Middle Learning News
We continue to develop routines in our Year 2/3 space this fortnight. Most students are entering each day with the requirements (reading folder, drink bottle and fruit break) so keep up the fabulous effort!
This fortnight during phonics lessons, we have focused on the long vowel a sound, particularly ‘ai’ like in train. Some students also investigated alternative spellings when unusual letter combinations make this sound. Words such as beige (ei) and ballet (et). Students have also been working on ‘igh’ as in light, being very attentive to search for this spelling combination during their reading. As part of morphology learning, students added the suffixes s and ing. We questioned why some words required doubling of the final letter (swim-swimming) and some did not (open-opening).
The triple one rule clarified this:
1. The word must have one syllable
2. Must contain one short vowel sound
3. Only one consonant at the end.
Students enjoyed applying this rule and tried to trick one another.
During writing sessions this week, continued to ensure the correct use of capital letters. They are also learning to adopt some self-editing techniques which involves reading their writing out loud upon completion to hear that it makes sense. As we emphasise the importance of mistakes, students have been encouraged to make their own improvements to their work once receiving guidance from the teacher.
As part of literacy and inquiry learning, students were posed the question, What does smart mean? Initially, responses did not extend beyond being a ‘good’ reader, writer and knowing lots of math. Thankfully, after reading All the Ways to Be Smart over the week, students have recognised that our cohort has many different examples of being smart. Students recognised some of the following:
Smart is being kind.
Smart is having a creative imagination.
Smart is having a go when you are scared.
Smart is being able to create craft.
Smart is saying hello and speaking in front of a crowd.
Smart is asking lots of questions.
As we continue to delve into our personal capabilities through our inquiry, Who am I? How can I be a successful learner? First, we found out about the processes in our brain when we are learning. We read Our Fantastic Elastic Brain, which taught us about the different parts of our brain and that trying, making mistakes, and practising are all part of the learning process.
Students also created a writing piece, The Best Part of Me, as a way to identify their strengths.
Mathematics
Our mathematics learning this fortnight has involved place value. Students have represented numbers using bundling sticks and place value blocks to help them understand this concept. Students are consolidating their understanding that as numbers grow, a new place is introduced. They are also participating in activities to understand that each digit within the number has a particular value. Students challenged each other to make the smallest or largest possible number using the same digits. They have also been representing numbers in their expanded form.
Religion:
Students have created a beautiful prayer routine in our space that involves a meditation and prayer session after recess time. Our prayer monitors are doing a wonderful job leading us during this time. During our religious education lessons, we are learning about the different ways to pray. Through the unit, students will reflect on why we pray and how we pray. What does it look like? Who are we praying to? This fortnight, we focused on formal and informal prayer. As we learned about the purpose of prayer, students were introduced to prayers of thanks, sorry, petition and praise. They had a go at writing their own and learned a new formal prayer of thanks.
Some students also shared some Show and Tell in our space this fortnight. If your child would like to do this please send me a photo of their item or photos from an event via email or on Dojo rather than bring their item to school. This is a great time to celebrate individual achievements and allow students to gain some self-confidence.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!
Miss Gab