Grade 1 News

Dear Year 1 Families,

English

In English, this term, we have started learning alternate spelling patterns for different sounds. For example, students have been creating tables, sentences, and texts with words containing various spellings of the long ‘a’ and ‘e’ sounds. Spellings we have focused on include: /a/, /ay/, /ai/, /a_e/, /e/, /ee/, /ea/ and  /- - y/. 

Talk For Writing 

In our second hour of English, students have begun exploring information texts. They are currently learning to recite and act out an information text all about Merpeople. Our students have engaged wonderfully in the lessons and have begun learning about ways we can add more information to our texts using adding words (also, additionally) and generalisers (some, most). We are so proud of our students' writing journey and hope they continue to love our Talk for Writing lessons!

Core Knowledge / Literature 

In Literature, we have focused on the text Feathers for Phoebe, we learned about characters inside and outside traits and focused on using adjectives to help develop our understanding of how authors develop characters. We then moved onto identifying the features of fiction and nonfiction texts, and compared Feathers for Phoebe with an information text about toucans. Students were able to identify the differences and similarities of the texts which will further help them when writing information reports in Talk for Writing. 

From Literature, we moved to Core Knowledge. We have begun a new unit on ‘Animals and their Habitats’. Students are focusing on describing the needs of living things and analysing different habitats to determine what needs the animals that live there have. During this unit, we are working with students to bank facts about animals and habitats to later assist them in writing their own information text. 

Maths 

At the beginning of term, students were focusing on creating equal groups and partitioning shapes into equal parts. Our students excelled in this area, so we began to teach them the concept of fractions, introducing them to vocabulary such as halves and quarters. Our students loved folding different shapes into equal parts and identifying the fraction they were creating.

We have recently begun a new unit where students are developing their understanding of ‘Calendars and Time’. We are working on reading calendars and clocks and linking this knowledge to duration. Students have engaged in whole class activities where they have analysed calendars from future years and answer worded problems to match. 

Things to work on at home: 

English:

• Please continue to encourage your child to read every night and bring their diary to school each day
• Provide students with words that contain alternate spellings of the sounds /ay/ and /ee/ (e.g. pain, play, lady, pancake, she, green, beach, happy)
• Ask your child to practise reciting the Merpeople text, using the image above to assist

Maths:

• Practise folding shapes or sharing collections into equal parts
• Every day, ask your child to identify the day, date, month, and year using a calendar. You may even want to ask questions such as: What date is 5 days before the 20th of October?

Reminders: 

• Please don’t forget to send your child to school with hats this term
• The Colour Run is tomorrow on the 31st of October - please wear black or white clothes and comfortable, enclosed running shoes. No school uniform.
• Next week: Monday the 3rd of November and Tuesday the 4th of November are student free days, the school will be closed. 
• Our excursion to the aquarium is also next week on Wednesday the 5th of November. Please ensure your child is sent to school in full school uniform 

If you have any questions or would like to chat, feel free to reach out to your child’s classroom teacher

Thank you for your ongoing support,

Grade One Team.