Mrs Blagg
2023-2024
To stay up to date with our learning in Year 1, please visit our school blog.
In Year 1 our children continue to learn through play, building on their experiences in Reception as well as developing more formal ways of learning. The Curriculum is designed to take into consideration personal learning styles and interests whilst delivering the National Curriculum.
Reading
Please read regularly with your child to support their learning. Reading at home should consist of parents listening and questioning their child, for a bare minimum of 3 times a week. I cannot stress how important this is and what a huge impact reading has on all areas of the learning
Homework
All pupils will have a class dojo so that the children can access their homework tasks and they will also be sent home with your child each week. Reading, Spellings and topic tasks will be featured regularly. Spellings will be checked on Friday and new spellings will be given each week.
PE
PE is taught every week. Your child needs to have a full PE kit in school everyday.
This includes:
A red t-shirt
Black/navy shorts
School tracksuit
Black pumps
Trainers
Please could you check that all jumpers, coats and PE kits are named.
Keep an eye out for your termly ‘Parents as Partners’ Leaflet to give you an idea of the exciting things we have planned this year. These are also found on our termly pages on this website.
Autumn Term
‘To Infinity and Beyond’
Welcome to Year One! I hope that you all had a fantastic break and are looking forward to the new and exciting challenges that Year One holds.
Our first topic is ‘to infinity and beyond’. We will be learning about all things space!
Make sure you check out our section of the blog to see what we have been up to each week: http://blog.marlfieldsprimary.co.uk/author/class-1/
English and Reading
Reading will be taught as a whole-class lesson, as well as through group and individual reading. To assist with your child’s reading development, it is essential to read with them at home. We will be using the ‘Talk 4 Writing’ approach to develop our storytelling and writing skills.
This term, we will be using non-fiction and fiction texts, including ‘Supertato’, ‘Toys in Space’, and Neil Armstrong facts. As well as this, we will be reading poems, rhymes and traditional tales to develop our storytelling and writing skills. Our key writing focus is forming letters correctly and to construct simple words and sentences. In June, Year 1 complete the statutory ‘Phonics Screening Check’. The check will establish your child’s phonological awareness and understanding of the taught sounds from Reception to Year 1. It is therefore essential that children are reading as often as possible, completing set phonics homework and using the provided sound cards from their homework packet to practice known sounds and words.
Maths
The first term in Maths will initially focus on consolidation of learning from the EYFS. The children will be counting, representing, ordering and sorting numbers to 20, as well as writing numbers in numerals and words. We will be focusing upon their reasoning and problem-solving skills, developing their ability to explain their answers and suggest reasons and ideas to deepen their understanding.
We will be working on the children’s ability to identify one more and one less than a given number, using resources such as the number line to support this. This also includes counting forwards and backwards and developing the mathematical language associated with more and less.
Over the course of the term, we will progress on to addition and subtraction using concrete objects, as well as pictorial and written representations. We will also be developing our recognition of and ability to explain and describe simple 2D and 3D shapes.
Science
During the Autumn term we start to monitor and develop our understanding of seasonal changes. Our key scientific focus will be the human body. The children will learn all about the human body and will be making use of their observational and recording skills.
History/Geography
In History we will be learning about astronauts, including Neil Armstrong and Tim Peake. We will be looking closely at the first landing on the moon and completing a Non-Fiction Talk for Writing unit about Neil Armstrong. We will also be looking at toys and comparing the old to the new. In Geography we will be looking at seasonal changes across the year, linking to our Science work. We will also be creating our own maps to reflect a rockets’ journey through Space, as well as mapping the school grounds.
Art/Design & Technology
We will be creating our own aliens focusing on our sketching and painting skills. The children will also make their own jetpacks and design space food and packaging, based upon their own design criteria.
Computing
The children will work upon their ability to program using algorithms, using various technology to develop their skills. As a link to our topic, they will also use ICT equipment to research various spaceships, as well as creating their own animal using software on the laptops. We will learn about online safety and discuss the uses of computers beyond school.
