Spring Term 2

This term our topic is 'Interesting Islands'. This topic will have a Geography focus. The children will be looking at two contrasting islands and comparing them by their physical features and their human features. We will be studying the Island of Coll in Scotland which links to our English focus text of Katie Morag Delivers the Mail and comparing it to St. Lucia which links to the text JoJo and Gran Gran Cook Together. We will even have a go at making our own Callaloo soup. In Science we will be looking at living things and their habitats and have a go at making our own microhabitats. 

Reading - The expectation is that the children read three times a week. Books will be changed on a Monday and Thursday.

The purpose of keeping a book and reading it multiple times is as follows:

1. The first read is for decoding and reading common exception words (applying phonic

knowledge and recognising phonemes in context – knowing that ‘high’ contains a trigraph

for example and is read as h-igh and not h-i-g-h. Being able to read common exception

words by sight - he, she, was, you, all etc). The first read may be a little robotic because of

this.

2. The second read is for prosody; to encourage reading with intonation and expression.

3. The third read is for fluency.

 If  children are on the Accelerated Reader scheme, they can bring in their books as soon as they are finished and then complete a short comprehension quiz on the book. The children have to achieve 80% or above in three consecutive quizzes before they can move up a level. All the AR books are kept in the library and the children are responsible for choosing their own text. You can lo on from home to check your child's progress, using the log on details given at the start of term.

All children are expected to have their reading folders containing their reading books and reading records, in school every day.

Spelling - Year Two children have spelling lists that it would be of benefit for them to learn each week. They could practice writing these out at home in a variety of ways and they could also see if they can add that word into a sentence and write it. They will have a spelling test on Fridays.

These spelling lists are on Spelling Shed to help the children consolidate their learning at home.

Year One children have a list of spelling words on Spelling Shed as well that they will have seen in their daily phonics lessons. 

 P.E. -  This will be on Monday and Friday. Monday will be a session with the sports coach but it may continue to be outside, so warmer clothes will be needed. Friday will be gymnastics in the hall. Please could the correct kit be worn and long hair (below shoulder length) needs to be tied up.

Forest School - Will continue every other Tuesday so please can children have wellies at school. We do not have spares and in the wetter weather, they will not be able to come up to the Forest School area in their normal school shoes.