Spring Term
Welcome to Year 2’s Spring Term!
Take a look at what we’ll be exploring this half term……
English
We will begin our term by reading ‘Dragon Machine’ by Helen Ward which is story about a boy called George who struggles with loneliness until he realised dragons are all around him. He works to build a machine to help the dragons return to their true home. The children will write their own explanation texts and adventure narratives using this story. The children will also be reading ‘Wolves’ by Emily Gravett. We will then write our own reports all about Wolves and send them to the author..
Practising Spellings at Home
Year 2 Spelling words
Reading
Each Year 2 child will be issued with two reading books per week to read at home. The first book will be a decodable phonics book which will be linked to the phonics phase and sounds that your child will be learning in school. The children will be using this text three times a week as part of their guided reading sessions. It is important that your child reads this book as often as possible during the week so that they become secure and confident using these phonemes to decode words when reading.
The second reading book will be from the Oxford Reading Tree range (Biff, Kipper, Chip and Floppy). The idea is that you read the book with your child as a way to familiarise them with high frequency or common exception words that are not always decodable.
We ask that you read with your child as often as possible and sign their reading record a minimum of twice weekly in line with school policy. We will check reading records and change reading books every Wednesday. We monitor reading, homework and PE kits as part of our Assertive Mentoring Scheme.
Please encourage a love of reading at home and share stories together as often as you can. If there are other books you enjoy at home please sign these into your child’s reading log so we can see what the children like reading.
Maths
This term we will be following the school’s maths scheme, Power Maths to focus on the following objectives: –
Unit 6: Multiplication and Division
- recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables, including recognising odd and even numbers
- calculate mathematical statements for multiplication and division within the multiplication tables and write them using the multiplication (×), division (÷) and equals (=) sign
- solve problems involving multiplication and division, using materials, arrays, repeated addition, mental methods, and multiplication and division facts, including problems in contexts
Unit 7: Statistics
- interpret and construct simple pictograms, tally charts, block diagrams and simple tables
- ask and answer simple questions by counting the number of objects in each category and sorting the categories by quantity
- ask and answer questions about totalling and comparing categorical data
Unit 8: Length and height
- solve problems with addition and subtraction:
- choose and use appropriate standard units to estimate and measure length/height in any direction (m/cm); mass (kg/g); temperature (°C); capacity (litres/ml) to the nearest appropriate unit, using rulers, scales, thermometers and measuring vessels
- compare and order lengths, mass, volume/capacity and record the results using >, < and =
- using concrete objects and pictorial representations, including those involving numbers, quantities and measure
Unit 9: Properties of Shape
- identify and describe the properties of 2-D shapes, including the number of sides and line symmetry in a vertical line
- identify and describe the properties of 3-D shapes, including the number of edges, vertices and faces
- compare and sort common 2-D and 3-D shapes and everyday objects
- order and arrange combinations of mathematical objects in patterns and sequences
Unit 10: Fractions
- recognise, find and name a half as one of two equal parts of an object, shape or quantity
- recognise, find and name a quarter as one of four equal parts of an object, shape or quantity
- recognise, find, name and write fractions 1/3, 1/4, 2/4 and 3/4 of a length, shape, set of objects or quantity
- write simple fractions for example, 1/2 of 6 = 3 and recognise the equivalence of 2/4 and ½
In year 2 the children begin learning their times tables. By the end of year 2 they are expected to know and be able to recall all of their 2, 5 and 10 times tables. Each child has been given a log in to TT Rockstars. Please encourage them to visit this website frequently or download the app.
Science
The Science topic this term will be’ Changing Shape.’
In this unit children will be:
- Find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching.
- Identifying and classifying
- Asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways
- Observing closely, using simple equipment
- Performing simple tests
- Gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.
The second unit of this term will be, ‘Living Things.’ In this unit the children will be:
- Explore and compare the differences between things that are living, dead, and things that have never been alive
- Notice that animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults
- Identifying and classifying
- Using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions
- Gathering and recording data to help in answering questions.
- Observing closely, using simple equipment
Topic
We will be learning all about Dungeons and Dragons this term! We will be learning about the word ‘monarchy’ and focusing on some of the most prevalent Kings and Queens in our history such as Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Elizabeth II. We will be looking at some British castles and labelling the main features of castles. We will also take a trip to Skipton castle to see some real history! Also, we will explore portraits of monarchs and try to recreate our own using collaging. As part of our geography we will be trying to locate British castles on maps and look at major towns and the part they play in our royal history.
Computing
The children will be following the ‘Teach Computing’ scheme of work and learning about computing systems and networks. During this unit, the children will create their own animated character and develop a stop, start animation featuring this character. They will also develop their own invasion game based on castles.
PE
The children will be following the Primary PE Passport Curriculum which our Kick-start team will help us deliver this term. We will be learning how to play invasion games and learning key fundamental moving skills.
PE will take place on Tuesdays this term.
Please make sure that PE kits are in school every week because we monitor this as part of pupils’ Assertive Mentoring record.
PSHE
Our school follows a scheme called Jigsaw and this term our Year 2 children will complete a unit called ‘Dreams and Goals’ which celebrates the goals that the children may have and helps them discover how to achieve them. They will also explore a unit called, ‘Healthy me’, which teaches them about maintaining good physical and mental health and why it is important.
Homework
In Year 2 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.
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. Mrs.Lomax & Mrs Faulkner year2@corrie.tameside.sch.uk
Don’t forget that your homework and reading are monitored as part of your Assertive Mentoring profile.
On time by Wednesday – GREEN
Late by Friday – YELLOW
No homework or reading completed – RED
