'Twas the weekend before bookweek....

Do you like the title?? Guess what's happening this week in school...? Yes, it's BOOKWEEK!!!!!

All of this week's activities are based around the theme of books and fostering a love of reading. This year, it has fitted in really well with our current literacy topic of Stories from other cultures.

The children will also decorate a leaf, with the title and author of their favourite book. It would be a huge help if you could spend some time over the weekend, looking through your children's books that they have at home. It will help to aid our discussion about the different types of books and how many different children's authors they can find. Each child in the infants will be asked to complete this leaf, and all 130 of them, will be attached to our reading tree in the area.

http://www.ukchildrensbooks.co.uk/ this is an excellent 'one-stop shop' to all the current children's authors, who have websites available. By clicking on the name, you should be re-directed to their own website. Roald Dahl is particularly interesting! On the same site, you can search for children's illustrators.

QUESTION? Who always illustrated Roald Dahl's books?

On Monday, the Book Fair arrives. The children will get the opportunity to browse through the books which are available during the day and will come out ready at 3pm with a long list of the books that they would love! By buying a book for your child at the Book fair, you could really give their enthusiasm for reading a boost. If they get to choose a book they can keep, they will try so hard with their reading skills. It may even encourage them to want to read even more, which would be fantastic! The bookfair will be open every evening during the week, from 3.00-3.45pm. For every book that is purchased at the fair, the school earns commission, enabling us to restock our school library, so, as Tesco would put it, ‘every little helps’ !

http://www.scholastic.co.uk/zone/book_home.htm We can't promise that all of the titles on this site will be available at the book fair, but it will give you an idea of the books which will be suitable for your child's age and reading ability.

As well as many other art and craft activities which will be happening during the week, my favourite day will be FRIDAY when the children will be able to come to school DRESSED AS A CHARACTER FROM A TRADITIONAL TALE.

The costume needn't be complicated nor expensive. The children are also very skilful in making props for their costumes from any 'junk' materials that you may have at home...
· a cardboard tube - sword - how else can the handsome prince cut down the vines to rescue the princess?
· a cereal box - cut up, this could become a shield, a crown; a wand
· foil - this can cover any of the above props, to transform anyone into a fairy godmother

Homework this week will be slightly different. In addition to the spelling sheets and numeracy homework, we will be holding a competition. The children will be asked to design a WANTED POSTER for a villain from a Traditional Tale. If possible, we would like them to use their ICT skills for the design and print out the finished product. All of the posters will be used as part of a display and the winner will be announced during the whole school assembly. Go on – get creative!

Well, with all of this going on, are we going to be able to fit anything else in? Of course we can...

Numeracy

This week we will be looking at the shape and space area of the numeracy curriculum. The children will get the opportunity to link lots of areas of the curriculum together this week, particularly as they will be using Roamer and BeeBot – two ICT ‘toys’ which the children are already familiar with.

The children will be reviewing how to describe the position of something – is it in front of, below, at the side of, to the left/right of etc.? The children will also be reviewing the names and descriptions of 2D and 3D shapes, using mathematical vocabulary.

At home, try giving your child instructions, using these:

Put the remote control on the left hand side of the television

Put the phone on top of the table

This could also be applied to their knowledge of numbers and their place within a 100 square.

Give the children a hundred square. Ask them to find a particular number – say 67. Ask them ‘What number is BELOW it? What number is to the RIGHT of it? Etc.

TOP TIP!

Does your child get mixed up with with left and right? (don’t worry – many do!) Ask them to hold out their hands flat in front of them (palms down). Then move their thumbs down, so that they make a corner or right angle to their first finger. The side that makes a capital letter L is the left!!

We will then move on in the second half of the week, to looking at right angles, quarter turns, clockwise and anti-clockwise. A really fun way to introduce this is through dancing! No I haven’t gone mad! Think about all of the dances that you have done in the past, usually at weddings...the Macarena, Locomotion, Ketchup Song?? Can anyone actually remember the order of the hand-jive type dance that goes with it? Neither can I! The children will be doing these dances (with staff!!)in class, but we will teach them how to turn in quarter turns – first clockwise and then anti-clockwise! Why not look at the way the minute and second hands on the clock move? See if they are able to make to connection between turning to right being clockwise and turning to the left being anti-clockwise.

By the end of the week, the children:

Must be able to identify left and right, up and down

Should be able to identify a right angle and locate them in the classroom

Could be able to turn an object clockwise and anti-clockwise through a quarter turn

These are a few suggestions of sites that can support our teaching objectives for this week, but the best way is by experiencing this practically.

