Prep Curriculum Newsletter
Reading
This term in reading students are learning a variety of skills and strategies that help them become proficient readers. One important aspect is building a love of reading. Students will be exposed to a wide range of engaging and diverse mentor texts. They will explore different genres, discover their interests, and develop a lifelong passion for reading.
Students will learn about the basic components of print, such as letters, words, sentences, and punctuation. They will explore ways to navigate a text, including how to read from left to right, top to bottom, and how to distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters.
Students will become detectives and use clues the author gives them such as the title and picture and their schema (things they already know) to make accurate predictions before reading the mentor text each week.
Writing
In writing, preps will practise the formation of letters. They will explore recounts, writing about something that we have done. Using our oral language area students will engage in the developmental play and write about this experience. When writing about the experience, preps begin with drawing a detailed picture, focusing on adding detail and using accurate colours. They are encouraged to label the picture recording the phonemes (sounds) that they can hear at the beginning and end of words. The final phase is to use the labels and illustrations to write a simple sentence about the experience.
Maths
In numeracy, preps will discover the world of numbers and how to recognize them instantly without counting, known as subitising. Through engaging activities and games, prep students will develop their ability to quickly identify the quantity of a small set of objects. They will also learn to recognise and write numbers, as well as understand their order and relationships. By building a strong foundation in number and subitising, prep students are developing essential skills that will support their mathematical understanding and problem-solving abilities.
Preps will also explore 2D shapes that include triangles, squares, rectangles, and circles.
Inquiry
In inquiry, we will be investigating ourselves and our families. We will be specifically looking at our family origins and traditional family celebrations. Then focussing on SuperMe! how to keep ourselves healthy and happy in everyday life.
Japanese
This term in Japanese, the Prep students are learning all about Japan including where it is, the flag and what kind of things are found in Japan. They will be making their own booklets to show interesting facts about Japan. The students are also learning classroom routines and phrases such as how to do the roll in Japanese and how to say “thank you” and “goodbye”. As the term progresses, students will participate in games and songs to build their vocabulary, specifically numbers.
Visual Arts
This term students in Prep are exploring the Visual Arts room as they play with and investigate the tools of drawing and painting. Students will be introduced to the elements of art – line, shape, and colour. They will learn about the different types of lines and geometric shapes as well as identifying primary colours as red, yellow and blue. Students will learn how to make marks on paper using a range of tools. They will also learn how to create imaginative 2D artworks that will be displayed for others to enjoy and appreciate.
Performing Arts
During Performing Arts classes in term one, Foundation students will be exploring the Performing Arts room - learning how to be safe in the space and working collaboratively with their new class mates. Preps will be exploring song and music through basic catchy tunes whilst playing various percussion instruments, as well as using drama and dance to share their ideas and stories.
Physical Education
In Prep PE classes, students focus on learning fundamental movement skills through play-based activities like running, jumping, throwing and catching. They will play basic games, while also developing social skills through team work and cooperation. The emphasis is on participation, enjoyment, and laying the foundation for a lifelong love of physical activity.
