Term 3 Week 6

Hello,

We hope that you are all well and have been able to get out in the sun on the weekend.

100 days of Prep

Thank you for all you did to make this day special for the Preps. It was wonderful to see their smiling faces.

Have a look out in the newsletter next week and on the school Facebook page to see if there is anybody you recognise.

Codes

Our new codes for this week are 'ng' as in 'king' and 'ea' as in 'meat'. They will be introduced on different days as they make different sounds.

We will be using both the Reading and Spelling tools throughout the week. After the children have used the tools each day, please get them to take a photo of the words they have written and then record themselves reading the words.

We are observing an improvement in the Preps handwriting and are seeing many more letters being formed using the correct starting points.

Literacy

Our focus this week is on poems and rhymes, in particular, those of poet and author Michael Rosen. The Preps will be responding to different poems in a range of ways. This will give your child an opportunity to consolidate and demonstrate their understanding of rhyme which is an important component of phonological awareness. In Prep, we expect the children to be able to listen to two words and identify whether they rhyme or not, and provide a rhyming word for a given word. For example, I might say ‘bring’ and ‘break’ and ask the child to tell me whether those two words rhyme, or give them the word ‘jump’ and ask them to provide a word that rhymes with it. Focusing on poems and rhymes will also give the Preps an opportunity to practise reading aloud with fluency and expression.

The Preps will be practising their ‘retell’ skills and retelling the narrative poem ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’. The ability to retell the main events in a story is an important skill and is part of the reading assessments we complete on the Preps.

During the week we will be exploring poems and rhymes that reinforce our two new codes ‘ng’ and ‘ea’.

On Friday we will be focusing on the Oxford high frequency words. We have noted that many of the Preps are becoming more familiar with these words which is supporting their reading progress.

Numeracy

This week we will be introducing subtraction. We will explore different names for subtraction and understand how it is the opposite of addition. Students will use hands on materials to show their understanding. We will also be looking at worded problems to allow students to use their reading and comprehension skills while also applying subtraction skills. Here are some reasons why worded problems are an integral part of students mathematical learning;

To see how Maths applies to the real world
To develop higher order and critical thinking skills
To simultaneously apply different Maths concepts
To show how Maths can be creative

We will also be revisiting measurement by looking at comparative language. Students will use comparative language when they are describing length, height and weight, for example "longer than".

NOTE: For Friday's Maths activity students will need play-dough. If you don’t have any at home, here is a link to an easy recipe

www.thebestideasforkids.com/playdough-recipe/

Unit of Inquiry

Over the last few weeks we have been looking at how climate influences the way houses are built. This week we are going to move from how homes are built to how people live in their homes.

We want students to begin to understand that the purpose of homes is the same all around the world, however the way people live in their homes may differ. For example, we all need somewhere to clean ourselves, cook food and sleep however the way we do these things, or what we use to do these things may differ because of where you live, your culture and your family.

This week we will be taking a closer look at bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms around the world.

Well being

We recognise the challenge that we face in keeping the Preps engaged and motivated for the rest of the term. For us it is finding the balance between ensuring that we are providing continuity and meeting academic requirements, and providing experiences that will be of interest to the Preps.

This week we will be changing the morning messages starting on Wednesday. Each morning will be a combination of a teacher and a student providing the message. We are hoping that the Preps will enjoy looking out for and listening to their friends on the screen.

If your child would be interested in participating in the morning message could you please email their teacher and let her know. This is not an expectation but an opportunity for those children who enjoy making oral presentations.

The Prep team

0A - Kathryn Morrison

kathryn.morrison@education.vic.gov.au

0B - Deb Barden

deborah.barden@education.vic.gov.au

0C - Danielle Palombi

danielle.palombi@education.vic.gov.au

0D - Julie Daniel

julie.daniel@education.vic.gov.au

HU - Krystle Horadam

krystle.horadam@education.vic.gov.au

Prep Fortnightly Snapshot

Issue 14 · 16 Aug 2020

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