Class Two Newsletter – Autumn Term 2019

Dear parents/carers,

Welcome to Year 2. I hope everyone had a lovely summer and the children are ready for all the fantastic learning coming up this term. Please find below an outline of the curriculum we will be focusing on throughout Autumn Term.

English

Books! Books! Books! In year 2 we will be exploring a variety of texts to support our reading, vocabulary and writing development. To begin with, we will be sharing texts that have a familiar setting to help our development of sentence structure, adjectives, connectives and time connectives and with a continued focus on handwriting, capital letters and full stops. The first text we will be using is ‘Stuck’ by Oliver Jeffers. Through other aspects of the curriculum (science, geography, history etc.) we will be developing our non-narrative skills with information and instructions writing. Ensuring your child reads for at least 15 minutes a day will help their reading skills to develop along with discussions around the text read. It is just as important to read to your child regularly along with listening to audio books.

Maths

To begin the term, we will be looking at number systems with a focus on place value, addition and subtraction with explorations around money, multiplication and division. We will be using a variety of equipment to help children build their practical mathematical skills to support problem solving and calculations. The children will also be developing their mathematical vocabulary to develop reasoning tasks. To assist with children’s mathematical development encourage them to handle real money and understand the value of coins and notes along with reading analogue and digital time in a 12hr and 24hr format.

History and Geography

We begin the year with developing our research skills including the use of atlases. Children are working to identify the four countries that make up the United Kingdom, surrounding bodies of water and capital cities. The children will compare a small area of the UK with another place in the wider world from a geographical and historical point of view.

Science

Throughout the Autumn term we will be looking at the area of Science ‘Animals, including humans.’ Children will be introduced to the basic needs of animals for survival (food, water, air) as well as the importance of exercise and nutrition for humans. There will be a focus on growth, for example:  egg, chick, chicken; egg, caterpillar, pupa, butterfly.

Computing

We will be starting with ‘how to stay safe online’ which will an ongoing theme throughout the school year. Children will be using the school laptops to learn how to combine text and graphics and will be consolidating their word processing and keyboard skills.

Art and DT

The focus for art this term will be abstract artists, starting with Kandinsky and with a greater focus on Paul Klee. Through our art we will be developing many skills including sketching and collaging. DT will be providing opportunities for getting creative in the kitchen, understanding where our food comes from and the basic understanding of a balanced/varied diet.

RE and PSHE

In RE, we will be considering special places and special people and focusing in on different religions. Our PSHE learning will lead us to think about citizenship and values, discussing how we can make a positive contribution and considering our feelings and relationships with others.

Music

Year 2 will be being taught by Ms Crosby on a Thursday. The children will be combining the musical elements of rhythm, pitch and pulse with singing and playing musical instruments.

PE

The children will have PE on a Monday and Wednesday afternoon.  Each child will need trainers suitable for use on the field as well as the playground and warm outer layers to be worn over their PE shorts and T-shirts. Children will be focusing on cross country, team games and multiskills.

Homework

Along with listening to your child read, the children will be set spellings to learn each week on a Friday, ready for a test on the following Wednesday; please assist them with look, cover, write, check activities to consolidate their learning. The children will have one piece of homework to complete each week: either a piece of English, Maths, Science or Topic work to help support their learning in the classroom. Please support your child to ensure that they understand what has been asked of them and that their work is clearly and neatly completed.

If you have any concerns or issues you would like to discuss regarding your child, I am available at the end of the day so please don’t hesitate to come and discuss them or ask any questions.

Kind Regards,

Miss Morton