Year 2

Hello Year 2 families,

It was so lovely to see the children come back from the Easter break full of energy and ready to learn! Everyone was excited to be back with their friends and teacher, and they had lots of holiday stories to share.

We're excited to start another term of learning, shared experiences, and collaborative teamwork, especially as we delve into our exciting upcoming STEAM projects. We’re so proud of them and can’t wait for another great term ahead!

English

This term in English, our literacy learning will be closely connected to our Inquiry topic of Community. Students will engage in informative reading about communities and the people who help them work together and support one another. We will explore mentor texts such as A Map of Me and A Bus Called Heaven, using these stories to deepen our understanding of belonging, place, and the roles individuals play within a community. 

Students will also explore a variety of writing genres. Through a letter-writing task, they will learn about the purpose of communication by writing and posting a letter to themselves, helping them understand how the postal service works. In addition, students will develop their persuasive writing skills by expressing their opinions on which places and community helpers are important for a community, and explaining their reasoning. 

Mathematics 

So far this year, we have been exploring number properties, place value, and counting. Students have been busy making, discussing, and ordering two- and three-digit numbers, while also noticing and identifying observable patterns.

In Term 2, we’ve continued to build on our understanding of number and place value. Soon, we will begin learning about addition and subtraction. Students will use manipulatives such as Unifix cubes, alongside their growing knowledge of place value, to support their learning.

Later this term, we will be exploring measurement using informal units, as well as the language of direction and position through the use of maps. These skills will also be applied as part of our ongoing STEAM project. We will also be learning about shape and length, further developing students’ understanding of measurement and spatial awareness. 

MSL

This term, we have continued with our Multisensory Structured Language (MSL) approach to literacy learning. Students have really enjoyed the structure of these sessions and have shown great progress in their phonics knowledge and confidence in reading and spelling. As we move forward, we will be building on the sounds and letters we've already covered, while introducing more complex sound work. In writing, students are focusing on segmenting words into their smallest sound units and applying the correct letters to represent these sounds accurately.

Term 2 topics :

• Two sounds of s: Smell the rose with my nose
• Long ō Sound: oa, ow, oe
• Multiple Spellings for /or/ or, au, ore, oor, our, oar 
• Plural Nouns: Regular vs Irregular 
• ie 2 sounds: Pie Piece
• ei 3 sounds: Seize the Rein in a Heist
• Schwa sounds (The schwa is the most common sound in the English language, even though most people have never heard of it! It is a weak “uh” sound that can be spelled using any vowel)

STEAM 

This term in STEAM our Year 2 students are exploring the topic of Communities, learning what a community is and why different people and places are important. We will also explore the difference between what a community needs and what it wants.

As part of our learning, students will investigate the roles of community helpers, the importance of public spaces such as parks and libraries, and the different buildings and structures found in a community.

To support this learning, we will visit Cheltenham Library and take a walk around our local area. During this excursion, students will explore shops along Charman Road, including the op shop, fruit shop and Bakers Delight, helping them understand how people and businesses contribute to a strong community.

Students will then apply their knowledge by working collaboratively to design and build their own model community. Using recycled materials, craft supplies and their imagination, they will create miniature features such as houses, schools, hospitals and fire stations.