Year 1 News
English
Reading
During Term 2, students will be learning how good readers ask questions before, during and after reading to help them make meaning from a text. They will have the opportunity to write or say any questions they have about texts, to strengthen their understanding of the text and to help them look for answers in their reading. They will be learning about new vocabulary and strategies they can use to help clarify unfamiliar words in a text, such as technical words e.g. hatch, scales, diet, mammal.
Students will continue to focus on retelling fiction and non-fiction texts to strengthen their understanding of this comprehension skill. They will also work on making meaningful connections. These connections include text to self connections, where they connect the story to their own personal experiences, and text to text connections where they connect a text to another text they have read before. When reading non-fiction texts, students will be exploring the different structures and features eg. headings & subheadings, contents page, glossary, pictures/diagrams and captions.
Students will continue to work on fluency, word solving strategies and the phonological awareness skills of blending, segmenting and manipulating the sounds in words to read and process texts.
Writing
Grade 1 students will start Term 2 looking at Information Reports. Students will learn that information reports contain facts about a specific topic. They will also be introduced to the structure of an information report such as title, classification, facts and diagrams. Students will be given multiple opportunities to learn new information about different topics and be supported through the writing process. They will make a number of booklets where students will record facts about different topics and add diagrams to match. Towards the end of Term 2, students will spend a few weeks looking at Procedural Texts. Students will participate in a range of procedures and then work together to write them up. They will learn to understand that procedural texts include a title, goal, materials and steps.
Mathematics
Grade 1 students will begin Term 2 learning about Money where students will explore the variety of Australian coins we use in everyday life. They will be introduced to the names and the features of the Australian coins. Then after the first few weeks students will begin learning about Addition and Subtraction and Length. Within the length lessons students will be required to use an informal unit to measure objects in the classroom. The Addition and Subtraction unit will be the main focus for the term as this is a pivotal part to all other areas of mathematics. The students will learn to use a number of different strategies such as; count all, count on, and known facts to solve simple addition and subtraction problems and scenarios.
The last few weeks of Term 2, we will be focusing on different 2D shapes, including the number of sides and corners on each one.
Furthermore, counting will continue to be an ongoing focus throughout the term, with students working on individual counting goals which they are practising with a ‘maths mate’, using materials. With a intervention hour during each week focused on the individual students needs for Place Value.
Science
Welcome to term 2 Science where the Grade 1 students will be focusing on the Earth and Space Science strand and learning that Earth’s resources are used in a variety of ways.
Students will investigate and identify the Earth’s resources, with a focus on water and soil, and will explore and describe how they are used in our school community and in the home.
Through various investigations and activities, students will explore how a resource such as water is transferred from its source to its point of use, consider what might happen to humans if there were a change in the availability of water as a resource, and identify actions, such as turning off dripping taps, which can save water.
LOTE-Chinese
I would like to welcome back the Grade 1 students to Chinese for this term. In term 2, students will start with revision of what we have learnt in term 1, including Greetings: Hello, Goodbye, Thank you and You’re welcome; Numbers 1-10, and Days of the week in Chinese. After this, students will be learning greetings such as Good morning, Good afternoon and Good evening. We will also be covering how to say the four seasons in Chinese, and then Grade 1 will focus on how to pronounce the names for family members for the rest of the term.
Art
This term, the Year 1s are going to explore line in more detail, and continue to deepen their understanding of colour. We will work with a range of materials, including charcoal, clay, paint and textiles. Our creations will involve the use of skills such as non-dominant hand drawing, painting methods, stitching, observational drawing, and digital art practices.
We will further examine and flesh out our big question, ‘What is ART?’, through questioning, mind mapping, and the study of Australian artists from Spinifex Arts Project and our local community, Asian-American artist Chanel Miller and the vastly influential David Hockney. Students will have numerous opportunities to consider, create and reflect in our exciting art room. It has been impressive to see the Year 1s take greater initiative and continue to express their joy in making so far this year!
P.E.
This term the grade prep students are looking to build on the learning they completed in PE at the end of term 1. Students will be looking at moving the body and understanding how to control their movements, they will do this through dance/music, games and some sports throughout term 2. Students in grade prep will spend the first half of term 2 developing and understanding their movement and control of their body. An understanding of moving the body will then follow into fundamental motor skill development for our students. They will spend the second half of term 2 developing throwing and catching skills using different objects and working on correct technique when throwing underarm and catching with two hands. It should be an amazing term 2 for the grade preps and some exciting learning will take place, I look forward to working with each of the students and helping them develop their skills in physical education.