Music
We will be continuing to use the ‘Charanga’ music scheme to develop our voice and instrument skills. We will be continuing with our frequent ‘wake up, shake ups’ throughout the day, to encourage children to develop their listening and singing skills.
World Religions
Over the autumn term, we will focus on looking at what a sacred text is. We will also discuss how the Bible is seen as important to different groups of Christians and what the most important teaching of Jesus was.
P.E
Please ensure your child brings a complete P.E kit into school with them. They will be working initially on; Ball Skills- agility, spatial awareness, sending, receiving and co-ordination.
PSHE
This term, we will work on the themes of “Being Me In My World” using the jigsaw scheme. We use De Bono’s coloured Thinking Hats to help our children understand and express their thoughts and feelings. The children of Class 1 really enjoy our regular circle times with “Talking Teddy” where they are encouraged to share experiences and ideas.
Homework
English, Phonics, Maths and Spelling homework will be given out each Friday on class dojo and occasionally as a hard copy. It is also expected that children complete 5 minutes worth of spelling practice every day, as well as daily reading.
Reading at home should consist of parents listening and questioning their child, for a bare minimum of 3 times a week. I cannot stress how important this is and what a huge impact reading has on all areas of the learning.
In Year One, we start off with 100 High Frequency Wordswhich all children need to be able to spell and read. It is therefore crucial that they are practicing these at home. Each week, the children will complete a ‘Spelling Challenge’ on Friday, focusing on the 5 spellings they received the week before. The expectation is that they try 5 words a week, any they get wrong will become a focus for the next week.
Spring Term
Happy New Year and welcome back to Year 1!
I hope that you have all enjoyed your Christmas and are ready for the next steps in your learning.
Our topic is ‘The UK and Far Away’. We will be focusing on the 4 countries of the UK and also studying places further afield.
As always, if you have any questions, queries, concerns or comments, please feel free to speak to me when I collect or bring out the children.
Happy New Year again, here’s to a positive start to 2024!
English
Reading will be taught as a whole-class lesson, as well as through group and individual reading. We follow the Little Wandle scheme which allows the children to enhance their reading skills during the 3 sessions each week. To assist with your child’s reading development, it is essential to read with them at home. We will be using the ‘Talk 4 Writing’ approach to develop our storytelling and writing skills.
Our first class focus text will be ‘Meerkat Mail’. We will be focusing on the children’s ability to decode the text and provide developed descriptions of the characters and settings within the story. The children will be completing various written and spoken pieces of work throughout the deconstruction of the text, including postcard and letter writing and taking on the role of the characters from the story in a ‘hot-seating’ situation. We will be focusing on our handwriting and developing our cursive letter formation. In June the children will complete their Phonics Screening. They will be given 40 real and non-sense words to decode, using their phonetic knowledge and recollection of the letters and sounds they have been taught since foundation stage.
Maths
We will be focusing initially on numbers to 20 and consolidating our existing knowledge. Over the course of the Spring term, we will also be working on our addition and subtraction skills, embedding our existing understanding from the Autumn term. We will also be continuing to work on our place value knowledge, focusing on numbers to 50, including counting in multiples of 2s, 5s and 10s. In the measurement aspect of maths, we will be learning about height and length and also weight and volume.
Science
During the spring term, we will be focusing on different materials and their properties. We will be classifying objects and materials and aim to identify the different materials objects are made from.
History/Geography
We will be focusing predominantly on the UK and each of the 4 countries and their capital cities. We will be developing our map and key work, identifying the location of each of the countries and also learning about the key landmarks at each place. As part of our study, we will be learning about the Great Fire of London as the children have shown great interest in this.
Art/Design & Technology
This term the children will continue their learning about seasons with their printing skills and pattern skills. As a link to our focus on the Great Fire of London, they will also be creating a collaborative piece of art to represent the city at the time of the fire.
Computing
The children will be developing their typing skills to create lists and the children will continue to develop their programming skills.
