Year 1 Curriculum Newsletter – Autumn Term 1st half Sept 18
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Year 1 – we hope you all enjoyed the summer break. All the children seem to have settled in well. We hope they have a good year and work hard!
Our topic this half term is animals.
Literacy
We will be learning how to write simple stories. We will be focusing mainly on setting. We will also be working on spelling and punctuation. The children will continue to learn phonics which, coupled with weekly spelling lists, should help them to learn the spelling patterns of English. There will be regular handwriting practice.
Phonics
There will be some revision of the phonemes and high frequency words they learned in Reception. The children will also learn long vowel sounds. They will practice segmenting and blending on a daily basis. Phonemes and high frequency words should be revised regularly. Segmenting (sounding out) and blending (putting sounds together) should be encouraged when reading. Please try to read with your child as often as possible, including books you have at home as well as the school reading books. Your child may be given words to learn at home. We hope you will practice these regularly with them as this will help improve their reading significantly.
Numeracy
We will be working with numbers to 100, counting in 2’s and 10’s. We will be practicing simple addition and subtraction, comparing numbers, ordering numbers and understanding concepts of more/greater, less, fewer and equal.
Science
We will be learning about the variety of animals on the planet, how they are classified and how they vary in terms of habitat, diet and the way in which their young are born. We will also be learning about the seasons.
PE
This half-term, we will be practicing how to throw, catch and bat a ball; and skipping. Please could you help your child to practice tying ties and buttoning shirts. It is also important that your child is able to turn their clothes the right way out after they have taken them off. Can we remind all parents that clothes must be labelled with your child’s name to avoid mix-ups. The PE kit should include navy/black shorts, a plain white T shirt and black plimsolls. Thank you.
RE
The children will be learning about creation this half-term. We will be celebrating Harvest Festival.
PHSE
This half-term we are learning how to work with others in class and how to treat our friends with respect and consideration.
ICT
We will be learning how to program a simple robot.
Homework
Your child will bring home spellings each Friday to be learnt for a test on the following Thursday. They will also be given a phonics worksheet where they sound out simple words. Please see the Home Learning letter attached.
Reading
Your child will bring home a reading book on a regular basis. Please read with them as often as possible. It is essential to re-read books as this improves fluency. Whenever your child reads to you or another adult, it is important to sign and date your child’s Reading Record as this helps us to monitor progress. Please ensure that your child’s reading books and Reading Record are in their book bags every day.
Forest School
Year 1 go to Forest School on Friday afternoons. The first session will be on Friday 14 September. Children should bring their wellies into school before that date in a strong, labelled carrier bag. Also attached is a Forest School timetable for parent volunteers. We need a minimum of 4 adults to accompany us. I should be grateful if you could complete the form and return it to school as soon as possible. Finally, as the weather is quite chilly, your child should bring a coat and jumper to school every Friday.
School trips
We will be visiting Howletts Wild Animal Park this half-term. We will inform you of the details of this visit at a later date.
There will be a meeting on Monday 1 October in Year 1 for parents to gain a greater understanding of the Year 1curriculum and expectations. The meeting will start at 5pm.
Finally, if you have any queries or concerns about your child’s welfare or progress, please don’t hesitate to speak to us.
Thank you for your continued support and co-operation.
Mrs Walsh & Mrs Pringle,