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/jeux.lulu/html/anglais/flcoccin/coccinel.htm# get the ladybird to eat all the flowers but be careful she doesn’t fall down the holes!

http://www.lgfl.net/lgfl/leas/haringey/web/teachers%20section/KS2/ICT/Links%20%26%20Resources/documents/clowns.swf quite a complicated one at first, but ok when you have had a couple of goes! The children need to rotate the car 90 degrees ( a right angle) and make it moves forwards to pop the balloons. Type 90 into the turn box and the distance in metres into the ‘how far’ box.

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/jeux.lulu/html/anglais/flvoyage/fleches4.htm click the arrow to get Lulu back to his spaceship.

http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/navigation/navigation.html use the arrow buttons on the keyboard to try and find the virus before it destroys the island!

Reading

As part of our continuous drive to raise standards, we have included a couple of links to sites which can be used both online and give you some ideas of reading materials which you could look for in the library, or add to your own collection at home.

The children are progressing really well with their reading and we are grateful for the support which you are giving up at home with this. In the last week of the half term, the percentages for our class regarding comments in their diaries were:

60%

I think we can make this 100% by the end of the week!

When we assess the children’s readiness to move onto the next colour book-band, we assess their ability to decode the words, or sound them out AND their understanding of the text. It would be a real help if you could refer to the targets which are in your child’s diary to help you make a comment regarding your child’s reading. We are also in the process of compiling some ‘prompt’ questions to help you support your child when they are reading at home. These will be given to you during our parent/teacher meetings next week.

http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/load.htm?f some excellent interactive texts, which also have pre-reading activities to show the children how to decode some of the more difficult words.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/dynamo/parents/books/index.shtml a list of recommended reading materials for Year 1-2 and beyond.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/kids/bigtoe/ listen to favourite stories read online. These are particularly good at stretching the children’s comprehension skills, as the written texts are quite difficult.

Here I Am

We begin our new topic of Communion this week, where the children will learn all about the celebrations where we all come together as a family.

The children will:

Recognise that coming together makes other people happy
Respect on the times they come together as a family or with friends
Respect the joy that coming together brings.

Maybe you could talk about the parties that you may have had over Christmas as a family (although it does seem such a long time ago now!). Look at some photographs that you may have taken and talk about the expressions on people’s faces – how do they know they are happy?

Modelling

For next week, the children will each need a cereal sized box in order to make a 3D copy of their house. It would be helpful if these could be sent into school on THURSDAY, as this is when we shall be getting the glue, sellotape, masking tape etc. out.

The children will also learn about the qualities of a variety of materials, by using them to build their houses. Hopefully we will be able to make our very own street by the end of the week!

On Friday, the Friends of St Vincent's will be holding a cake sale in the hall at 3pm. Why not come along and browse the book fair at the same time? We will need cakes to be donated for this to be a success, so if you do send some in, in a container, please ensure it is named, so they can be returned to you.

Parents Evening

Thank you for those of you who have been in to offer an alternative choice of times for next week. I still have a large number of parents who have requested the same time slot at 5pm, so time slots will be allocated in the order in which they were received. Many thanks for your understanding with this.

I think that’s all for this busy week and I look forward to seeing you all at the book fair on Monday!

Year 1 team xxx

Pencils at the ready!

Hi and welcome to another fabulous week in Year 1 ! There is lots to do this week (mmm...I started singing the ‘Very Very Busy’ song from Christmas then!), so without further ado, let’s get on...

Literacy

This week, the children will be writing their very own versions of a story from another culture. We will be looking for evidence of all the things they have learned so far this term to improve their writing.One exercise we will be introducing the children to, is the use of a memory technique to help write the setting of story. The children SHOULD be able to talk to you about this by the end of the week, as children last year, really took hold of the idea and ran with it.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

First, the children will learn a rhyme, where they associated pictures/objects with the numbers 1 to 9. (in red) By Friday, ask your child if they can remember the actions to go with this.Then we will add an element of a story setting to each number (in green)

1 – SUN – a location
2 – SHOE – something close by
3 – TREE – something in the distance
4 – DOOR – a sound you can hear
5 – HIVE - something you can touch
6 – STICKS – a smell
7 – HEAVEN – something moving or moving somewhere
8 – GATE – emotions or feelings
9 – WINE – a different viewpoint

The children then take all of these elements and use them to help them remember the order of the sentences to write the opening of their story...

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a beautiful young girl named Cinderella. She lived in a small, thatched-roof cottage, with her stern, wicked and cruel stepmother and her two ugly stepsisters, who were always mean to her. Close by to the cottage, there was a stream, where silver fishes darted in the light of the moon each night. In the distance, through her small bedroom window, Cinderella was able to see the royal palace, where she had longed to visit since she was a little girl. She could hear the sound of birds singing happily in the garden and the bees humming around the silky, fragrant flowers which had just bloomed. As she wandered downstairs in her dreary clothes, sweeping brush in her delicate hands, she dreamt of going beyond the cottage gardens to the palace. Would she ever get there? The answer, she assumed, would always be NO! Until that is, a special delivery landed gently onto the doormat...this was to be the day that would change a humble servant-girl’s life forever!