Music
We will be continuing to use the ‘Charanga’ music scheme to develop our voice and instrument skills. As part of our topic, we will also be listening to music from across the decades within the UK and from countries across the world.
World Religions
Over the Spring term, we will continue to expand our knowledge of Christianity. We will be discussing the topic of right and wrong and we will learn all about the Easter story.
PSHE
We will continue our learning using the Jigsaw Scheme and we will be focusing on the topics ‘Dreams and Goals and ‘Healthy me’.
Homework
A homework sheet will be given out each Friday. It is still expected that the children complete 5 minutes’ worth of spelling practise every day, as well as daily reading.
Summer Term
‘Paws, Claws, Fins and Fingers’
Our topic is Animals. We will be focusing on lots of texts linked to animals and learning all about the different animals around the world.
As always, if you have any questions, queries, concerns or comments, please feel free to speak to me when I collect or bring out the children.
English
Reading will be taught as three sessions. Each session will focus on a different reading skill. To assist with your child’s reading development, it is essential to read with them at home. We will be using the ‘Talk 4 Writing’ approach to develop our storytelling and writing skills. This term, we will be using non-fiction and fiction texts, including ‘The Lion Inside’, ‘Otto the Book Bear’ and animal fact files. As well as this, we will be reading poems, rhymes and traditional tales to develop our storytelling and writing skills. As we move through the final term, we will be focusing on our handwriting and developing our cursive letter formation. The key composition focus will be to ensure the correct grammar and punctuation are used independently throughout written work and that the children are beginning to extend their own writing.
Maths
We will be developing our understanding of place value, focusing on numbers 1-100. We will be developing our ability to count in multiples of 2, 5 and 10 and the children’s ability to recognise the patterns emerging. We will be moving on to multiplication and division through grouping and sharing and will also begin to look at simple fractions of ½ and ¼. This will link with our progression on to time at the end of the summer term, where we will be learning how to tell the time to the hour and also half past, quarter past and quarter too and also focusing on position and direction. In the first half of the Summer term, we will be developing our understanding of weight and volume and also length and height. It would be a great help if you could continue to encourage your child to count in multiples of 2,5 and 10 and also ensure they are recognising and writing numbers to 100 correctly.
Science
During the Summer term our key focus will be on plants. We will be learning to identify and label the basic structures of plants and trees and also begin to identify specific species of each. As part of the focus we will dissect a plant to look closely at the inside of the structure and also grow our own seeds, predicting where and how they will grow best and observing the changes throughout the process.
History/ Geography
This term we will be looking at the main features of a hot and cold places in addition to describing locality using pictures and words. We will also be able to explain what we might wear in different climates and start to use basic geographical vocabulary to refer to key physical features. In History we will be learning about Nelson Mandela and talk about an important historical event that has happened in the past.
Art/ DT
This term the children will be focusing on the skills drawing and painting. They will explore the topic animals by creating paintings and sketches of animals we have researched alongside sketching their own faces and exploring animal art from around the world. We will be creating split-pin lions to support our learning of the story ‘The Lion Inside’ and explore foods that are healthy and unhealthy for our bodies.
Computing
The children will be developing their understanding of programming through the use of algorithms and debugging a simple sequence.
Music
We will be continuing to use the ‘Charanga’ music scheme to develop our voice and instrument skills. As part of our topic, we will also be listening to music from across the decades within the UK and also from countries across the world.
World Religions
Over the Summer term we will be looking at churches as a place of worship for the Christian religion. We will also focus on the symbols associated with Christianity.
PE
Our P.E. days are Wednesday and Friday. Please ensure your child brings their full PE kit to change into. They will be working initially on net and wall games.
Homework
English, Phonics, Maths and Spelling homework will be given out each Friday. It is also expected that children complete 5 minutes worth of spelling practice every day, as well as daily reading.
Reading at home should consist of parents listening and questioning their child, for a bare minimum of 3 times a week. I cannot stress how important this is and what a huge impact reading has on all areas of the learning.