Grade 1

Reading:

This week in reading, students have been building on their phonics knowledge by reviewing familiar digraphs such as /ue/ and /ew/, and learning to recognise and read words with long vowel sounds, including two-syllable words. They have been practising how to identify long and short vowel sounds within words and when reading texts. Students have also been learning about the suffix ‘s’ to form plurals and applying this knowledge when reading. In addition, they have been introduced to new vowel digraphs such as /ar/ and /or/, helping them to decode and read a wider range of words with growing confidence.

Writing:

In Week 4 and Week 5, the Year 1 students have been learning how to understand and respond to stories they read and listen to, with a focus on fables and alliteration. Students have been practising listening carefully to stories, retelling fables using the beginning, middle and end, and explaining the moral or lesson of the story in their own words. They have also been thinking about how characters change throughout a story and identifying what makes a story a fable. In addition, students have been exploring alliteration by listening for words that begin with the same sound, finding examples in sentences, and creating their own fun alliterative phrases such as “silly snakes slide.” 

Maths:

Over the past two weeks in Maths, students have been exploring measurement through hands-on learning about mass and capacity. They used mathematical language such as heavier, lighter, holds more, and holds less while comparing and ordering different objects and containers.

In Week 4, students investigated mass by hefting objects, comparing which items were heavier or lighter, and using balance scales to explore equal and unequal mass. 

In Week 5, students explored capacity, comparing how much different containers could hold using water, sand and measuring containers. They practised identifying which containers held more, less, or the same amount, while building confidence explaining their mathematical thinking.

Integrated:

This week in Integrated and Additional Subjects, students have been exploring important wellbeing skills through our Respectful Relationships learning. They have been learning a range of strategies to help themselves feel calm and happy when needed, as well as recognising when they feel scared or worried and how to support themselves through these emotions. 

Students also continued developing their literacy skills by using a table of contents to locate different sections in a book. In addition, we explored toys used by First Nations peoples over time, helping students build an understanding of culture, history, and how play connects to family and community.

Home Learning:

Reading

• Read together each night and encourage your child to sound out words and spot tricky words.
• Practise tricky words. Encourage your child to read these words (located in their Term 1 home journal.

Writing 

• Read a favourite story or fable together and ask your child to retell the beginning, middle, and end.

• Talk about the moral or lesson of the story and what it teaches us.

• Discuss how the characters changed from the beginning to the end of the story.

• Play alliteration games by thinking of words that start with the same sound.

• Create fun alliterative phrases together, such as “busy bees buzz.”

• Look for words with the same beginning sound in books, signs, or around the home. 

Mathematics 

• Heavy or Light Hunt- Find 5 objects around the house and compare which are heavier or lighter. Use words like heavier, lighter and about the same.
• Capacity challenge- Use cups or containers in the kitchen or bath to explore which containers hold more or hold less.
• Compare the mass of different household items by carefully hefting (lifting) them. Predict first, then test.
• Collect containers from around the house and order them from the one that holds the least to the one that holds the most.