Year Two Curriculum Newsletter Spring 2015

Dear Parents,

 

Welcome to the spring term of Year Two! We hope you had a lovely Christmas and thank you for all the kind cards and gifts we received at the end of last term!

Outlined below are the topics and areas we will be covering this term. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to come in and have a chat.

 

Literacy:

Literacy will be taught daily, as well as informally through cross curricular links in other areas. During the literacy session we will focus on a topic and/or book each week, where children will enjoy reading and participating in activities from a variety of fiction, non-fiction texts and a selection of poems. Children will continue to spend time writing in a variety of different styles and formats whilst keeping a focus on the literacy basics such as spelling and punctuation.

 

Reading will continue to be carried out through the guided reading programme as well as through shared reading during our literacy sessions. Thank you for supporting your child with his/her reading at home. As well as the sounding out of the words it is essential that children understand what they are reading, so questioning them about what they have just read and discussing the content of the book is important. This is invaluable in ensuring that they progress with this skill.

 

Numeracy:

Numeracy will be taught through daily numeracy sessions, consisting of both mental and written activities, as well as through a cross curricular approach to other subjects. This term we will continue number, shape and measures work alongside making decisions about real life problems and checking results. Children benefit from seeing mathematics in everyday situations so involving them in everyday problem solving activities- using money, weighing, measuring, telling the time and number activities will help to develop their mathematical skills and knowledge further.

 

Knowledge and Understanding of the World:

Our scientific aspect this term is ‘Materials and their Properties’. We will be investigating materials such as wood, wool, bricks, metal, plastic and glass and we will be looking at how they are used for particular purposes. Later on we will investigate what happens when we try to change certain materials e.g. melting ice, cooking food and whether these materials can be changed back to their original state? We will be carrying out scientific investigations as individuals, in groups, and as a whole class, and we will also use research techniques to find information from books and the computer to ensure a comprehensive appreciation of the topic.

 

Welsh Development:

We will be continuing to practise previously learned language patterns and learning new patterns through a variety of methods such as singing songs, reading books, watching video clips as well as practising it on our daily school life.

 

Creative Development – (Music: performing and appraising): Songs will be learned for the Eisteddfod together with the other Foundation Phase classes. We will be studying a variety of musical elements including listening to music, accompanying music, composing and evaluating our own and other people’s work.

 

PSE Moral and Spiritual Development – R.E: we will be discussing the topic of Judaism. The children will be introduced to the Torah Scroll and the source of Jewish teaching, custom and practice.

 

P.E Creative Movement:  PE lessons will continue to be on a Monday afternoon so please can I remind you to ensure children have their kits in school for this day. For the safety of the children, jewellery must be taken off and long hair needs to be tied back to prevent any accidents. Creative movement will be our main focus this term. We will be learning traditional Welsh folk dances and responding through movement to music and literature by Welsh authors and developing our assessment for learning skills.

 

Project Work: This term our project is ‘WONDERFUL WALES’. Through this project children will learn about concepts in geography, history, art and design and technology.

In our geographical studies, we will be studying maps of Britain and more specifically Wales to familiarise ourselves of our position within the British Isles and more specifically in Wales. We will also use our directional skills learnt in numeracy to guide people around places of interest in Wales. We shall spend time comparing and contrasting our local area with another location in Wales. We will be studying our Welsh heritage through traditional crafts, art work and folk tales as well as learning about castles. Year Two will also be investigating the story of St David and the celebration of our national day.

 

As you can see we are going to be very busy!­­­­­­­­­­­­­

 

Once again we look forward to working together with you and your children this term. We would like to again like to thank you for your continued support with your children’s learning at home, especially their reading.

With National Testing beginning after Easter, your child may be set some homework – in addition to their reading – to help prepare for this. This will be sent home on a Friday and is to be brought back in the following Friday for marking.

 

If you would like to speak to us at any time please do not hesitate to call in.

 

Thank you,

 

Miss Summers.