Lots of these ideas, were actually from children themselves, so they are not unattainable! I can’t wait to read them at the end of the week.

The children will also be assessed on their knowledge of the spelling patterns that we have been focussing on. They will need to be able to both read and spell words containing the patterns:

SH TH NG AI EE IGH OA OO AR OR UR OW OI EAR AIR URE ER

You will receive an update on these at the end of the week.

This week’s question: Are there any letter patterns that make the same sound?

The children will be set a series of spelling challenges, in which they will have to try and work out the spellings to a number of words. Sound simple? Well, they will have a few words which don’t fit the patterns they have been given and they will have to work out what other letters can make the same sound. The children have played this game a few times, and it is really improving their ability to choose the right patterns.

http://www.ictgames.com/cluster.html spelling game based on the initial sounds they can hear

http://www.ictgames.com/hybrid.html it took me a while to figure out how to play this game! To select a word in the wordsearch, click on the first and the last letter of the word you wish to highlight, and the cow will ‘MOO’ if you are correct! A great way to investigate spelling patterns.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/snap/snap.shtml click SNAP when the sounds match the word written on the right hand side

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/spelling/spelling.shtml drag and drop the correct spelling pattern into the gaps before the time runs out.

Numeracy

We are having a real push on our number bonds challenge now, so to get some extra training in, a great site to practice these questions against the clock is http://www.wmnet.org.uk/wmnet/custom/files_uploaded/uploaded_resources/851/Hitthebuttonv7.swfYou need to click on NUMBER BONDS and then select ‘bonds within 10’ for year 1 and ‘bonds within 20’ if you fancy a challenge . Let us know how many you can get in one minute!

The first ten minutes of each numeracy lesson, is dedicated to practising mental strategies, which will enable the children to rapidly recall key number facts. This week, we will be focussing on:
· recognising the value of the digits in two digit numbers - this is important, particularly as the children need to understand which number represents the 'tens' when finding ten more and ten less.
· recalling one more and one less than a two digit number - the children were fantastic at finding one more than number, but found it difficult to calculate one less.
· doubling multiples of 5 and 10 up to 50 - ask the children if they can remember to double the tens and double the units?
· be able to write the numbers to 100
· recognise the names of 2D shapes

During the main part of the lesson, we will be reviewing work from last week, and then move onto looking at ordinal numbers. Although this sounds very grand, it is being able to say which is first, second, third...and so on. Why not try having a race and awarding badges or medals to the people who came 1st, 2nd etc.

The children will also learn about numbers which are greater than and less than. Do they know that the crocodile really doesn't like BIG NUMBERS and so he EATS them!!

45 <>

Imagine teeth drawn on the <>

http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ordinal_numbers/eng/Introduct/default.htm ordinal numbers
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/ChineseNewYear/ZodiacStory.aspx this is the story of how the Chinese Zodiac was created. It will also be a fun way for the children to learn about ordinal numbers, as well as getting into the spirit of Chinese New Year!
http://www.ictgames.com/rabbit2.html why not write some of these numbers on paper and ask your child to draw the 'crocodile'.
http://www.mathsonline.co.uk/nonmembers/gamesroom/awards/awardc.html there are some difficult numbers on this, including decimals, but the children will be able to access the DIVING AWARDS MEDALS - which country wins the GOLD?
http://www.ictgames.com/dragonmap.html odd and even revision from last week
http://www.ictgames.com/fairy_fog_odd.html
http://www.mathsonline.co.uk/nonmembers/gamesroom/stick/stick.html virtual counting stick
http://www.ictgames.com/newduckshoot10s.html counting in tens - shoot the duck on the target number
http://www.ictgames.com/spitfireufo.html although this is aimed from year 2, the children in Year 1 could also access it by counting on in steps of that number.
http://www.mathsonline.co.uk/nonmembers/gamesroom/bugs/bugrace3.html a great game for two players. Choose 0 as the lowest number and 9 as the highest, it will create a game to practice and reinforce those number bonds!

Reading

Many, many thanks for those of you are who supporting your child at home in all areas, but particularly in reading. We will be conducting a survey next week across the school to see which class has the highest percentage of comments relating to reading, in their diaries.
I am confident that we could be the first class to reach 100%, so your support with this will be greatly appreciated.
In order to help us do that, your child will probably come home and ask you to write a comment in their diary at least once during the week. If you refer to the reading targets which were given to you before Christmas, this will help you when you are writing comments. It has also been really encouraging for us to hear how children are spotting their spelling patterns when out shopping! Keep up the good work!

