Week 6-9 literacy

Phonics: 

Students have extended there phonics knowledge beyond just the sounds and blending, and have now begun exploring suffixes (a combination of letters added to the end of a word to change the meaning, eg Splash + ing = splashing) and the types of words (Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives). They have engaged in meaningful activities that have them play around with different words and placing them into sentences. 

Reading and Writing:

In week 6, students completed their persuasive unit by publishing their writing pieces. they made sure to include capital letters, finger spaces and fullstops. They did a fantastic job at these and were very proud of their work!

In weeks 7-9, they have been working on two writing pieces. One Non-Fiction text and one Fiction text. The students have consolidated their learning of different texts and the features included in both types. For example, Non-Fiction has titles, diagrams and factual information, and Fiction texts have a beginning, problem and solution. They have also practised going through the writing process of; planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. Phew! Thats a lot of steps!

Students continue to work hard right to the end of term demonstrating all the knowledge and skills they have gained over the year. We can't wait to show you our writing at the showcase in the final week of school!

Week 4-5 Literacy

Phonics:

These past two weeks, students have been immersed into Level 4 sounds which are mainly focused on tricky digraphs. Students have done amazing with the following sounds: /sh/ /ch/ /th/ (voiced and unvoiced), /wh/, /ph/, and the soft /g/ and /c/ sounds. Keep smashing it Preps!

Reading:

Moving through our persuasive unit, students have explored their likes and dislikes of animals and celebrations. In week 4, students visualised the different habitats with animals using a 5 senses prompt. They considered which animals they like and dislike the most. For celebrations, students considered what they have or have not celebrated (which is perfect timing around the Halloween season).  

Writing:

The focus for writing is making a sentence explaining a like or dislike with an explanation. They used the word 'because' to create their compound sentences, which included the descriptive words from the reading lessons to aid the meaning of their explanations. Students have shown creativity and thought in their sentences, and have been able to provide compelling reasons to convince their peers why their favourite animal is the best and what is great to celebrate in different cultures. 

Weeks 4-5 NUMERACY 

Number

In Maths, we have been learning about sharing objects into fair groups. Students explored what it means to be equal and fair using different manipulatives. They began by practising how to share objects equally between two people and had the opportunity to test whether their sharing was fair or unfair, explaining their reasoning. We read The Doorbell Rang and shared cookies equally just like in the story. Students also played games such as rolling a die to share counters and joining a “tea party” to decide if each scenario was fair. They explained their thinking and suggested ways to make things fair when they weren’t.

Applied 

This fortnight saw students continue with exploring the concept of capacity. They had t investigate the capacity of different containers and compare which would hold more and which would hold less. First students would predict which container would hold more and justify their choice, then fill the containers with matching materials, and finally evaluate which one did in fact hold more. Students used language such as “This one holds more”, “This one holds less”, and “They hold the same amount" to explain their thinking.

Week 4-5 Directed Discovery

In Directed Discovery this fortnight, students continued gathering information from a variety of sources, including books and videos. They worked in the groups formed during the previous lesson and brainstormed questions to guide their research on their chosen topics. To support the development of their design plans, students used graphic organisers to outline each member’s role, visualise what their project will look like, and identify the materials needed to complete it. Students have been demonstrating strong teamwork skills and are highly engaged in sharing ideas and collaborating effectively with their peers. 

Weeks 2-3 NUMERACY 

Number

Over the past week, our Prep students have been exploring addition and subtraction through problem-solving activities using number lines as supports. have been learning to add two numbers together by using the jump strategy on a number line to jump forwards. This hands-on approach helps them understand that when we add, the number gets larger. Similarly, students explored subtraction by counting back and using the jump strategy to move backwards on the number line, helping them see that when we subtract, the number gets smaller.

Students demonstrated their understanding by completing Think Boards, applying the strategies they had practised to solve addition and subtraction problems. Through these activities, students are becoming confident in using mathematical strategies to solve problems and explain their thinking, building a strong foundation for future number work.

Applied 

Students continued exploring mass by comparing the weight of everyday classroom objects using direct comparison and hefting. They learned to describe items as heavier or lighter and enjoyed testing their predictions using balance scales. For example, they discovered that a lunchbox is heavier than a glue stick, and a pencil is lighter than a glue stick. Students were encouraged to use comparative language and record their findings by identifying objects that were heavier or lighter than a given item.

In Week 3, our focus shifted to capacity. Using containers, water, sand, and Unifix blocks, students explored how much different containers could hold. They learned and used vocabulary such as full and empty. Through play-based learning, they filled containers, counted how many scoops or blocks were needed to fill them, and described their observations using mathematical language. Students captured and shared their learning on Showbie, demonstrating their understanding of capacity through photos and voice recordings.

