Grade 1

Literacy

Over the past fortnight, students have continued to strengthen their reading and spelling skills through targeted phonics instruction and word study. In Week 9, we focused on learning and consolidating vowel sound patterns, including ear (as in ear), eer (as in cheer), and air (as in hair). Students practised identifying these sounds in words, reading them fluently, and using them correctly in sentences. Word sorting, reading activities, and guided practice supported students in recognising how these vowel patterns can make similar sounds despite being spelled differently.

In Week 10, our learning built on spelling rules and sound patterns that support accurate reading and writing. Students explored _are (as in beware), _dge (as in bridge) and _ge (as in cage), discussing when each spelling is used. We also focused on _tch (as in catch) and _ch (as in lunch), learning how _tch is typically used after a short vowel sound. Through hands-on activities, reading practice, and sentence writing, students applied these spelling patterns with increasing confidence. It has been wonderful to see their growing independence and enthusiasm as they continue to develop strong literacy skills.

Writing

In Weeks 9 and 10, our Grade 1 students extended their writing skills through imaginative and persuasive texts. In Week 9, students continued their study of Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox, focusing on similes, characters, settings, and emotions. They identified and created simile sentences using sentence stems, explored how characters felt through their actions and words, and planned a short narrative with a clear beginning and ending. Students used story maps and visual supports to plan and write their own imaginative stories.

In Week 10, students shifted their focus to persuasive writing. They learnt how high-modality words such as must and definitely make opinions stronger and revised sentence types including statements, questions, commands, and exclamations. Students planned and wrote a persuasive paragraph using a clear structure with an opinion, supporting reasons, and a concluding statement, applying strong words and correct punctuation to convince their audience.

Maths

In Week 9, Students built on their understanding of addition and subtraction within 20. Students learned to add numbers within 20 by partitioning an addend. They practised breaking numbers into tens and ones to help make addition easier. Using this strategy, students wrote addition equations and explored how numbers can be partitioned in different ways. Students also applied the partitioning strategy to solve both addition and subtraction problems within 20, using hands-on materials and visual models to support their thinking.

In Week 10, students learned to compare and order numbers to 99 using hands-on materials and games such as Number Battle. They practised identifying and matching two-digit numbers represented in different ways and played Race to 100 using unifix cubes to support their thinking. Students then extended their learning to represent numbers to 120 using base-10 blocks and a place value chart, writing the matching numerals. In group activities such as Traffic Lights, students identified the value of a digit based on its place value.

Through these activities, students consolidated their conceptual understanding of number and place value, developing accuracy when working with addition, subtraction and number representations up to 120.