Why not make up a story with your child this week? You can download some scenery, puppets and a list of things you will need from

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/jackanory/make/puppettheatre.shtml?page1

If you do make some, we would love you to bring them in for us to see!

Homework

Most homework is returned on time, on Monday mornings, but there are a few that don’t make it in on time. It would be really helpful, if you could ensure your child hands in their homework along with their diaries on MONDAY MORNING, so that it may be marked, ready to return to you on Wednesdays.

Friends of St Vincent’s

The friends held a meeting in school this Friday at 3pm, in response to a dwindling turnout at their evening meetings. There were a few new faces, but they would love to have many more! They have helped to provide many of the new equipment and resources that we have in school, and the greater their numbers, the easier the workload!

They have offered to make some drawstring bags for us, in order to store some of the new playground equipment. To help with this, they have asked that if anyone has any material which they wish to donate, then please send it into school. Maybe you have some old duvet covers that you no longer need, or some material that you promised you make something from! Many thanks in anticipation of your generosity.

Advance notice

On the 2-6 February, we will be holding our bookfair in school. This is always a very well attended event and raises a great deal of commission for us to add and improve our resources in school. This time, the fair will be open for 5 evenings after school, from 3.00-4.00pm. We have a high total from last year to beat, but I am sure we can do it! Many thanks to Miss Knight for organising this (and Mrs Narraway behind the scenes!)

Water bottles

We have noticed this week, that not all children are bringing water bottles into school. It is vitally important that your child remains hydrated throughout the day, and so a drink is important. Also, a clear, non-fizzy drink is best – there are some great flavoured waters in the supermarket if plain water doesn’t appeal! Could we also ask, that water bottles are labelled, as quite a number haven’t been. Many thanks.

Punctuality

There have been a number of children who have been late for registration this week, which has really unsettled them in the mornings. We have activities which start as soon as the children come in, and so these opportunities are missed, even if your child is just 5 minutes late. We have also noticed that a few children have been dropped off at 8 o’clock on the playground. Children cannot be supervised on the playground at this time and there are health and safety issues with the children’s safety. Thanks for your understanding and co-operation with this.

Parent’s evenings

Many thanks to those of you who have returned your request forms this week. Unfortunately, of the 20 returned so far, the vast majority have requested the same time! Please could I ask that you are as flexible as possible, in order to fit everyone in. If you haven’t returned your form, please could return it by Monday, so that times may be allocated to you. Many thanks.

I think that is all for this week!

Year 1 team x

And the moral of this tale is...

Before we find out what we will be doing this week, may I extend a big thank you to both yourselves and the children for welcoming Miss McKay to our team last week. She has settled in really well and is looking forward to the rest of her time with us.
I know we have some great things planned, so here goes for this week...

Literacy

The children worked really hard last week and enjoyed listening to Aesop’s Fables, particularly the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. We certainly have some budding actors and actresses in our midst and so we have decided to take full advantage of this and are going to get out the masks, dressing-up box and props to make our very own versions.
And the exciting bit...we are going to make our very own interactive big book in our teams! The children are already familiar with the Photostory program and so will be using this, to upload photographs of themselves and write the text over the top.
We have even seen some of the photostories that children have made themselves at home. If you feel like having a go yourselves, look back through the blog for the link to download it onto your own computer.

By the end of the week, the children:

MUST be able to retell the text in chronological order and sequence pictures to match
SHOULD be able to create short simple texts on paper and on screen that combine words with images
COULD be able to plan and produce clear sections for writing on paper and on screen

http://www.umass.edu/aesop/fables.php another version of Aesop’s fables
http://www.learnoutloud.com/Catalog/Literature/World-Classics/Aesops-Fables-Podcast/23064#plink Aesop’s fables to download as a Podcast
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/mythmachine.htm this is quite a difficult site to navigate, but I think that with support from an adult at home, I think this site could be useful. I particularly like the Word Wizard which appears on the right hand side of the screen!
http://myths.e2bn.org/create/ again, you will have to sit with your child for this site, but they will love being able to see their own stories in print on the screen. If they decide to join the site (for free) their stories can even be rated by others! This site is well worth bookmarking, as it will be useful through St Vincent’s.
http://www.eurotales.eril.net/contents.htm another great site! The children can read the stories and then use them to write their own. If you have access to a scanner at home, why not get your child to draw the pictures, scan them in, and write the text to accompany the stories? If you do have a go at this, we would love to see them in school!

Phonics

We will be continuing with our phonics work from last week, as we feel that the children need a little more practice on the segmenting of sounds to support their spelling. When trying to spell some of these words at home, trying asking your children to see if they are able to identify the sound they can hear in the middle of the words.

