Prep News
ENGLISH
Reading:
In Reading this term, the Prep students will be exploring the theme of the farm through both fiction and non-fiction texts. Students will learn about different aspects of farm life, animals, and farming practices by engaging with a variety of texts. As part of this unit, they will explore the features of fiction stories set on farms, such as characters, settings, and imaginative events, as well as non-fiction texts that present information about farms and animals. Students will use the pictures and titles to make predictions about each text, activate their prior knowledge of farm life, and practise retelling and sequencing key events or facts. Furthermore, the students will begin to engage with inferring characters’ feelings using text clues and their prior knowledge, as well as making connections to texts.
Students will continue to learn high-frequency and CVC words. Knowing these words by sight enables students to confidently read texts and then use other strategies (like looking at the picture or using the initial sound) to read more challenging words. The students will also be practicing their knowledge of high frequency words in read-aloud, independent reading, games and focus groups.
Writing:
In Writing, the Prep students will continue their work on writing about a recount of an experience that has happened, utilising the elements of who, what, when and where. The students will also learn how to write a narrative, with a focus on retelling narratives that they have been exposed to during Reading. They will then use these skills to develop and write their own narratives, including a beginning, middle and end by following the steps of the writing process: generating an idea, drawing it, then using the elements of the 4ws to write their recount.
They will also be focusing on during their writing sessions, how to hold their pencil correctly, and how capital letters are used for names and the beginning of sentences, and full stops/punctuation marks signal the end of a sentence.
MATHEMATICS
In Maths, students will be learning to name, represent and order numbers from zero to at least 20 using a range of materials such as counters, number lines and digital tools. They will explore addition and subtraction in real-life situations, including simple money problems, using counting and subitising strategies with hands-on resources. Students will also learn about equal sharing and grouping, using objects and pictures to solve problems. They will follow short sequences of instructions and investigate patterns by copying, continuing and creating simple repeating patterns using colours, shapes or movements. Students will collect, sort and compare data using objects and images to answer yes/no questions related to everyday situations. They will also identify and compare measurable attributes such as length, capacity, mass and time by making direct comparisons and explaining their reasoning.
INQUIRY
The title of this term's inquiry unit is called ‘My special Place’ and the learning area covered is Geography. Through creative and critical thinking, the students will discover that people care for places that are important to them. Through questioning and exploring the students will answer the following key questions: What makes a place special? And how can we look after our classroom/bedroom/home? The students will explore places that are special to them, and we will discuss how we can take care of those places and why we should take care of them.
SCIENCE
Welcome to Term 4 Science!
This term, our Grade Prep students will be focusing on the Chemical Science strand, where they will learn that objects are made from different materials that have observable properties. This unit is designed to build curiosity, encourage observation skills, and lay the foundation for scientific thinking through fun, practical experiences.
Through engaging, hands-on experiences, students will explore a variety of materials and objects, learning to describe and group them based on physical features such as big or small, hard or soft, and rough or smooth. They will begin to understand why certain materials are chosen for particular purposes, such as soft and fluffy materials being suited to cushions, while hard and strong materials are ideal for construction. Students will also investigate how different materials respond to water and explore which types are best suited for sunny or wet weather, developing their understanding of material suitability in real-world contexts. As part of their learning, students will also be participating in making small projects that showcase different materials and their properties, allowing them to apply their knowledge in creative and practical ways.
We’re looking forward to an exciting and explorative term of science!
LOTE - AUSLAN
Welcome to Auslan Term 4! In Grade Prep, the focus will be on the following topics:
People, Sports, Mealtimes, Time, Occupations, Seasons, Handshapes #2, Storytelling and Celebrations. In the final lesson we will see interviews with Deaf people discussing their deafness, family, early life (Deaf Culture) etc and we also will revisit games and lessons that the students enjoyed through the term.
Other core elements of Auslan, such as Constructed Action (mime) and Depicting Signs (representing people, animals and vehicles), Handshapes, Fingerspelling and Facial Expression, will be taught and modelled, showing how they are essential parts of Auslan communication.
This final term for the year will build on previous skills and extend student communication in Auslan. Learning a language requires immersion, repetition, sequential learning where topics build on each other to expand the learner’s knowledge, confidence, and comfort with the new language.
With young Primary School students, fun activities practising new learning is a priority, as their interest in the Auslan language develops. Songs and poems support the activities and learning.
ART
Welcome to Art for Term 4. This term, the Preps will be using and exploring the element of texture in their artworks. They will combine this element with the other elements we have covered throughout the year. They will also make mixed media artworks using a combination of different materials. Their work will focus on using and refining a range of skills that have been covered in previous terms. Indigenous Art will also be incorporated into some sessions.
Lots of experimentation, discussion and play will take place as we explore wonderful creative possibilities. We have a very exciting time ahead, in our final term in Prep Art.
P.E
This term our Prep students will be finishing the year by building on their fundamental motor skills. We will be practising dodging, throwing and introducing kicking through lots of fun games and activities. The focus will be on helping students feel confident using their skills in different settings and enjoying being active together. Towards the end of the term, students will also take part in our House Colours Day, where they can dress up in their house colours, join in a range of fun activities and celebrate the end of the year with their classmates.