Red Class (Year 2)
Term 2 – Red Class
Year 2 are already getting into the Christmas spirit and looking forward to preparing for the KS1 nativity this year – Born in a Barn.
In maths this term we are continuing to develop our addition and subtraction skills. We will begin to think about exchanging and using manipulatives as well as problem solving. Later in the term we will complete our unit on shape and pattern. The children will look at naming 2D and 3D shapes as well as identifying their properties.
In literacy, we are writing formal invitations. The children will focus on using statements and commands whilst trying to maintain a formal tone. At the end of the term we will look at telling stories from another culture. This will link to our Geography unit looking at the cultures in Nairobi.
In Spelling we continue to recap the alternative sounds taught at the end of year 1. We will look and remind ourselves of all the different ways we can spell the 5 vowel sounds.
In Science we are learning about animals including humans. We start the unit learning about how animals grow and change – linked to life cycles. We will discuss and research what animals need to stay alive. Then we will look at how humans stay healthy and why exercise is important before finishing the unit looking at the eat-well plate and discussing different food types.
In Geography, we start the term looking at mapping and fieldwork of our local area. We will learn what human and physical features are and locating them in our local area. We will then focus in on London and the contrasting city of Nairobi. This will allow us to find the human and physical features in these areas and discuss the similarities and differences.
In RE we are focusing on Christianity. We will remember the Christmas story and why Jesus was put onto earth. The children will get the opportunity to reflect and look at how they could help the earth in their own way – like Jesus did. And of course, we will be practicing and immersing ourselves into our Nativity performance.
We are starting of our a DT unit by exploring different ways that materials can be joined. We will get the opportunity to try different ways of joining materials such as sewing, stapling and gluing. The children will then, plan and design a Christmas stocking and create it by joining 2 pieces of material together. After they are completed we will evaluate our creations.
In music unit is ‘playing in an orchestra’. During this unit the children will get the opportunity to listen and respond to music, learn new songs, develop our composition of music using the glockenspiel and working towards a performance.
In PE we are beginning our first Gymnastics unit where the children will learn to create high and low movements and balances. We will work hard at remembering the sequences and naming some of our shapes. In outdoor PE we will continue to develop our hand eye co-ordination using a hockey stick and maintaining control of the ball.
PE days are Monday and Wednesday
Forest school in weeks 3(Wed) and 6 (Fri).
Reading
Reading continues to be a fundamental part of your child's learning in Year 2 and we recommend that you listen to your child read at home at least 3 times a week. Your child will be sent home with a reading book from school, please annotate your child's reading record with their reading progress. Books will be changed on a Tuesday and Thursday if it is indicated in their reading record that they have read the book to an adult -if there is no comment in the yellow reading record we will not change the book.
We are promoting reading as much as we can in Year 2 and will be awarding a house point as a reward for the children every time they read their books to and adult, as a result please make sure you write in the yellow reading records when the children have read. We are collecting the children's reading books every day to keep a log of those children reading at home and will give out house points when we see the children have been reading their books.
Along with giving the children a reading book that matches their reading ability (as assessed in class) the children will also bring home a ‘reading for pleasure’ book. Red Class will visit the library weekly to select/change their own choice of book. Remember that even when your child can read it is still important that adults read to them to ensure that they continue to develop a love for books and can be exposed to new vocabulary.
Homework
Homework will be sent home each Friday.
A list of spellings will be sent home and then informally tested the following Friday. We will also expect the children to log onto Numbots and/or TT rockstars to complete some maths fluency practice. Daily reading is also a very important part in your child’s learning journey. This can be reading their school reading book and/or enjoying a reading for pleasure book of their choice.
KS1 - Optional extra home-learning tasks
1) Bake some cakes and decorate them using patterns. If your up for a challenge, write some instructions to tell somebody how you made them (you could even add pictures).
2) Make a donation to a local food bank and write or record a news report explaining why we do this at harvest time.
3) When you visit a shop use some coinage to pay for an item. Talk about the coins that you have used and what their value is.
4) Go on a scavenger hunt in an outside area. Collect a variety of natural objects. Talk about their texture and appearance. Sort them into different categories and explain how you have sorted them. Are there different ways that they can be sorted?
5) Go on a local walk/bike ride and talk about the surroundings. Can you name the features around you (hill, tree, car park, castle etc.)? Are they human (man-made) or physical (occur naturally)?
6) Think Eco! Re-use some recycling to construct your own junk-model creation. You could make a house, an animal or use your imagination to create something new.