By the end of the week, the children:

MUST be able to read and recognise SH TH NG AI EE IGH OA OO AR OR UR OW OI EAR AIR URE ER

SHOULD be able to use known phonemes to blend unfamiliar words

COULD be able to segment words containing known phonemes to spell unfamiliar words

This week’s task: to make a list of the phonemes which make the same sound.

The children will be set a series of spelling challenges, in which they will have to try and work out the spellings to a number of words. Sound simple? Well, they will have a few words which don’t fit the patterns they have been given and they will have to work out what other letters can make the same sound.

http://www.ictgames.com/cluster.html spelling game based on the initial sounds they can hear

http://www.ictgames.com/hybrid.html it took me a while to figure out how to play this game! To select a word in the wordsearch, click on the first and the last letter of the word you wish to highlight, and the cow will ‘MOO’ if you are correct! A great way to investigate spelling patterns.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/snap/snap.shtml click SNAP when the sounds match the word written on the right hand side http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/spelling/spelling.shtml drag and drop the correct spelling pattern into the gaps before the time runs out.

Numeracy

This week we will be reinforcing the idea that adding can be done in any order, in order to make the ‘sum’ easier to calculate. We have a great song which we sing with the children to help them remember to put the biggest number first –

Adding can be done in any order
You can swap the swap the numbers round it’s up to you
Choose the best way not the worst
Put the biggest number first
It means you’ve got less counting on to do!

Must be able to add two single digit numbers by counting on from the largest number
Should be able to add any single digit number to 20 by counting on from the largest number
Could be able to add any single digit number to any two digit number by counting on from the largest number

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/number-english.html match the number names to the figures http://www.ictgames.com/100huntplus10.html click on the number in the 100 square to find 10 more

http://www.hyperstaffs.info/work/math/wilce/cosmic.html I love this! The children have to solve the problems along the way, to complete the mission. Some are harder than others, so it may be best if you sit with them for this one. Good for problem solving.

http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/ngfl-flash/estimate/estimate.html group these objects into small groups in order to make counting easier

http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/ngfl-flash/estimate/estimate.html this site is a bit more challenging, but it great at allowing the children to practice grouping in 10s to make counting quicker.

In the second half of the week, we will be investigating subtraction being the opposite of addition. Children often find this a difficult concept to grasp, so any support you are able to offer with this at home will help.

They will be introduced to the term ‘find the difference’, which always produces comments such as ‘one number is big and one is small!’ We teach the children that when we ask them to find the difference, it actually means subtracting the smaller number from the bigger number.

By the end of the week, the children:

Must be able to subtract a single digit number from another by counting up
Should be able to subtract a single digit number from a two digit number by counting up
Could be able to subtract a two digit number from another two digit number, where the difference is less than 20

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/numbertime/games/test.shtml a simple game to play to work on mental calculation of subtraction
http://www.ictgames.com/football2.html a game for calculating ten less – a really good one for the boys!
http://www.ictgames.com/soccer_subtraction.html click on the footballers to work out the answer, then click on the ball to score a goal. Possibly the only time that England will ever beat Brazil!
http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/games/game8.htm although this is a great site, why not use your own bottles and play this large scale game in the garden?

You will receive another numeracy bookmark in the diaries this week, listing all the vocabulary the children will come across this half term. Please do take the time to read through it with your child, as from our assessments, we find that the children’s misunderstandings of the words used, are preventing them from moving forward at a faster pace.
For those who want to get a head start this weekend, then I have included them below:

pattern, answer, number sentence, sign, operation, explain, show me, read, write, record, count, compare, order
the same number as, as many as, equal to, equals (=), sign, more, most, less, least, greater, greatest, larger, largest, bigger, biggest, fewer, fewest, smaller, smallest, before, after, halfway
add, plus (+), makes, sum, total, altogether, subtract, minus (–), take away, leaves, difference
one, two, three, …, hundred; first, second, third, …; ones, tens, ‘teens’ number, exchange, digit
how many …?, how many more to make …?, how many more is … than …?, how much more is …?, how many fewer is … than …?, how much less is …?, what is the difference between …?
odd, even, pair, double, near double, half, halve

Science

The children will continue their topic of materials and this week will look at identifying a range of common materials that can be found around home and school. You could help by making a list of all the different types of materials that the children can name on Post-it notes and then walk around your house and put them on objects made from those materials.

We will also be introducing the children to a Venn diagram, which is used when sorting, An example of this can be found at :
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/maths/dinas_powys_sian_mansfield/venn_2.htm
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/maths/dinas_powys_sian_mansfield/venn_1.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/sorting_using_mate.shtml a favourite website, but why not try doing this yourself with materials from around the house?http://www.glassforever.co.uk/ find out how glass is made

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=materials2d a great sorting activity for explaning how materials are grouped

http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/scope.html you will keep playing with this one! Click on the numbers on the left hand side to get and image. Then, click on the magnify button to see what the image looks like up to 200x bigger!http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=materials drag and drop the materials names to the correct places

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/science/material_matters/index.htm you will need to support your child with the reading of this text, but it is realloy interesting information.

