1/2 A Mainstream 

What we have been up to: 

Over the last couple of weeks the Year 1/2 Mainstream students have continued to extend their bug knowledge by engaging in research about a chosen bug using our classroom iPads. It was great to see students develop some helpful research skills. We learnt how to search for key words and questions and how to choose a video or article that was going to be appropriate for their age group.

Maths:

Students have thoroughly enjoyed learning about giving and following directions. They have been introduced to directional language and how to be clear when giving instructions. They then applied this knowledge to coding a Scratch game that you could play, allowing a little character to move through a space! 

In our numeracy lessons, we have continued to explore addition and subtraction. As we develop our skills and understanding of these concepts, our goal is to use different and more efficient strategies to join numbers together. Students are beginning to explore the relationship between basic addition and subtraction facts to larger numbers and how they can help us mentally solve addition and subtraction of two and three digit numbers. We then applied this knowledge to learning vertical addition. 

Literacy:

As part of our phonics program we revised Little Learners Love Literacy Stages 7.2 and then began Little Learners Love Literacy  Stage 7.3 sounds. These sounds included: oo as in goose, le as in Little, ow as in brown, and ou as in couch.

What’s to come in the next two weeks:

• We are continuing with Little Learners Love Literacy  Stage 7.3 sounds and starting to explore procedure (How to) text typies, you may want to support this learning at home by following recipes or how to make different crafts.
• We will continue developing our understanding of addition and work towards a deeper understanding of subtraction. You could support this work by practising the basic addition facts at home. Generate the facts by using a pack of playing cards with the royals taken out. Flip two cards and add them together. If you want to make this Addition Snap, the fastest person to add the two numbers together wins the cards. Person with all the cards at the end of the game WINS! 
• We would greatly appreciate you checking to make sure your child is swapping their take home reading book. Reading at home every night helps your children to become confident and strong readers.
• Make sure you are using the photos in our newsletters to stimulate conversation about school and learning!

Steph