Spring 2025
Year 1
Embedded Files
Happy New Year to you all!
Happy New Year to you all!
We had a great Autumn term in Year 1. I am sure this will continue this term. We have a new member of staff this half term - Mrs Rolfe. After half term, Miss Monk will return to us.
Please remember you can email me with any concerns or to let me know anything you think is important for me to know about your child. My email is: esmith@thorngrove.herts.sch.uk. Feel free to speak to me after school or make an appointment if preferred. Our primary concern is that children are happy in school so please do let us know if they are experiencing any difficulties so that we can offer any support that they might need.
Uniform: The children have been looking after their belongings quite well. Please continue to support this by making sure everything is named, particularly bookbags, hats, gloves and scarves. Please do use a book bag if at all possible. as they take up a lot less space in our classroom and are big enough for our books too.
Reading Ribbon Race: Please continue to read regularly with your child, and tick their reading ribbon. This can be ticked whenever they read to you or share reading of a book with you. Any book they read counts towards this, not just school books. The children are really enjoying our 'Reading Ribbon Race' and like to see which house team is winning the race every Monday. All teams who get past 80 ticks this half term will get an extra playtime (everyone got one last half term!), and the top 3 teams get an extra 5 minutes on top of this. The children also collect a house point if they have 4 or more ticks on their ribbon on Monday morning. Please feel free to come into class after school to help your child to choose a book from our book corner, if they haven't changed their free choice books.
Thank you! Mrs Smith
As readers and writers, we will continue our RWI lessons. When reading longer words , please encourage your child to put their hand over part of the word, and read the parts, before putting it together to make the word. We have also been looking at the suffixes ' ing' and 'ed'. If your child is struggling to read a word with one of these suffixes at the end, encourage them to cover the suffix and add it on once they have read the rest of the word.
As readers and writers, we will continue our RWI lessons. When reading longer words , please encourage your child to put their hand over part of the word, and read the parts, before putting it together to make the word. We have also been looking at the suffixes ' ing' and 'ed'. If your child is struggling to read a word with one of these suffixes at the end, encourage them to cover the suffix and add it on once they have read the rest of the word.
We are linking our handwriting practise with spelling of tricky words now. These words can't be 'Fred-Talked' so they should be spelt using letter names (like we say when we sing the alphabet). Practising spelling of your child's tricky words (the words which are on the 'Red Words' Page in their paper RWI books) can be done verbally whilst you walk to school, or on a car journey. There is no need for these to be written down. If your child can spell their words, challenge them by spelling a word incorrectly and ask them if they can spot the incorrect letter and then tell you how to spell the word correctly. In handwriting, we are focussing on ensuring our letters are sized appropriately and placed correctly on/under/within the lines.
As mathematicians this half term, we are learning how to find the answer to the questions 'How many more?', 'How many less?' and 'What's the difference?',
As mathematicians this half term, we are learning how to find the answer to the questions 'How many more?', 'How many less?' and 'What's the difference?',
We will be learning how calculations don't always have to include 'the answer'/total', or as we call it in school, 'the whole'. E.g. 6+4 = 7+3. The number 10 is not in this calculation yet it is still correct. We will be using balance scales to help us understand this. concept. This term our focus will move to numbers to 20 and how they are formed using ’10 and some more’. This supports the children’s understanding of place value. We will also be doing some work on measures.
We will be learning how calculations don't always have to include 'the answer'/total', or as we call it in school, 'the whole'. E.g. 6+4 = 7+3. The number 10 is not in this calculation yet it is still correct. We will be using balance scales to help us understand this. concept. This term our focus will move to numbers to 20 and how they are formed using ’10 and some more’. This supports the children’s understanding of place value. We will also be doing some work on measures.
We are trying to encourage the children to understand how important it is to know HOW to find an answer. Knowing number facts is vitally important, but there always comes a point when children do NOT know the answer. In this case, they need to understand HOW to work it out. This is how we structure our lessons in class; finding out how to solve something and then applying that knowledge to harder problems. Harder does not always mean 'bigger numbers'. A maths problem presented in a different way can often stump children. E.g. 1 more than 6 is ___, or 7 is 1 more than __ ,
Please continue to practise counting with your child regularly at home, forwards and backwards in 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s.
As scientists, our focus this term is ‘Everyday materials’. We will focus on distinguishing the object from the material with which it is made and will learn about the properties of materials such as bendy, rough, smooth, absorbent, waterproof, shiny and transparent. We will test materials for transparency and test materials to make a bridge. Later in the term we will investigate how Spring is developing in our school grounds.