Presto Music

The children had a great music show on Thursday and they should have received an invitation for a free music taster session on Friday. Should you wish to take advantage of this, please complete the form and return to school by Tuesday. Unfortunately any forms returned after this time, will not be eligible for the free session, but details will still be passed onto Presto.

Chinese New Year

The children remember this very well from last year and on Thursday, they get the chance to be waited on by Foundation Stage children, when they attend their Chinese restaurant to celebrate Chinese New Year. I am sure they will have a great time and are looking forward to Mrs Latham’s favourite cuisine.

Reading diaries

We have noticed over the past few weeks, that the number of parents making comments in their children’s diaries has reduced. Please do try to make at least one comment per week in the diary, as the children who read consistently at home, make rapid progress.
In order to support you with this, I will be sending home some questions which you can ask your child when reading with them. By keeping these questions with your child’s reading book, it will develop their comprehension skills, which, in conjunction with their ability to decode the words, will enable them to move on more quickly in their reading. Many thanks for your support with this.

I think that's all for this week!

Year 1 team xx

Well I can tell that the children have been busy bees over the holidays, judging by the amount of work that we managed to get through last week! The standard of their work is testament to the amount of support that you are giving to your children at home, so may we pass on our thanks and anticipation of it continuing!

Domestics

PE Kits
There were a number of children without a PE kit this week, or with incomplete kit. Could we please ask that they are returned ready for Monday, in a labelled bag, which the children need to leave in school. Also, our curriculum this half term means that our PE sessions are indoors, but could we ask that you check that your child’s pumps fit correctly, ready for after the half term. Also, one white t-shirt looks very like another, so identifying them can be very difficult if they are not labelled. Please could you ensure that ALL uniform is CLEARLY labelled with your child’s name and class. Many thanks for your support with this.

High Frequency Words
The children’s reading is coming on in leaps and bounds and we have seen tremendous improvements in their ability to decode the words using familiar strategies. We have noticed however, that a number of children are finding difficulty with the high frequency words that are coming up in texts. The lists are provided at the front of your child’s diary for you to support them at home in the recognition of these words on sight.

It is vital to your child’s reading development that just 5 minutes a day is spent on the recognition of these words. Try making some flashcards, using the back of cereal box packets for the card and writing the words on. Bath time can be a great time to practice the spelling of them too, particularly using some of the bath crayons which can be bought cheaply from the supermarket. Mmm...a novel approach to washing!

Student

We have a student, Miss Lauren McKay, joining us this week for 5 weeks. She will be taking the class on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays, whilst I will be teaching the children on Thursdays and Fridays. We will both be planning the curriculum together, ensuring that the best possible learning happens for our children.

I will still be in school throughout all of this time, and shall be working with groups of children from Year 2, as well as working with groups of our children to support their learning. Any messages may still be passed on through the diaries or feel free to drop in as usual. Many thanks.

Outdoor play equipment

The children may have come home telling you about the cages we now have in school for them! Please do not be alarmed! The ‘cages’ are in fact large crates, which hold the outdoor play equipment for each class. The equipment has been purchased for the children to use on the playground during breaktimes and lunchtimes and this week, the children will be introduced to a number of possible games that they could play with them.

None of this would have been possible, without Mrs Walker, who has given up a large amount of her own time to label the equipment, put together the cages and organise the resources for everyone, so a huge thank you to her! The children are certainly very eager to start using the equipment – we just need the weather now!

So, on with the curriculum for this week...

Literacy

This week, we begin our work on Stories from other cultures. The children will be looking a variety of stories and investigating the repetitive nature of some of the texts and even joining in with some. They will then move on to adapt or even invent some sentences of their own, based on the stories which they have read.

By the end of the week, the children:

MUST be able to identify the main characters stories and say where the story takes place
SHOULD be able to identify the repetitive pattern of language in the text and continue the pattern
COULD be able to experiment with sounds, words and texts when making up their own stories and rhymes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/drilldown/stories/2/6/1/ good old cbeebies! The children still love visiting this site and it still had some of the best versions of the stories that I have come across on the web.
http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-stories-short.htm there are some lovely stories on this site, complete with activities to accompany them. Click on the top menu bar to navigate to longer stories.
http://us.penguingroup.com/static/packages/us/yreaders/aesop/index.html a lovely site which takes you on a guided tour of Aesop's Fables.

http://www.taletimeaudiostories.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4&Itemid=28 you can download some lovely audio books from this site. There are only a few free ones, but if your child enjoys them, then for a small fee, you can download many more.
http://www.snaithprimary.eril.net/rainbows.htm I loved this! There are some really good questions here about traditional rhymes, which should get the children thinking!

