Year 1 Curriculum Newsletter Science Our topic this term in science is ‘Growth’. We will be exploring the different things that plants need to grow and we will be caring for our own plants and watching them grow over time. You can support your children by exploring plants and flowers around the home and in the natural environment, discussing the things that they need to grow. RE: The children will be learning about Judaism and why Shabbat is important to Jewish people. They will be comparing and contrasting the lives and traditions of Jewish children to their own experiences. Literacy: It is so important that you spend time reading each day with your child, both hearing them read from their reading scheme books, and reading to them. You can support this by encouraging children to read different reading materials e.g. newspapers, cereal boxes, magazines, instructions and both fiction and non fiction books. With the Year 1 Phonics Screening approaching, it is important that you continue to develop your child’s awareness of phonics by practising the alien words that have been sent home. This not only reinforce the teaching that is happening in the classroom but will also prepare them for the type of words that will appear in the screening. We will be practising our writing skills, focusing on punctuation, capital letters and our handwriting, We will also be using these skills to write our own non-fiction texts linked to our ‘Kenya’ topic, including a diary tracking the growth of our class plants. Year 1 Curriculum Newsletter Summer Term Topic: Kenya In Geography we will be talking about - Where Kenya is in the world How life is different in Kenya The different traditions in Kenya We will be developing our map skills by locating Kenya on a world map and thinking about where it is in relation to England. We will also be exploring Kenyan culture by looking at their customs and traditions including the food that they eat, the clothes that they wear and what they do for entertainment. In Art we will be studying the artist Andy Goldsworthy by looking closely at his work and then creating our own sculptors using natural materials. PSHE This term, the children will be talking about their personal health and safety. They will be covering how they can look after their body by eating healthy foods and exercising regularly. They will also be discussing what things can harm their body and what to do to protect themselves from the sun during the warmer months. PE In PE we will be starting an athletics based unit in preparation for sports day in term 6. We will be practising our running, jumping and throwing techniques In games, the children will be developing their throwing and catching as well as their ability to work as part of a team. Numeracy This term we will be looking at the following topics: Money Number bonds Measure Multiplication and division Position and direction To help support your children you could encourage them to count using objects around the home, practising the process of adding and taking away. You should also continue to practise telling the time to the hour and at half past the hour. Computing This term the children will be producing an audio book- a talking book! They will be using a microphone to record sounds and then edit these sounds by adding sound effects. This will all come together to form a wonderful, interactive story. Forces: In Science, we’ll be finding out: • How a ball flies through the air • How different objects fall • What gravity is and how it pulls on objects • How air resistance affects moving objects • How water pushes up on floating objects • Why some objects float and others sink In Technology, we’ll be finding out: How to make a sailing boat or flying paper plane  In Music, we’ll be finding out: • How to play our homemade instruments In International, we’ll be finding out: • About sound and light pollution