Literacy
We will be covering a range of types of texts with particular attention on stories with familiar settings (focusing heavily on story structure). We will revisit instructions as part of our topic work but our main non-fiction focus will be information texts. There will also be continued reinforcement of spelling using both sounds and spelling rules.
Read Write Inc
We continue to follow Read Write Inc to teach phonics. Our phonics focus will be using correct representations of sounds to develop more accurate reading and spelling.
Numeracy: We will be covering the required termly elements of the numeracy curriculum via Maths Makes Sense, some main aspects for practise include:
Number
Counting in 1’s, 2’s, 5’s and 10’s both forwards and backwards and understanding place value of thousands, hundreds, tens and ones.
Calculations
Quick recall of addition and subtraction facts within 20 and 100
A continuation of using the vertical method to solve more complex addition and subtraction calculations of up to 4 digits (including those with a tricky ones or tens column)
We continue with a focus on multiplication and related division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 times table.
Basic informal written methods for solving more difficult multiplication and division calculations, including those with remainders (using jottings)
Time
Reading analogue and digital clocks for o’clock, half past, quarter past and to and within 5 minute intervals.
Measure
Mass including using measuring jugs, cylinders and interactive programmes to measure to the nearest litre and mililitre.
Shape
Naming and identifying properties of both regular and irregular 2D shapes including lines of symmetry and right angles. We also continue our focus on naming and identifying properties of 3D shapes.
We will also be solving problems related to all aspects of the numeracy curriculum with an extension to solving 2 step problems as and when appropriate.
Science
Plants and Animals in the Local Environment
This includes exploring the area surrounding our school to find out what lives there. Children research different Minibeasts and their habitats before making predictions about what they will find where and going on a Minibeast hunt to prove or refute their predictions. We will also be growing our own plants and observing them to record developments.
Topic (First Half) – The Enchanted Wood
Our topic for the first half of this term is The Enchanted Wood in which children will respond to requests from a range of enchanted creatures. Children will design and sew their own under cover garden gnome costumes before embarking on various tasks. These include producing maps of both real and imaginary places and simple routes experienced and designing and creating a new habitat for a particular creature. Children will use a range of skills to create forest art in the form of collage, tree rubbings and prints. They will also explore different sound sources (both from musical instruments and from objects then can find in the forest) to create a group composition to accompany a short enchanted forest film clip. This topic is heavily literacy based and will also see children writing stories, character and setting descriptions, instructions and recounts during the course of the first half term.
Environmental issues such as littering and treating places with respect will also be tackled here.
Please view our slideshow “Children Exploring the Enchanted Wood!”
Please view our slideshow “Children receiving a request from an enchanted creature to make gnome hats and beards”
