Learning News K/1

Writing 

For the next few weeks, we will be focusing on writing descriptions of settings. We will use our 5 senses to describe the setting in detail. What can the character see/feel/taste/hear/smell while in this setting?

Our topics for the next few weeks:

Week 7 - A forest 

Week 8 - A farm 

Week 9 - A jungle 

Week 10 - A special place 

Maths 

In Kindergarten next week, we will be starting our new topic. We will be learning to recognise, describe and continue repeating patterns. Here are some tips to practise at home for the next week!

• identify and discuss patterns in and around your home such as lounge or bed linen material colours or shapes. For example, blue square – yellow circle, blue square – yellow circle, blue square – yellow circle
• Gather collections of small items to make patterns (e.g., buttons and coins; spoons of two sizes; crayons and markers). Take turns arranging the
• objects in a pattern for the other to describe and tell what comes next. For example: coin, coin, button, ...; big spoon, small spoon, ...; crayon, marker, marker…)
• singing songs, creating dances and readings books with repeating, rhyming or rhythmic numbers, such as There were 10 in the bed 
• noticing patterns in nature, for example a beehive, petals on a flower
• point out and talk about patterns around you, or in books. Look at wrapping paper or wall paper options. Discuss decorative patterns on posters and boxes.
• Point out repeating patterns in the daily routine: after fruit time there is always a story at school.
• Sing songs where there is a pattern, such as the same line or chorus repeated.
• Point out patterns in action songs or dances.
• Read stories and sing songs where there is a pattern of numbers going up or down.
• Make a staircase pattern with lego bricks, dominoes or tiles and ask children to continue it.

Year 1 have begun their new unit all about sharing or grouping to solve division problems. They will focus on this topic until the end of Week 8. Here are some things to practise at home!

• Ask your child to practise division by sharing objects equally. For example, share 8 objects into 2 equal groups. Using objects such as your child's toys, items of food, or buttons helps them visualise what the calculation means and keeps them interested. 
• Ask your child to find out how many objects there are to begin with. Can they share the objects equally between the two of you? Help them to share objects one at a time between the two groups. When all the objects have been shared, ask your child how many there are in each group. If you have the same number, explain that your child has shared the objects equally into two groups which is the same as dividing by two.
• If you do not have the same number, ask your child if the objects have been shared equally. For example, "We started with 11 objects and shared them into two groups. I have 6 objects and you have 5 objects. Are they equal? If they are not equal, then 11 cannot be shared equally into two groups so 11 cannot be divided by 2 equally using whole numbers or objects."

Science 

We have been very busy in Science, learning all about sounds. We have been focusing on how sound waves travel through objects, even though we may not always see them! Here are some photos of our Spoon Sound Waves experiment.