14 January 2022
The Talk Time this week links to what we’ve been working on in our living and learning lessons.
I know that having rights comes with having responsibilities.
Rights are the things that all people are entitled to. Every right can only be guaranteed when certain responsibilities are taken. Here are some examples…
- We all have the right to be respected, and we’re responsible for making sure we respect everyone and everything (one of our three school rules).
- We have the right to play, but we have the responsibility to play safely.
- We have the right to learn, and the responsibility to get to school on time.
When having your discussions at home, these Remember 2s will help you to link rights to responsibilities:
- Think of something that you’re entitled to (a right).
- Remember that some rights are based on your basic human needs.
- A right is NOT something you’d like to have – It’s something that everyone should be guaranteed.
- For the right you’ve chosen, what part do you play to make sure that it is observed (responsibility)?
- Who else is responsible?
- Does age impact on a person’s level of responsibility?
How many right and responsibility pairs can you think of? If you’re struggling to think of many or would just like to find out more, check out this useful BBC Bitesize link:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zvypmfr/articles/z7bfhbk
Phonics and early reading – eBooks
We hope you all received your usernames and passwords for Collins eBooks (some year 2s do not need them).
These match the phonics books we are reading in school three times a week. We use our phonics skills while reading books.
There is more information on the Little Wandle website about these reading practice sessions.
Reading an eBook at home is a change for children but most people are embracing it and continuing to enjoy the physical ‘sharing book’ which is to be read together and enjoyed.
If you have any problems accessing them, please contact your child’s class teacher.
Topic learning – History
History is the focus of our topic learning this half term. During this topic, we will be ordering significant events in our lives. We’ll be discussing them using historical vocabulary.
As the half term progresses, the children will discuss how significant things have changed over time: the food that we eat, the shops that we visit and the toys that we play with.
Science – Let there be light
In our Science lesson, about electricity, the children were given a task without very much input first. With a partner, the class used wires, clips, batteries and a bulb and their task was to build a circuit and make the bulb light up. It was great to see how determined the children were to figure this out.
I think we need to connect the wire to the battery.
Where does the power come from?
Why isn’t our circuit working?
I wonder if the battery is dead!
What would happen if we added two batteries to our circuit?
Connecting the clips to the bulb was tricky!
I can’t believe we did this without Mrs Freeman showing us first!
Success!
After this fantastic investigation, we discussed circuits.
What is a circuit?
A circuit is a complete path around which electricity can flow. It must include a source of electricity, such as a battery. Materials that allow electric current to pass through them easily, called conductors, can be used to link the positive and negative ends of a battery, creating a circuit.
Quiz your child about their learning so far. Can they answer these questions?
What is the correct name for a single battery?
Name 3 common household appliances that
run on mains electricity.
Name 3 common household devices that run
on battery power.
Good luck!
Learning about speech marks
We’ve been practising how to use inverted commas (speech marks) in our writing.
Today, we added speech marks into an extract of our class novel: Holes (they’d mysteriously disappeared..!). This was great practice and helped us to understand that the punctuation belongs inside the ‘mini elevens’ and that each time there is a new speaker, a new line must be started.
Check out this animation – it really helped make us to feel more confident we were putting the inverted commas in the right place.
Week beginning 10 January 2022
Sorry you can’t be in school this week. Here are a range of resources linked to what is happening in class. Don’t forget to get in touch with your class teacher if you need support.
Maths
Follow this sequence of maths learning which is linked to decimals.
Lesson 1: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 2: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 3: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 4: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 5: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 6: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 7: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 8: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 9: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 10: video, worksheet, answers
You don’t have to print the worksheet. Your child can write or draw their answers on paper. Your child’s learning will be most effective if you sit with them to pause the clip and check / praise / support your child as the clip moves on.
Practise times tables on Times Table Rockstars, too. Email the class teacher if you need your child’s login and password details.
(Suggested time: 30 minutes of Maths and 15 minutes of Rockstars daily)
Spelling
Look on the homework page to find this week’s spellings. They should choose some past spellings that they feel less confident with. Your child should complete one task each day.
- Day 1: Generate more words linked to the spelling pattern or ‘rule’. You could look out for the words in the book you’re reading at home, or any other text, like a website linked to our science topic of Living Things and their Habitat.
- Day 2: Practise the spellings using two of the ideas in our Super Spelling Strategies guide. (Set yourself and others at home a challenge of using some of the words when you’re speaking, too!)
- Day 3: Write separate sentences, each containing one of the spellings. (Don’t forget to show off really neat handwriting and make sure you sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, exclamation mark (!) or question mark (?).
- Day 4: Repeat Task 2 or 3.
- Day 5: Get an adult at home to test you on your spellings. Practise any you spell incorrectly – you could write them out carefully until you’re sure.
(Suggested time: 15-20 minutes daily)
Reading fluency
This is the text we’re using in class this week to build up fluency skills.
