1/2 A Mainstream 

What we have been up to: 

At school we have also enjoyed sharing our “Backyard Safari Searches” with our classes and students have enjoyed listening and being listened to too. Thank you to all parents for your support in this home activity.

We are also weaving our discoveries about bugs and insects into other areas of our learning. As part of our literacy program, we have begun researching and writing information texts about different bugs and insects. 

Maths:

We have been continuing to focus on mental strategies for addition and subtraction including the 10s facts, doubles, related facts and using place value. These strategies will assist in the mental computation of larger numbers. We have been enjoying solving open-ended addition and subtraction problems, using our knowledge of how these two concepts connect and applying it to find missing numbers. You could also practise speed facts by playing ‘addition snap’!

Throughout our unit on 2D and 3D shape, we have been looking for different 2D and 3D shapes in the world around us. This culminated in building our OWN world out of 2D and 3D shapes to end the unit! Thanks to everyone who brought in the boxes. To support your child’s knowledge of 2D and 3D shapes, you too can discuss all the shapes you see in the world around you. Maybe even play ‘I spy with my little eye a …….(3D object of choice) - they then guess the object.

Literacy:

As part of our phonics program, classes have begun Little Learners Love Literacy  Stage 7.2 sounds. These sounds include: ar as in farm, or as in born, and aw as in yawn. This stage will continue into the rest of the term, moving on to other sounds such as ir as in first, er as in fern ur as in Thursday, and air (are, ere) as in fair.

What’s to come in the next two weeks:

• Towards the end of the term, we will be revising and applying the phonics we have already learned throughout Little Learners Love Literacy Stages 7.1-7.2.
• Continuing with the text type information reports.
• Students will continue looking at the efficient mental strategies for addition and subtraction and apply these to solving vertical addition and subtraction algorithms. We will also begin learning about further geometry concepts like following directions, flipping, and rotating.

Stephanie