Welcome back to our Spring Term Year 1
What are we learning this term?
English
We will begin our term by reading Dinosaur Roar, How to Catch a Star and Dinosaurs and all that Rubbish. The children will be writing a poem and a story inspired by these lovely books.
Later in the term, the children will be writing information about dinosaurs and doing more poetry inspired by Stomp, Chomp, Big Roars! Here Come the Dinosaurs!
In all their writing children will be actively encouraged to use their phonics using segmenting to spell out words and begin to say words and sentences out loud in preparation for writing sentences. We will also be learning to read and spell Common Exception Words. These are words we will read and write LOTS but that don’t follow the phonic sounds we have learned so far.
Follow the links below for resources to inform parents and support this learning at home:
28 ways to practice Spelling at home
There will also be a focus on developing pencil control and a good writing position to support handwriting as the children practise the essential pencil strokes they will need for correct letter formation of lower case letters.
Find more information about Guided and Home Reading towards the bottom of the page.
Maths
This term we will be following the school’s maths scheme, Power Maths to focus on the following objectives:
Numbers to 20
Addition and Subtraction within 20
Numbers to 50
Introducing length and height
Introducing mass and capacity
Follow the links below for games and activities to support this learning at home:
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/counting
https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/kids-activities/fun-maths-games-and-activities/
Science
Types of Animals
In this unit children will observe and recognise some simple characteristics of animals. They will learn that animals are similar to each other in some ways and different in other ways. They will begin to start grouping animals by the key features of their appearance.
This unit provides an opportunity for children to complete an offsite visit to a local zoo, farm or aquarium where they can experience live animals first hand. This needs to be arranged in advance of starting the unit and would be ideally placed in the mid-point of the unit after children have had some experience of identifying characteristics of animals. This is an enhancement opportunity and the unit can be completed successfully without a visit but children should have the opportunity to explore and observe animals at first hand in their school grounds.
They will work towards creating a plan of a zoo environment incorporating different types of animals in their design.
Working scientifically, children will have the opportunity of observing and classifying animals in the local environment and beyond. They will classify animals that are mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians or fish using simple observable features. They will record data, with help, in charts and tables and use these to answer questions.
Parts of Animals
In this unit children will learn about their senses and how they use them to describe the world. Children will identify and name the basic external parts of the human body and recognise the functions of some body parts, including the sense organs. Children will describe and compare common animals, and will recognise and name a variety of animals and their body parts. They will construct and label a map of the human body and will draw comparisons between human and animal body parts. They will consider how to treat other people and living things with care and respect. At the end of the unit, children will create a song which compares the functions of various animals’ body parts.
Investigative work in this unit focuses on exploring the senses, observing and communicating ideas about their own body parts and those of animals, and recording their ideas in diagrams.
This unit builds on any work they have done in the Foundation stage where they have made observations about animals. This unit lays the foundations for future work on humans and other animals.
Follow the links below for games and activities to support this learning at home:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/science/
Topic (History and Geography)
The topic this term is DINOSAURS
Lots to learn including:
Where did they live?
When did they roam Earth?
How do we know they existed?
Who was Mary Anning?
Why did they disappear?
What does Mr Derbyshire know?
And more exciting things….
Follow the links below for websites to support this learning at home:
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/prehistoric
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/curations/dinosaur-facts
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/andys-dinosaur-adventures-tyrannosaurus-rex-facts
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/dinosaurs.html
The Arts
We will begin by exploring Moving Pictures in books and the children will create their own in DT lessons.
In Art we will explore media when looking at fossils.
RE
During this term we will be learning all about what makes some place sacred.
Computing
Digital painting and data tools this term.
PE
The children will be following the Primary PE Passport Curriculum which our Kick-start team will help us deliver this term. This term we will be learning dance and how to play invasion games.
Our days for PE this term are Tuesday and Wednesday.
Please make sure that PE kits are always in school on these days. We monitor having the correct PE kit available when needed as part of our Assertive Mentoring Scheme and it will be reported on in your child’s termly report.
PSHE
Dreams and Goals – setting personal targets and how to achieve them
Healthy Me – Mind and Body
Music
Charanga – In The Groove
Dinosaur and Animal Songs
Home / School Learning
Homework
In Year 1, homework will be given out every Friday and expected back every Wednesday. Children will receive either a maths or a reading task based on what we’ve been learning in class and they will choose a piece from the Space Homework Menu (one piece per week in any order they wish).
Children are encouraged to be as creative as they wish and can choose how to present their homework so if they have published something using an iPad, tablet or computer please email it to us! F.A.O. Mr. MacDonald year1@corrie.tameside.sch.uk
Please make sure that completed Homework is brought into school on these days. We monitor Homework as part of our Assertive Mentoring Scheme and it will be reported on in your child’s termly report.
GREEN – On time by Wednesday
YELLOW – Late by Friday
RED – No homework completed that week
Guided Reading and Home Reading
Please encourage a love of reading at home and share stories together as often as you can. It is the most important and long lasting contribution parents can make to their child’s early learning and fundamental to successful lifelong learning and wellbeing.
Follow the link below to find lots of advice, support, free online stories and activities suitable for Year 1 children learning to read.
Each Year 1 child will be given one reading book every week (Big Cat) to practise reading with their adult at home. In addition, they will choose a book to bring home for the week from our class library reading for enjoyment collection. They will also be given a log in to access their own online account for the online reading program Reading Eggs.
The reading book will be linked to the phonics phase and sounds that your child will be learning in school. It is important that you listen as your child reads this book to you as often as possible during the week so that they become secure and confident using the focus phonemes to decode words when reading.
The second reading book is a ‘reading for enjoyment book’. These are ‘real’ books rather than School Reading Scheme books. They are books matched to children’s interest level rather that their reading level. They include picture books and often text which engage children well despite being beyond the level at which they can decode for themselves. They are therefore intended to be read aloud by or shared with an adult (as a bedtime story for example).
We will also provide you with access to a fun online reading program called Reading Eggs. There are lots of stories, games and activities to have a go at. As they move through the levels, they are awarded with reading certificates which we check weekly, print off in school and celebrate in class. This has proven to be a great motivator for children as they become proud and confident readers.
Reading Eggs login details are stuck inside your child’s Reading Log.
We ask that you read with your child as often as possible (a minimum of twice weekly in line with school policy). Do this in frequent short sessions (5 to 10 minutes depending on how long your child can maintain focus and motivation).
Please always sign and date in their Reading Log on each separate occasion you read with your child. We will check reading records and change reading books every Wednesday but will not know they have completed their reading if they are not signed and dated. New reading books will be sent out on Friday along with other Homework. We monitor Home Reading as part of our Assertive Mentoring Scheme and it will be reported on in your child’s termly report.
GREEN – Both reading books (Read To You and Read To Me) completed at least twice
by Wednesday (evidenced by parent sign and date each time in Reading Log.
YELLOW – Reading complete but books returned late by Friday
RED – Book not returned / not signed and dated in Reading Log that week