Phonics

By the end of the week, the children:

MUST be able to read and recognise SH TH NG AI EE IGH OA OO AR OR UR OW OI EAR AIR URE ER
SHOULD be able to use known phonemes to blend unfamiliar words
COULD be able to segment words containing known phonemes to spell unfamiliar words

This week’s question: Are there any letter patterns that make the same sound?

The children will be set a series of spelling challenges, in which they will have to try and work out the spellings to a number of words. Sound simple? Well, they will have a few words which don’t fit the patterns they have been given and they will have to work out what other letters can make the same sound.

http://www.ictgames.com/cluster.html spelling game based on the initial sounds they can hear

http://www.ictgames.com/hybrid.html it took me a while to figure out how to play this game! To select a word in the wordsearch, click on the first and the last letter of the word you wish to highlight, and the cow will ‘MOO’ if you are correct! A great way to investigate spelling patterns.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/snap/snap.shtml click SNAP when the sounds match the word written on the right hand side

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/spelling/spelling.shtml drag and drop the correct spelling pattern into the gaps before the time runs out.

Numeracy

We were thrilled with the children’s knowledge of place value last week, and many of them managed to identify thousands as well as hundreds, tens and units! The children found that using a place value mat (http://www.wmnet.org.uk/wmnet/custom/files_uploaded/uploaded_resources/853/PlaceValueChartv4.swf ) helped them with the reading of the number. If you could continue to support your child at home with the reading of these numbers, then it will really help to move their learning on.
This week we move on to adding two 1 digit numbers, crossing 10... ie 9 + 5 = ? The children will be using a number line to support them when counting on.

They will then move on to working with two digit numbers and saying what number is ten more and ten less than a given two digit number. I will be sending home a 100 square with this week’s homework to support the children with this.

By the end of the week, the children:

MUST be able to add two 1 digit numbers, crossing 10, by counting on
SHOULD be able to identify the number of tens and units in a two digit number and say the number which is ten more using a 100 square for support
COULD be able to say the number which is ten more and ten less than a given 2 digit number and begin to investigate with 3 digit numbers

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/number-english.html match the number names to the figures
http://www.ictgames.com/100huntplus10.html click on the number in the 100 square to find 10 more
http://www.hyperstaffs.info/work/math/wilce/cosmic.html I love this! The children have to solve the problems along the way, to complete the mission. Some are harder than others, so it may be best if you sit with them for this one. Good for problem solving.
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/ngfl-flash/estimate/estimate.html group these objects into small groups in order to make counting easier
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/ngfl-flash/estimate/estimate.html this site is a bit more challenging, but it great at allowing the children to practice grouping in 10s to make counting quicker.

ICT
The children have loved using the laptops last week and in particular, the Photostory program, which we mentioned last week. I was really thrilled when a number of children told me they had been on the blog, downloaded the program and made their very own photostory. Show and tell has certainly become interesting in our class!

They will be working as part of a team this week, to make their own photostory, based on a story from another culture and putting music to their presentation. Then, at the end of the week, we will show them to each other – there may even be a little popcorn involved!

Houses and Homes

We will begin our topic of houses and homes and the children will be asked about the type of home they live in. They will also be comparing it to different types of houses in the past and listing some of the similarities and differences.

In preparation for this, it would be great if the children could bring in a photograph of the exterior of their house, so that we can create a display in class. They will also be using this photograph as a prompt when they come to draw it.

I know we will have a very busy, but fun-filled week!

Take care,

Year 1 team x

Happy New Year !

Happy New Year to everyone and we hope you had a lovely, peaceful Christmas break!


Before we begin, we have some wonderful baby news - Mrs Narraway has had a little girl, Ellen Rose, over the holidays and from the photographs we have seen already, she is a beautiful daughter for her and her husband and a lovely sister. Both mum and baby are doing well and I'm sure they are back in the routine! We wish her and her family all the best and look forward to seeing them very soon.


Well, I'm sure that you are ready and raring to go back to work, so let's see what we shall be doing this week...


INSET DAY


Monday is an INSET day for the staff and so the children will return on TUESDAY morning at 8.45am.


Tuesday is the 6th January, so we will be looking at the Epiphany story with the children and asking them to act out the events. Maybe they could find out the answer to this question for their return...


What were the names of the three wise men?


http://bibleforchildren.org/languages/english/stories.php scroll down on this site and click on number 36, The Birth of Jesus. This is a lovely site and worth bookmarking for the future.