In school, we generally follow this sequence:
- Day 1: Read the text aloud with your child listening. Read it clearly and slowly, pointing to each word as you read. Have a chat about any unfamiliar words.
- Day 2: Read aloud each sentence (a full short sentence or part of a longer sentence), and have your child read it back to you. Do this ‘echo reading’ for the whole text.
- Day 3: Read the text and talk about the effect of the punctuation on how you read it – pauses for full stops and expression for exclamations (!) or questions (?). Your child reads the text aloud.
- Day 4: Read together with expression (just like you practised on Day 3).
- Day 5: Your child reads independently and fluently.
(Suggested time: 15 minutes daily)
Reading comprehension
We’ll be using this RIC text in class to practise comprehension skills. RIC stands for:
- Retrieve: finding information in a text
- Interpret: using clues in the text to unlock information
- Choice: thinking about the author’s choice of words, techniques or organisation that make the text interesting and enjoyable to read
This half term we’ll be reading some Norse myths for our topic on Vikings and the Islamic Golden Age. In science, we’ll be learning about evolution. Follow this series of lessons on Mary Anning and Hidden Depths. There’s a whole series of lessons, but start at Lesson 1 and work through, doing one (or maybe even two) each day. (If you’re self-isolating in your second week, stick with the series of lessons you’ve already started and aim to complete the full series.)
(Suggested time: 30 minutes daily)
Writing
Follow these lessons on The Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. There’s a whole series of lessons, but start at Lesson 1 and work through, doing one (or maybe even two) each day. (If you’re self-isolating in your second week, stick with the series of lessons you’ve already started and aim to complete the full series.)
(Suggested time: 30-40 minutes for each)
Topic
Our topic this half-term is history.
Follow these lessons on Vikings and Saxons from Oak Academy. Follow the lesson sequence. It has 5 lessons so you could do two a week.
(Suggested time: 30-40 minutes)
Science
Our focus this half-term is light.
These six lessons from Oak National Academy link closely to what we’ve been doing in class last half term. Start at Lesson 1 and work through, doing two or three in the week. If you’ve previously completed one of these lessons, have a go at the ones you haven’t completed yet.
If Science really motivates your child, you could also use look at these lessons all about practical Science.
(Suggested time: 30-45 minutes)
PE
Don’t forget to do some daily exercise!
Do two or three of these Five Minute Moves from Joe Wicks each day – spread them across the day as if they were playtimes, maybe!
Try working through this series of 25 lessons from the Association for Physical Education – do two or three in the week.
(Suggested time: 5 minutes daily, plus 30 minutes for the longer PE lessons)
Extra stuff…
As an extra (or as an alternative, if this helps to motivate your child)…
Geography isn’t a topic-driver this half-term, but you could brush up on your locational knowledge – something that was missed when schools closed earlier this year. You could explore some online maps and try to memorise some new countries, capitals, rivers and mountain ranges. These three lessons about Europe are worth checking out.
What about some Living and Learning? While you’re away from school, you could check out these lessons on money!
Week beginning 10 January 2022
Sorry you can’t be in school this week. Here are a range of resources linked to what is happening in class. Don’t forget to get in touch with your class teacher if you need support.
Maths
Follow this sequence of maths learning which is linked to multiplication and division.
Lesson 1: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 2: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 3: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 4: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 5: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 6: video, worksheet, answers
Lesson 7: video, worksheet , answers
Lesson 8: video, worksheet , answers
Lesson 9: video, worksheet , answers
Lesson 10: video, worksheet , answers
You don’t have to print the worksheet. Your child can write or draw their answers on paper. Your child’s learning will be most effective if you sit with them to pause the clip and check / praise / support your child as the clip moves on.
Practise times tables on Times Table Rockstars, too. Email the class teacher if you need your child’s login and password details.
(Suggested time: 30 minutes of Maths and 15 minutes of Rockstars daily)
Spelling
Look on the homework page to find this week’s spellings. They should choose some past spellings that they feel less confident with. Your child should complete one task each day.
- Day 1: Generate more words linked to the spelling pattern or ‘rule’. You could look out for the words in the book you’re reading at home, or any other text, like a website linked to our science topic of Living Things and their Habitat.
- Day 2: Practise the spellings using two of the ideas in our Super Spelling Strategies guide. (Set yourself and others at home a challenge of using some of the words when you’re speaking, too!)
- Day 3: Write separate sentences, each containing one of the spellings. (Don’t forget to show off really neat handwriting and make sure you sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, exclamation mark (!) or question mark (?).
- Day 4: Repeat Task 2 or 3.
- Day 5: Get an adult at home to test you on your spellings. Practise any you spell incorrectly – you could write them out carefully until you’re sure.
(Suggested time: 15-20 minutes daily)
Reading fluency
This is the text we’re using in class this week to build up fluency skills.
In school, we generally follow this sequence:
- Day 1: Read the text aloud with your child listening. Read it clearly and slowly, pointing to each word as you read. Have a chat about any unfamiliar words.
