Curriculum News
English
Reading and Viewing
In Reading, we will be continuing to expand our phonological awareness, including digraphs, syllables and rhyming words. We will be continuing to use a combination of our Jolly Phonics and SMART Foundation to achieve this. The students will work through blending these sounds together to read words, as well as manipulating the sounds to make new words ie. changing cat to bat. We will also be looking at comprehension skills, including retelling what we have read and identifying punctuation and sight words in texts. These concepts will come under the areas of thinking within the text, beyond the text and about the text.
Writing
In Writing, students will continue to experiment with writing features such as spaces between words, capital letters and fullstops. We will be introducing differents forms of punctuation, that we can use in our writing, while we explore ways to use our writing for entertaining people - ie. writing simple alliteration poems. We will also be using experiences the students participate in to explore different forms of writing. ie. writing to inform about our swimming lessons. The students will also participate in formal handwriting lessons during the term and learn about upper and lower case letters and using a base line when writing.
Speaking and Listening
The students will complete activities that focus on improving their oral language skills during Literacy activities. These will focus on increasing vocabulary, listening, turning taking and the correct formation of sentences when speaking. From Week 3, students continue to practise speaking in front of their peers through our Language Experience Program. Please see the end of this newsletter for a roster of Language Experience topics for the term.
Please note that, as explained in my fortnightly catch up emails, Literacy Helpers will begin in Week 4 of Term 2, due to our swimming program running in Weeks 2 & 3. If you would like to help out and have not emailed Suzie to let her know your availability please do so. A roster will be completed and emailed to all volunteers in Week 2, ready to start Week 4. Thank you to those parents who are able to help out, it is greatly appreciated.
Mathematics
Number and Algebra
In Term 2, Foundation students will continue to develop their skills in counting, identifying and ordering numbers. Students will also learn practical strategies to solve simple addition problems. They will continue to work through Addition and Subtraction Mental strategies, with the main focus being on subitising - the automatic recall of the amount of a collection of items. This will begin with structure patterns of numbers but then move to random patterns. These will help students identify the values of numbers and will assist them with their addition strategies.
Measurement and Geometry
In Measurement and Geometry, Foundation students will sort, describe and name 2D shapes. Students will also explore measuring length by making direct and indirect comparisons to decide which object is longer and explaining their reasoning.
Statistics and Probability
During the first few weeks of school the students will explore data collections - in terms of getting to know each other i.e. favourite colour. We will continue to explore answering yes and no questions and collating this data throughout the term. These questions will be relevant to the students so they can see the purpose in collecting and using data. i.e. Do you feel confident with subitising tens frames? Yes/No.
Inquiry/RE
In Inquiry, students will be focusing on the big concept of ‘Change’. We will be answering some of the following questions:
- What are everyday materials?
- Where can we find them?
- What are the properties of different materials?
- How do their properties affect how they are used?
We will be conducting investigations where we investigate the different properties of materials and how they change. i.e. what happens to paper when it gets wet? Will paper be a good material for shoes?
We will begin our term looking at the Resurrection of Jesus and what this means for us. We will be discussing what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus and how can we change to be more like Jesus? We will be using scripture passages to find out how Jesus wants us to live, connecting our understanding to the Holy Spirit and Pentecost with a major focus on forgiveness and change.
Wellbeing
In our Social and Emotional Learning sessions this term, the students will be exploring and developing their understanding of what it means to be a friend, the qualities of being a friend, what makes a good friendship and fair play. Through these lessons the students will explore how we can make good choices, understand their emotions and how to change negative emotions into positive emotions. These will be taught through the Life Education Program, the Respectful Relationships Program as well as the use of the Zones of Regulations.