As scientists, our focus this term is ‘Everyday materials’. We will focus on distinguishing the object from the material with which it is made and will learn about the properties of materials such as bendy, rough, smooth, absorbent, waterproof, shiny and transparent. We will test materials for transparency and test materials to make a bridge. Later in the term we will investigate how Spring is developing in our school grounds.
As computer scientists, we will be learning more about how to keep yourself safe online. We will also be programming using 'Scratch Jr.' After half term, we will create a multimedia eBook!
As computer scientists, we will be learning more about how to keep yourself safe online. We will also be programming using 'Scratch Jr.' After half term, we will create a multimedia eBook!
As geographers, we will learn about 'Weather and the Seasons'. We will be comparing the 4 seasons and thinking about how the weather afffects us in our daily lives. We will also be regularly looking at the weather forecasts and seeing how the weather and temperature changes over the coming months.
As geographers, we will learn about 'Weather and the Seasons'. We will be comparing the 4 seasons and thinking about how the weather afffects us in our daily lives. We will also be regularly looking at the weather forecasts and seeing how the weather and temperature changes over the coming months.
As historians, we will learn about the Wright brothers, and how their amazing invention changed the world. This will also take us on a school trip to Aerozone in Stansted (AFTER EASTER on Wed 7th May) where we will find out more about the history of the airport. Please do let me know if you are able to come with us on this trip. We will be travelling by public bus.
As historians, we will learn about the Wright brothers, and how their amazing invention changed the world. This will also take us on a school trip to Aerozone in Stansted (AFTER EASTER on Wed 7th May) where we will find out more about the history of the airport. Please do let me know if you are able to come with us on this trip. We will be travelling by public bus.
As artists, we will be exploring colour and will learn about how to make secondary colours using primary colours. The children will explore this using different media.
As artists, we will be exploring colour and will learn about how to make secondary colours using primary colours. The children will explore this using different media.
As designers, after half term, we will learn how to create sculptures using paper. We will find out about different techniques to make the paper 3D.
As designers, after half term, we will learn how to create sculptures using paper. We will find out about different techniques to make the paper 3D.
In Relationship and Health Education, we will be learning about 'Survival animals' and how we can 'be a parrot' (fly to an adult and tell them if there is a problem). Our topic after half term will be ‘Keeping Myself Safe’. One of our lessons is called ‘Pants’. There will be more to follow on this nearer the time.
In Relationship and Health Education, we will be learning about 'Survival animals' and how we can 'be a parrot' (fly to an adult and tell them if there is a problem). Our topic after half term will be ‘Keeping Myself Safe’. One of our lessons is called ‘Pants’. There will be more to follow on this nearer the time.
As learners of religion, we will be focussing on Christianity and what Jesus taught through the parables. We will also learn about prayer and worship, as well as learning about Chinese New Year and the Hindu festival of Holi.
As learners of religion, we will be focussing on Christianity and what Jesus taught through the parables. We will also learn about prayer and worship, as well as learning about Chinese New Year and the Hindu festival of Holi.
As musicians, our topics will be 'Exploring sounds', where we willl learn about Tempo and Dynamics
As musicians, our topics will be 'Exploring sounds', where we willl learn about Tempo and Dynamics
We will also 'Learn to listen' and will try to combine Pulse, Rhythm & Pitch.
As athletes, we will learn more about running in our outdoor PE sessions. Indoors, we will continue our learning about moving and balancing on 'Body parts', and will begin to explore how we can use our body in different ways in our topic 'Wide, Narrow and Curled' . (We didn't finish last half term's learning as the stage got in the way!)
As athletes, we will learn more about running in our outdoor PE sessions. Indoors, we will continue our learning about moving and balancing on 'Body parts', and will begin to explore how we can use our body in different ways in our topic 'Wide, Narrow and Curled' . (We didn't finish last half term's learning as the stage got in the way!)
This term we will be focusing on the essential skills Aiming High, Creativity and Staying Positive. Click here for more information about Skills Builder.
Skills Builder has a resource platform dedicated to helping parents and carers to build their child’s essential skills at home: Skills Builder Homezone (skillsbuilder.org/homezone).
Forest School will be every Thursday afternoon. We will continue to use this time to support our Science/Geography learning and development of gross motor skills, as well as collaboraive learning with our classmates. Children will need their wellies, (named please!), and can wear their PE kit or old school uniform on that day. If you would like, your child can wear a PLAIN, blue/dark coloured t-shirt on that day. No big logos or pictures on clothing that day, please. Thank you!
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