Year 1 Term 3  Overviews

Dear Year 1 Families

Welcome back to Term 3!!

Year 1 students have exhibited their clear understanding of the routines and values at DCC in the first few weeks back and have jumped straight back into their learning.  Below, you will find a brief outline of the core curriculum areas and what your children will be learning about this term. We encourage you to have ongoing conversations with your children about the content below in order to strengthen their learning in each learning space. 

Reading:

Reading will be a priority for all Year 1 students with a larger emphasis on comprehension of texts (understanding) and text features. This term, students will be focusing on using comprehension strategies to make predictions, inferences and summarising the text that they have been reading. Through fiction and Non-fiction text students will learn to understand how the author has presented their ideas in different ways. Students will focus on making inferences from using picture clues and characters feelings. Each week students will use different text types to learn how dialogue has been used to identify how characters are feeling. While engaging in non-fiction texts students will also focus on questioning (asking questions and finding key information), summarising (relaying the key facts about a topic), visualising (what the fact looks like) and decoding. To support the development of reading, students will engage in daily guided reading sessions, reading conferences, buddy reading, and independent reading. 

Writing:

In Writing, students will explore two different text types- Persuasive texts and Realistic fiction. They will use mentor texts to observe how authors organise ideas, make purposeful word choices, and apply punctuation to create engaging texts. Students will have the opportunity to learn how authors structure their ideas into simple sentences using basic noun groups, verb groups, and phrases. Use adjectives to describe qualities or features and strengthen their arguments. Connect ideas using conjunctions such as but, so, and because. Experiment with different sentence lengths and punctuation to add interest and fluency. Revise their writing to include descriptive words and improve clarity. Students will write short, engaging texts that also provide relevant information to express feelings and opinions about people, places, or situations. Students will use illustrations to support their writing and communicate ideas. Students will be learning to present their ideas to the audience and what information the reader needs. Each week, students will also engage in explicit  phonics lessons and handwriting practice to strengthen their understanding of spelling patterns and improve letter formation.

Mathematics:

In Maths, students will acquire and record data for categorical variables in various ways including using digital tools, objects, images, drawings, lists, tally marks and symbols. Students represent collected data for a categorical variable using one-to-one displays and digital tools where appropriate; compare the data using frequencies and discuss the findings. Students will  engage in creating and asking their own questions in order to collect information/data, then create pictographs/bar graphs/Tally charts to represent the data collected. Students will also be exposed to analysing different types of data sets.  Students will compare objects and events both directly (by looking at or measuring them) and indirectly (by using a third object or standard to compare). They will also practise explaining their thinking—using words to describe why something is longer, heavier, holds more, or lasts longer. This builds important skills in observation, comparison, and clear communication. Students will explore and understand shapes they see every day.  Students will learn to add and subtract one- and two-digit numbers, and solve problems by writing number sentences. Students will also use part-part-whole reasoning—understanding how numbers can be broken into parts and put back together—to help them solve problems. They'll explore different strategies like counting on, using doubles, or making ten. The focus is on building flexible thinking and confidence in solving number problems. Students will learn to recognise, represent, and put numbers in order using tools like blocks, counters, number lines, and hundreds charts. They’ll practice reading and writing numerals and explore how numbers grow and relate to each other. These activities help build a strong number sense and prepare students for more complex math in the future.

SEL (Social and Emotional Learning):

In SEL this term students will be focusing on developing an awareness of positive and negative gender norms, identifying and practising respectful and gender-friendly behaviours. Students will be exploring different ways to form friendships regardless of different opinions, ideas, likes and dislikes. Students will identify different ways to show compassion towards other people through their actions and reactions.  Students will practice compassion in their daily actions, such as performing acts of kindness, and engage in discussions and reflections that promote empathy and respect for diversity. This will be explored through the PATHS, Respectful Relationships, Calendar Events and Berry Street Program.

Unit of Inquiry - Environmental Sustainability 

This term, students will explore the importance of community and how it helps people to feel safe and secure. Through this unit, students will have a chance to participate in identifying places that are significant. Students will explore the different communities they belong to and what different places there are that make one community. At the end of this unit, students will have a chance to design and build a community that meets the needs of the people through communicating their ideas and reasons why they make particular choices that reflect our environments. 

Ways to Help Your Child At Home: 

Home Reading - Our Home Reading program continues. The expectation is for your child to read their take home book 5 nights a week, answer some comprehension questions that an older family member asks them and record the title, date and a comment in the yellow reading journal themselves. Take home books are for enjoyment and for your child to practise their reading strategies, and are not meant to be a challenging task for your child. 

Learning Apps - Your child can use Wushka for levelled texts to support their home reading. IXL can be used to support literacy and numeracy at home, and practice the skills that are being taught in the classroom. There are content specific tasks as well as fun games that students can play to help support learning. Classroom teachers will be using Seesaw to share learning and achievements with families. Each week a Student of The Week will be celebrated with families, as well as PATHs kid compliments sent to PATHs kid of the week. Teachers will also be sharing with families a learning experience each week to provide insight into what students are exploring and learning about in our classrooms. Please contact your child’s teacher if you need any assistance in accessing any of these learning platforms.

Library - Library sessions have begun this term for Year 1. Each week your child will have the opportunity to go to our school library, explore different books, and borrow a book. Please ensure your child has a library bag or satchel they can use in order to be able to borrow a book. Books must be returned each week before a new book can be borrowed.

Thank you for your continued support with your child’s learning. 

Year 1 Team