Welcome back!

The main focus this term is to settle into Year 2, work hard, work together and have fun. Have a look below to see what we will be learning about this term and keep an eye on Seesaw for extra information and to keep up to date with what we are all up to in school.

English

Reading

We will explore a range of texts linked to our units of learning, by using our Reading for Inference skills.

Books we will be reading:

• First book of animals
• Lost and found
• Oi cat 
• The two grannies
• Meerkat mail
• I don’t like snakes
• Gorilla
• Animal stories

Writing

In Writing, we will be learning how to write a character introduction and a scene setting. We will be creating our own animal character and setting, using a video called ‘The Night Zoo’ to support us.

We will also be using our imagination to visit a school from the past, before writing a recount of what the school was like and what we did.

Key vocabulary

Narrative, noun, adjective, conjunction, visualise, setting, character, sight, smell, sound, feel

Recount, past tense, adjective, verb, adverb

Key vocabulary

Fairytales, princess, prince, witch, fairy godmother, character, animals, story map, twisted tales, plot, recount, setting

Maths

We will focus on Place Value, Addition and Subtraction. The children will explore tens and ones, and adding or subtracting using two digit numbers. We will continue weekly practise of Number and Lightning to develop children's arithmetic skills.  

Key vocabulary

Numbers, place value, biggest, smallest, more, less, addition, subtraction, tens, ones, digit

Science – Life cycles

We will learn about how animals, including humans, have offspring which grow into adults and learn about different life cycles. Then we will learn about how humans and animals have basic needs of water, food and air. Finally, we will learn about the importance of exercise for humans, eating the rights amounts of different food types and hygiene.

Key vocabulary

Exercise, healthy, grow, food, nutrition, carbohydrates, protein, dairy, fruit and vegetables, vitamins, minerals, life cycle, offspring, adult, grow, needs, live, alive, survive 

Computing - What is a computer?

This unit explores exactly what a computer is by identifying and learning how inputs and outputs work, how computers are used in the wider world and designing their own computerised invention.

Key vocabulary

Battery, buttons, computer, desktop, device, electricity, input, invention, keyboard, laptop, monitor, mouse, output, technology, wire

Art and design - Drawing - Telling a story

We will use a storybook illustration to develop mark-making, explore a wider range of tools and experiment with creating texture to add detail to drawings.

Key vocabulary

Charcoal, cross-hatching, scribbling, concertina, expression, stippling, illustrations, illustrator

History – How were schools different in the past?

We will explore how schools were different in living memory, as well as the 1900s. We will then use our knowledge to compare similarities and differences between schools now and in the past.

Key vocabulary

Past, timeline, date, different, decade, present, important, similar, modern, living memory, evidence, source, beyond living memory, preferred

Music – African Call and Response

We will use instruments to represent animals, copy rhythms, learn a traditional Ghanaian call and response song and recognise simple notation, before progressing to creating call and response.

Key Vocabulary

Rhythms, timbre, dynamics, tempo, call and response, rhythm, structure

PSHE - Family and relationships

Learning that families are composed of different people who offer each other care and support; how other people show their feelings and how to respond. Looking at conventions of manners and developing an understanding of self-respect

Key vocabulary:

Emotions, family, feelings, friendship, love, manners, respect, stereotype

PE

To develop the children's gross motor skills we will be working on balancing, climbing and using our different body parts on apparatus everyday. We will also be working on multi skills which includes throwing and catching, running and jumping.

Key Vocabulary

Apparatus, throwing, catching, running, jumping, skills

RE – What makes some places sacred to believers?

We will discuss different religions – Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and more, we will begin to understand their beliefs and why each religion has a place of worship. We will talk about the names of different places of worship. We will consider how lots of people have special places – not all of these are religious places.

Key vocabulary

Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, place of worship, holy, sacred, worship, holy place, religious place, special place, beliefs.

Key dates:

Thursday 8th September - rearranged end of year disco

Tuesday 13th September - Road Dahl Day

Friday 23rd September - Jeans for Genes Day

Website links to support learning:

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?q=fairy%20tales

http://www.ictgames.com/placeValue.htm

Please check Seesaw as you will be updated on what we are learning about in and ways for you to support your children at home.