(Personal, Social, Health Education) Class 3 Autumn Term 2 Topic: ‘Farm to Fork’ Literacy In Literacy we will be covering lots of aspects of our ‘Farm to Fork’ topic. We will use a range of traditional tales such as Little Red Hen and The Enormous Turnip. We will also look at picture book stories including Farmer Duck and Farmyard Hullaballoo. This topic will be underpinned by development of our core skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening. We will continue our routine of regular reading and phonics sessions. The children have made great progress in these areas so far and we will look to keep this good progress going. Numeracy This term we are working on the strands of Number, Measure and Using and Applying. We will start by spending a 2 week block learning about the days of the week and some basic concepts of time. We will use on of our favourite stories, The Hungry Caterpillar to start this 2 week block off. After this we will spend 2 weeks looking at quantity and place value through ordering numbers. This will be differentiated for each child’s abilities. Our final 2 week block will look at some basic addition and subtraction using practical methods. We will learn about more and less and use objects and pictures to apply these skills. In addition we will be working on number formation skills throughout the term. Science In Science we will be using our ‘Farm to Fork’ topic to guide our work. We will spend the first 3 weeks learning about animals, including the sounds they make, their homes and what food they eat. The second block will focus upon food. We will learn about the difference between fruit and vegetables. We will also have a go at growing some cress heads! The key skills we are looking at developing include sorting, answering simple scientific questions and basic investigation skills. PSHE (Personal, Social, Health Education) Children always look forward to PSHE as we go out into the community to have wider learning experiences. As linked to our topic this half term, we have planned some exciting visits such as to a farm, a supermarket, a petting zoo and the museum. We will also learn about Chinese New Year and will visit the Chinese Arch in Chinatown. Physical Education Each morning in school we participate in a ‘Chi gung’ movement session. During this session we complete a series of slow and gentle movements whilst listening to calming music. This allows children (and staff!) to wake up their minds and bodies ready for the school day. We will also be attending weekly swimming sessions. This will take place on Thursdays. This session allows children to build their skills in the water. Children will also be encouraged in developing greater independence in their dressing skills. Social Communication Each week we will have a session dedicated to teaching the children valuable skills for socialising and communicating. This half term we will specifically be looking at our homes. We will talk about our homes and families. We will also look at our routines and making good behaviour choices at home. We will use simple social stories to support this learning. Sensory Sessions We aim to provide a multisensory education for the children here at ALMA. In addition to sensory opportunities in our class based learning, we will have a weekly session where we are able to make use of the soft play and light and sound rooms. Children will be able to develop their gross motor and balance skills. This is also a time for developing important play skills such as turn taking, spatial awareness and communication.