Welcome to Year Two!
It is wonderful to see all the children back and ready to learn.
We are proud of how they have adapted to our recent changes and know they are going to have a great year.
English
It’s an exciting time of the year so the children have already written a letter to share some news about their new class and year group. We hope they enjoy posting their letters and we cannot wait to receive your replies.
The children are going to listen to the rhyme ‘There was an old lady who Swallowed a fly’ and use key actions to recite it. Their recital will be filmed and shown to the rest of school as part of our whole-school poetry week celebrations.
The children will then move on to innovating the rhyme which means they will create their own version based on the language and patterns of the original. During written tasks, the children in Year 2 are always encouraged to write sentences independently, punctuate them correctly and to use a range of conjunctions to extend their sentences (and, but, so, because, when, if). Making writing lively and interesting is also key so the children are taught how to use carefully chosen verbs, adjectives and adverbs to add key detail.
Maths
It’s a busy term with the children beginning by securing their understanding of numbers to 100. This includes adding and subtracting within these numbers. Children will then be introduced to multiplication and division.
Maths in Year 2 follows a concrete, pictorial and abstract structure. Children use lots of equipment such as counters, cubes and Base Ten alongside models and images like part-part-whole models, bar models, place value charts and dotty cards. It is only when they are confident using these that they will move on to formal written methods. Children continue to be encouraged to solve problems using drawings and jottings.
If you would like help in supporting your child in maths, please look at our handy ‘Calculating in KS1’ guide.
Science
The children have labelled different parts of the human body and have described the purpose of each. They have particularly enjoyed learning about the digestive system and were excited to explore the functions of the oesophagus, stomach and intestines. They even recreated the digestive process to make poo! Children are currently using this new scientific knowledge to write amazing stories about the journey of food.
The children have also discussed ways in which they can maintain their basic hygiene and have carried out an investigation using bread to emphasise the importance of regularly washing their hands with soap and water.
Art
The amazing artists ‘Andy Wahol’ and ‘Pablo Piccaso’ will inspire our artwork this half term. The children will be encouraged to describe the similarities and differences between the different artists’ work and use their styles and techniques to create their own self-portraits.
Geography
Children have consolidated their understanding of human and physical features by thinking about those in their local area. They have also looked at aerial view and plan perspective maps and looked carefully to identify different places, landmarks and geographical features. Children have learnt about the use of map symbols as well as the four compass points. They have used positional and directional language (including north, east, south and west) to guide a partner to a given place on a map. We look forward to hearing about their own local area on the Year 2 Purple Mash blog!
History
We’ve gone back in time to look at the changes in our local area. Children have learnt about the use of the railway and canal in transporting goods. They have also found out about the mining history of our local area as well as the changes over time to places such as Oulton Hall. They have looked carefully at photographs/pictures and used clues within them to identify if they were taken in the past or present.
PE
This half term will be spent mastering basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching alongside developing balance, agility and co-ordination. It would be helpful for the children to continue practising these key skills at home.
PSHE
The children’s work this half term will focus on ‘Boys, Girls and Families.’ Children will discuss gender differences and explore gender stereotypes. They will also discuss and celebrate ways in which families are different.
Music
We are hoping to start our Music Workshop sessions very soon. During these sessions, the children will be encouraged to use their voices effectively to change the dynamics and pitch of different songs. They will also learn how to use body percussion and percussion instruments to show rhythm and tempo.
Please don’t forget to log onto Purple Mash!
Purple Mash by 2Simple
Purple Mash is an award-winning website for nursery and primary school children. It enables children to explore and enhance their knowledge in a fun and creative way. www.purplemash.com |
We have written a blog to provide additional information about the children’s’ learning and set ‘2DO Tasks’ for them to complete.