Kinder/Year 1

This term, our kinder English program has been an exciting mix of inquiry and hands-on learning as we have been exploring the art of questioning. Students are learning to identify and use question words (who, what, when, where, why, and how) and how to distinguish between sentences that are questions or statements. 

Our learning came to life with the impending arrival of our spiny leaf insect. This special guest has provided a fantastic real-world context for our literacy work.

First, students had to ask questions about how we would care for her. Then they had to learn the steps to care for her using specific vocabulary such as ‘mesh enclosure’, ‘gum leaves’, and ‘mist’. After that, they used procedural language, e.g., “First, we put newspaper in the base of the enclosure. Next, we put leaves in a jar of water.”

It has been wonderful to watch the children’s curiosity flourish as they have engaged with this topic.  Please keep an eye out in your child’s home folder, as we hope every child will have the chance to bring in some fresh gum leaves for Spiny to keep her healthy. (Yes, Spiny is a girl. This has also given us great practise at using the pronouns her and she in the correct context.) 

We have used yes/no buttons to answer questions, posed questions about Tesla’s lamp, and now are exploring quality literature texts to continue our questioning journey. 

In our 1/2 side of the classroom, we have been immersed in the world of poetry! Students have been exploring how to use language creatively to express their ideas and emotions. We have been learning about various poetic devices, such as rhythm, repetition, alliteration, and imagery, to bring our writing to life. The students have enjoyed experimenting with different poetry forms, including Haiku, Cinquain, and Diamante poems, and are gaining confidence in their ability to play with words. It has been a wonderful way to build our vocabulary and understanding of how we can use text to entertain and inform. Feel free to ask your child about the poems they have been writing! We have included some for your enjoyment. 

ENE-CWT-01

A student creates written texts that include at least 2 related ideas and correct simple sentences.

EN1-CWT-01

A student plans, creates and revises texts written for different purposes, including paragraphs, using knowledge of vocabulary, text features and sentence structure.