Friday is a day we are all looking forward to - the Panto! As I am sure you can appreciate, getting the whole school onto buses at the same time requires almost military timing, so could we please ask that you ensure your child arrives on time every day, but particularly this Friday. We shall be bringing the Year 1 children in at 8.40am, but could we ask that the children keep their coats on to make things run a little more smoothly.

The children will not need a snack on Friday, as one is provided for them at the Parr Hall. Also, please bear in mind, that as they are out of school, they will not be able to buy toast. Many thanks for your co-operation with this.

Book Amnesty

If you remember, before the holidays, we mentioned about the number of reading books in the library appeared to be somewhat depleted? Well, starting from this week, we would be grateful if any library books which may be lurking under beds, in cupboards, in the bottom of bookbags or elsewhere, be returned to school. It may be an idea also to check at your childcare providers, to see if our industrious little ones have left any there - you will be surprised!

Literacy

This term, we begin with looking at Stories from other cultures. This is lovely topic to start the term and one which I am sure the children will enjoy. We will be investigating stories which has predictable patterns in language - a really good one for the panto season!

Why not choose some familiar stories with your child for their bedtime story and encourage them to join in:

Gingerbread man - "Run, run as fast as you can...You can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

Little Red Riding Hood - "Grandma, what big eyes you have!" "All the better to see you with my dear!"

Then try adding some of your own sentences to extend the story. Let us know some of the ones you have made up and maybe we can add them to our own class stories!

We will be encouraging the children to be detectives when they are reading and 'grabbing' any good words or phrases to use in their own writing of stories. Why not invest in a notebook and when reading with your child, write down any interesting words or phrases that you come across. Then, over the weekend, why not try making your own versions of stories up, using this bank of phrases?

The children will also be developing their drawing skills, by drawing scenes from each of the stories and scanning them into the computer. Then, using a program called Photostory, will be writing sentences to go with each of them to produce their DVD version of the story! For those of you who fancy giving this a go at home (and it is very easy!) then it is a free program, which can be downloaded from:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/default.mspx

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/drilldown/stories/2/6/1/ good old cbeebies! The children still love visiting this site and it still had some of the best versions of the stories that I have come across on the web.

http://www.britishcouncil.org/kids-stories-short.htm there are some lovely stories on this site, complete with activities to accompany them. Click on the top menu bar to navigate to longer stories.

http://us.penguingroup.com/static/packages/us/yreaders/aesop/index.html a lovely site which takes you on a guided tour of Aesop's Fables.

Numeracy

We will be starting the week with a review of place value and partitioning. We will also be reviewing the numeracy assessments which the children did just before Christmas, in order to clarify any misunderstanding that occurred.

One way you could help at home, is with missing number activities. Many of the children found it challenging when we turned around some of the number sentences:

2 + 3 = ? was easy to calculate, but they found it hard to grasp 5 = 3 + ?

Try doing this type of activity at home with number cards are symbol cards and see how many correct number sentences your child can make.

This type of question comes up every year on every assessment all the way up to year 6, so if they are able to grasp the concept now , it will become easier when they use bigger numbers.

http://www.wmnet.org.uk/wmnet/custom/files_uploaded/uploaded_resources/853/Postsortingv3.swf click on the tens and units postbox to post the letters. Be careful, as you cannot post all the letters!

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=Toolkit%20index2a this will open up lots of things that we use in class, but for this week, you will need to click on the place value calculator. Although it says it is aimed at Key Stage 2, many of the children will be able to use the knowledge they have to calculate the answers.

http://www.wmnet.org.uk/wmnet/custom/files_uploaded/uploaded_resources/853/PlaceValueChartv4.swf having used this before the holidays, we know how much the children enjoyed it!

Science

This half term, we will be investigating materials, their uses and properties. The children will also be expected to explain why certain materials are used for specific purposes: Why can't we use wool for an umbrella? Why shouldn't we use glass for a fork or knife?

The sillier the better, as a visual image will help the children remember!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/sorting_using_mate.shtml a favourite website, but why not try doing this yourself with materials from around the house?

http://www.glassforever.co.uk/ find out how glass is made

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=materials2d a great sorting activity for explaning how materials are grouped

http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/scope.html you will keep playing with this one! Click on the numbers on the left hand side to get and image. Then, click on the magnify button to see what the image looks like up to 200x bigger!

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=materials drag and drop the materials names to the correct places

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/science/material_matters/index.htm
you will need to support your child with the reading of this text, but it is realloy interesting information.

Here I Am

We begin this term, with the theme of Journeys, starting with the journey made by the three wise men.

The children will:

Recognise journeys that involve other people
Reflect on a variety of Journeys and the people involved
Respect and appreciate the people who share their journeys

Well, we are well are truly back to work now! Here's to a great 2009!

Year 1 team xx