- Day 2: Read aloud each sentence (a full short sentence or part of a longer sentence), and have your child read it back to you. Do this ‘echo reading’ for the whole text.
- Day 3: Read the text and talk about the effect of the punctuation on how you read it – pauses for full stops and expression for exclamations (!) or questions (?). Your child reads the text aloud.
- Day 4: Read together with expression (just like you practised on Day 3).
- Day 5: Your child reads independently and fluently.
(Suggested time: 15 minutes daily)
Reading comprehension
We’ll be using this RIC text in class to practise comprehension skills. RIC stands for:
- Retrieve: finding information in a text
- Interpret: using clues in the text to unlock information
- Choice: thinking about the author’s choice of words, techniques or organisation that make the text interesting and enjoyable to read
This half term we’ll be reading some Norse myths for our topic on Vikings and the Islamic Golden Age. In science, we’ll be learning about evolution. Follow this series of lessons on Mary Anning and Hidden Depths. There’s a whole series of lessons, but start at Lesson 1 and work through, doing one (or maybe even two) each day. (If you’re self-isolating in your second week, stick with the series of lessons you’ve already started and aim to complete the full series.)
(Suggested time: 30 minutes daily)
Writing
Follow these lessons on The Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. There’s a whole series of lessons, but start at Lesson 1 and work through, doing one (or maybe even two) each day. (If you’re self-isolating in your second week, stick with the series of lessons you’ve already started and aim to complete the full series.)
(Suggested time: 30-40 minutes for each)
Topic
Our topic this half-term is history.
Follow these lessons on Vikings and Saxons from Oak Academy. Follow the lesson sequence. It has 5 lessons so you could do two a week.
(Suggested time: 30-40 minutes)
Science
Our focus this half-term is light.
These six lessons from Oak National Academy link closely to what we’ve been doing in class last half term. Start at Lesson 1 and work through, doing two or three in the week. If you’ve previously completed one of these lessons, have a go at the ones you haven’t completed yet.
If Science really motivates your child, you could also use look at these lessons all about practical Science.
(Suggested time: 30-45 minutes)
PE
Don’t forget to do some daily exercise!
Do two or three of these Five Minute Moves from Joe Wicks each day – spread them across the day as if they were playtimes, maybe!
Try working through this series of 25 lessons from the Association for Physical Education – do two or three in the week.
(Suggested time: 5 minutes daily, plus 30 minutes for the longer PE lessons)
Extra stuff…
As an extra (or as an alternative, if this helps to motivate your child)…
Geography isn’t a topic-driver this half-term, but you could brush up on your locational knowledge – something that was missed when schools closed earlier this year. You could explore some online maps and try to memorise some new countries, capitals, rivers and mountain ranges. These three lessons about Europe are worth checking out.
What about some Living and Learning? While you’re away from school, you could check out these lessons on money!
It’s Electrifying!
We’ve kicked off the term with a new science topic ‘Electricity’ by discussing electrical appliances in and around our home. Our first sparky discussion was “What is electricity? What does it do?” – there’s so much to learn! Here’s a helpful bbc clip.
Why not have this discussion at home?
This week, we’ve learned about mains and battery operated appliances and realised that some are actually both!
In the forthcoming weeks, we will be creating our own circuits from wires, batteries and bulbs and why they work (or don’t work!), so watch this space. Here are the scientific words children will be learning.
| electricity | a type of energy used to power appliances |
| appliance | a piece of equipment used to perform a specific task |
| components | the items that make up a circuit |
| battery | a portable electricity supply |
| cell | the specific name for a battery |
| circuit | the path followed by an electrical current |
| wire | used to connect components together |
| insulator | a material through which electricity cannot flow |
| conductor | a material through which electricity can flow |
07 January 2022
This week, we’ve been again practising alternative graphemes – different ways to write a sound. We’ve explored lots of different ways to write the ai, ee, ie sound in the English language. To help consolidate this learning, we’d like you to practise spelling these words at home.
increase bicycle decide describe exercise guide height surprise
We’ll test ourselves on Friday 14 January 2022 to see how we’ve got on.
Happy New Year!
It’s lovely to be back at Nursery after our Christmas break. We hope you’ve had a good holiday and we’re looking forward to a wonderful half-term of learning ahead. This week we have welcomed some new friends into our classroom and the children have been looking after them by being really good role-models. We hope our new friends have enjoyed their first few days with us.
The new year is always a good time for reflection and the children have been talking about Christmas and what they have been doing over the holiday. We’ve discussed (and drawn) our favourite presents and have talked about our hopes and wishes for the year to come. We’ve also had lots of chats about the weather and have looked closely at what happens to water when it is left outside in cold temperatures (and then brought back inside again). We’ve also discovered that we can see our reflections in water when it is still.
We’re all very excited about the coming weeks and we’ll be sharing lots of photos of our learning. Here’s a taster of our first week back…
