teach fractions?
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/fractions/level3.htm say how much of the shape is shaded
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/Phase2delivery/Wales/Numeracy/Keystage2/Number/Findafractionof/Introduction/default.htm children will be able to find halves and quarters quite easily, but if they fancy a challenge, they will be able to find thirds and fifths of numbers
http://www.mathsyear2000.org/games/map-fractions/falling/ drag the leaf into your player box.
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/fractions/level1.htm divide the pizza between the number of people in the picture and type in the fraction
http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/fractions/ how many ways can you make a half?
http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/fractionflags/fractionflags.html a lovely way to apply our numeracy work on fraction to our topic. Design a flag using the colours and fractions shown
http://www.counton.org/games/map-fractions/spring/
Science
We begin our final topic of the year, called Variation. We will be looking at the similarities and differences between each other, humans and other animals. We will also look at how changes happen over time. Well, I have been brave enough to dig out all my baby photographs and many photos of when I was in primary, secondary and university! Apart from a huge array of hairstyles and a variety of dress sizes(!!) it was comforting to see the things that had stayed them same, although admittedly, there weren’t many!
Go on, dig out your own photographs and have a laugh (sorry, I mean look!) with your children. Maybe they will appreciate their own wardrobe now, when they look at the fashions of the 70’s!!!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/health_growth.shtml
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/healthy_eating/eng/Introduction/default.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/ourselves.shtml
http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/interactives/interactive_fs.asp?swfpath=science/bodyandmedicine/skeleton.swf I was fascinated with this site! Some difficult vocabulary, but a site well worth a visit!
http://www.childrensmuseum.org/special_exhibits/bones/kids_mazeGame.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/8_9/moving_growing.shtml
Topic
With the Olympics just around the corner, what a great opportunity for the children to learn about some of the different countries that will be taking part. Just to be able to identify the flags during the opening ceremony and say something about a few of the countries would be fantastic!
We will be focussing on a country from a different continent each week, and then we will work in our co-operative learning teams to make a ‘passport to the world’ scrap book of information from that country, including customs, costumes, flags etc. The children will be able to apply their knowledge of information texts to this topic, which should be really enjoyable.
http://www.london2012.com/ I saw some of this last week and it will be fantastic for us in 2012 – just four years time!!
http://www.topicbox.org.uk/browse.php?subject=Geography&topic=Weather%20around%20the%20World lots of fabulous sites which look at weather around the world
http://www.topicbox.org.uk/browse.php?subject=Geography&topic=Earthquakes some great video clips of earthquakes. The children could ask to research these, particularly as the Olympics takes place in China this year.
Request
The outdoor play equipment (outside Foundation Stage) is a fantastic place for the children to play and learn during the school day and the children all love using it. Could we please ask though, that children refrain from using any of the equipment before school starts. The area has to be set of before school xeach morning for Foundation Stage lessons, as it is an essential part of their curriculum and an extension of their classroom. Many thanks for your co-operation with this.
Also, there have been a number of children arriving in the school grounds before 8.15am. The children should not arrive in the playground before 8.30am as whilst there are some members of staff around, they are unavailable to supervise children on the playground before school.
Both of these requests are for your children’s safety. Many thanks in anticipation of your support with these.
Have a good first week back!
Year 1/2 team
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