Welcome to Year 2!
Have a look through below to find out a little about what we will be exploring next half term.
English
We will be starting the half term off by following the adventures of Little Billy, who is forbidden by his mother to not do lots of things, including cutting through the forest. But does he listen and do as he is told? Oh no! What will Billy discover in the forest that he was warned about by his mother? We will be walking in Rosie’s footsteps by planning and constructing our very own Gizmo’s. We will be exploring the types of tense Roald Dahl uses in this narrative and how he captures the readers’ imagination. We will also be taking inspiration from him to innovate our own narratives.
This year we will be working hard to improve our spelling and will be a huge focus within our morning work and woven within many other curriculum areas. As the Year 2 team, we strongly recommend that children practice the many common exception words and spelling rules for Years 1 and 2. If spelling is an particular area that your child wants to improve, please use the word lists and suggested spelling games below.
Year 1 and 2 Common Exception Word Mat
Mathematics
This half term we will be sharpening our fluency skills and covering the following:
- Using efficient methods to problem solve
- Time
- Measurements – weight, volume and temperature.
We will also be kick starting our journey with Times Table Rockstars to strengthen our times table knowledge. Therefore, please make the most of your child’s Times Table Rockstars account to develop their knowledge of the times tables and see their rock status grow!
The children also have access to espresso where they are able to explore interactive resources covering the entire Year 2 curriculum as oppose to just Maths.
http://www.discoveryeducation.co.uk/
Science
Growing Plants is our final topic we will be exploring in Science. In this unit children will explore how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants. They will investigate what plants need to grow and will find out and describe how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy. Children will discover where seeds come from by investigating fruits and seeds in their local environment. They will carefully observe and sort seeds and will also recognise how some plants are able to grow from bulbs. They will plant a variety of seeds, describing how they grow. Children will have the opportunity to plant seeds and to observe growth.
Working Scientifically, children will observe seeds and plants using simple equipment. They will ask simple questions about what plants need to grow and they will perform simple tests recognising that their questions can be answered in different ways. They will observe and measure the growth of the plants over time.
Topic
We will be exploring our local area in our first topic, “Seaside Rescue!”.
Please see the curriculum page to find out more.
Religious Educations
“How should we care for others and the world and why does it matter?”
This is the question we will be continuing to explore this half term. We will be discovering and discussing why religions, such as Christianity and Islam, have different stories in their sacred texts to show people how to care for others. We will be reflecting on how these stories and lessons impact on our lives today.
Computing
This half term we will begin our project ‘Let’s Fix it!’. In this project, children will be exploring how to program algorithms, test them, identify bugs and how to debug them.
PE
Striking and Fielding Games 2 and Tri-Golf will be the areas of sport we will be developing.
Please make sure that your child’s P.E. Kit consists of a pair of black pumps, plain black shorts or plain black jogging bottoms and a plain white t-shirt or one with the school logo. The children will need them every Monday and Tuesday, then it can be taken home and cleaned ready for the next week.
PSHE
Our theme for this half term is ‘Changes’, where we will discuss the changes seen in ourselves by exploring our life cyle and how these changes make us feel. We will also be looking at the changes ahead of us as we transition into Year 3.
Homework
In Year 2 homework is given out each Friday and is to be returned every Wednesday. The children can choose from the Seaside Rescue! Homework Menu. Homework can be presented in any way the children wish, but please share it with us on our Google Classroom!
The children are also asked to read at least twice a week to someone at home. We ask the children to record this in their Reading Log. Reading books are changed daily – whenever your child is ready for a new book. Therefore, remind your child to hand it in so that it can be organised for them.
Please take a look at our Year 2 Reading Log Comment Top Tips, your comments can really help us and your child improve in reading.
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