Week 2-3 Literacy

Phonics:

In the past couple weeks, we have continued to consolidate our sound knowledge of the letters we have learned by engaging in daily review activities. Students have also added a few more digraphs to the list of sounds they know, these are; /th/ (voiced and unvoiced), /qu/ and /ng/. 

Reading:

Moving through our persuasive unit, students have explored their likes and dislikes of seasons and food. In week 2, students visualised the four seasons using a 5 senses prompt. They listed many descriptive words for each season and drew a picture for what a season looks like to them. For example, Summer is 'hot' and 'sunny'. We see clear, blue skies, we hear seagulls, we hear children splashing into a pool, we taste cold, sweet icecream and we feel gritty sand. 

In week 3, we explored different foods from around the world. We investigated different fruits and vegetables through a tasting experience. This prompted the students to collate the words that they thought of as they tasted each food, including; sour, sweet, squishy, plain, crunchy and juicy. Our learners were encouraged to think of or imagine foods from around the world and decide if they like/dislike or would/would not try it. 

Writing:

The focus for writing is making a sentence explaining a like or dislike with an explanation. They used the word 'because' to create their compound sentences, which included the descriptive words from the reading lessons to aid the meaning of their explanations. Students have shown creativity and thought in their sentences, and have been able to provide compelling reasons to convince their peers to try new foods. 

Week 2-3 Directed Discovery

To spark curiosity, we explored topics such as the solar system, inventions, flags, cultures and clothing from different countries, and even shared and discussed different talents. It has been wonderful to see the students’ excitement and curiosity grow as they explore the world around them!

Students has been busy recording their wonderings big questions such as ,How do rainbows get their colours? and How do birds fly?They drew pictures to show their wonderings and used hexagonal thinking to connect similar ideas, helping to group students with common interests.

These activities have encouraged students to think deeply, ask questions, and make connections between ideas. It’s been inspiring to see them take ownership of their learning and show such enthusiasm for discovering new things. 

WEEK 1 NUMERACY 

Number 

Week 1 has seen students re engage with exploring the operation of subtraction. They have been solving problems using hands materials to show their understanding of taking away an amount from the whole to find out what remains. Materials have included number bonds, unifix blocks, drawing pictures, and number lines. Students have also been expanding their vocabulary to understand all the different words they can use to explain subtraction. These have included:

• subtract

• take away

• minus

• less

• difference

Applied 

In Week 1, foundation students began exploring the concept of mass. They were introduced to key vocabulary such as heavy, light, heavier, and lighter and learned how to heft objects by holding and comparing them to feel which one weighed more. Students practised using this new vocabulary to describe what they noticed and discussed their ideas with classmates. They also took photos of their hefting activities and uploaded them to Showbie, explaining their thinking about which items were heavier or lighter. It was a fun, hands on introduction that helped students build a strong foundation for measuring mass in the weeks to come. 

WEEK 1 LITERACY

Phonics:

To kick start the final term of 2025, our learners have begun exploring digraphs. Digraphs are two letters that come together to make one sound. This weeks sounds have been /sh/ for sheep and /ch/ for cherries. Students practise saying the sounds, writing them with correct letter formation, applying the sounds to their reading and writing words that include these digraphs.

Reading:

New Term = New Literacy Unit. The first unit of Term 4 is our Persuasive unit. This is where our learners discover and explain their likes and dislikes or preferences. So far, they have explored likes and dislikes of local attractions (eg. Splash and cinemas), school locations (playground and sandpit), hobbies and their favourite colours.  

Writing:

Students did a fantastic job on elaborating their likes and dislikes, using the conjunction 'because' to explain their thinking. This will assist students later in the term as we write our preferences about topics on food, animals, celebrations and more!

WEEK 1 DIRECTED DISCOVERY

Directed Discovery has begun with great enthusiasm this term!
Our Foundation students have been busy exploring, playing, and creating with new resources and materials as part of the first stage of our inquiry learning. To help spark ideas for what they want to learn and investigate this term, students took part in a range of exciting role-play experiences — including a train station, cinema, camping area, and supermarket. These spaces encouraged students to use their imagination, work together, and share their ideas through creative play.

Their excitement and creativity during these experiences were wonderful to see, and students have already led to lots of rich discussions about what they are curious about and want to explore further. We also shared stories about what everyone did during the holidays, which inspired even more ideas for future investigations.

Students have shown our school value of Achievement by trying their best in each activity, setting goals for their play projects, working together to solve problems, and proudly sharing their ideas with their classmates.