2. These are just 3 days! What a busy term! These are just 3 days! What a busy term! Please look at the Year 2 page of our website if you haven’t already had the chance.

3. Literacy Literacy Maths Maths Science – Electricity Science – Electricity ICT ICT History – Gunpowder plot and Remembrance day History – Gunpowder plot and Remembrance day R.E. – Judaism R.E. – Judaism PSHE – SEAL – ‘Getting on and falling out’ PSHE – SEAL – ‘Getting on and falling out’ Design and Technology- fabric skills – joining, sewing, designing and making decorations. Design and Technology- fabric skills – joining, sewing, designing and making decorations. Art and Design – various Christmas crafts and skills Art and Design – various Christmas crafts and skills Music – Pinocchio unit linked to Literacy traditional tales Music – Pinocchio unit linked to Literacy traditional tales P.E. Gymnastics, Dance and Games – designing our own games linked to the literacy instructions unit. P.E. Gymnastics, Dance and Games – designing our own games linked to the literacy instructions unit. There are some fun links to the Literacy, Numeracy and Science on our website to give you extra ideas on how to help at home. Our curriculum – TERM 2 2011

4. An overview: An overview: Reading – shared and guided group reading and independent reading opportunities. Reading – shared and guided group reading and independent reading opportunities. Phonics – Daily differentiated sessions working at word, sentence and text level. Phonics – Daily differentiated sessions working at word, sentence and text level. Grammar Grammar Spelling - using the ‘look, read, cover, write, check’ method. Spelling - using the ‘look, read, cover, write, check’ method. Different genre Different genre Narrative unit 2 – Traditional stories Non-fiction unit 1 – Instructions linked to PE games work. Non-fiction unit 1 – Instructions linked to PE games work. ‘Big Write’ opportunities. Handwriting – Continued regular practice joining letters to develop a fluent, fast and legible handwriting style. Handwriting – Continued regular practice joining letters to develop a fluent, fast and legible handwriting style. Speaking and Listening – Activities to promote confidence speaking in front of an audience and improve listening skills in all areas of the curriculum. Speaking and Listening – Activities to promote confidence speaking in front of an audience and improve listening skills in all areas of the curriculum.

5. This week we have started to send home weekly spellings linked to your child’s phonic ability. To help learn these we use the look, read, cover, write, check method. Look at the shape of the word, make a picture of it in your mind, Look at the letter patterns making each phoneme (sound), Look for words within words and break into syllables if possible. Say the whole word, say the phonemes (sounds), say the letter names. Cover the word up and picture it in your mind. Write the word, saying the phonemes as your write. Check the word. Is it right? If not, try it again.

6. Please encourage your child to join the letters correctly on their spelling sheet and use the ‘Look, say, cover, write, check’ method. WordMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday belt gold fork storm horse forty sort goes does morning Please note that the spelling test may not test all spellings sent home but rather the spelling pattern and rules. We have found that this helps children apply their knowledge in general writing activities more easily.

7. Maths will be the main focus for the next pop-in at the start of term 3 and so we won’t go into depth today. However, the website will be a useful way of following up your child’s learning and the homework will show a little of each weekly focus. In the meantime, please come and see us about any queries you have, however small!

8. Reading Reading New graded reading books are chosen by your child on Fridays. Please try and do some reading each day. Once your child has read their school reading books two or three times it is good to look at other books from home, our castle book area or the town library. New graded reading books are chosen by your child on Fridays. Please try and do some reading each day. Once your child has read their school reading books two or three times it is good to look at other books from home, our castle book area or the town library. Writing Writing We encourage children to write a book review each week which they can bring into school by Thursday each week. We encourage children to write a book review each week which they can bring into school by Thursday each week. Maths Maths Maths homework sheets are also differentiated and given on Fridays to be returned by the following Friday. Maths homework sheets are also differentiated and given on Fridays to be returned by the following Friday. Spellings Spellings New differentiated spellings will be given out on Mondays. The ‘spelling test’ the following week will be given as a sentence dictation during their phonics lesson. It will allow us to assess your child’s ability to use the spelling patterns learnt. New differentiated spellings will be given out on Mondays. The ‘spelling test’ the following week will be given as a sentence dictation during their phonics lesson. It will allow us to assess your child’s ability to use the spelling patterns learnt. Other homework Other homework Sometimes your child will come home with ‘Big Write’ homework – this is always about talking through their ideas – part of the planning stage of writing. This should be a short verbal activity and we do not want you or your child to do any writing for this. Sometimes your child will come home with ‘Big Write’ homework – this is always about talking through their ideas – part of the planning stage of writing. This should be a short verbal activity and we do not want you or your child to do any writing for this. There may occasionally be some other homework such as Science. If we send additional pieces such as these they will usually be in place of another piece of homework e.g. Science instead of maths. There may occasionally be some other homework such as Science. If we send additional pieces such as these they will usually be in place of another piece of homework e.g. Science instead of maths.

9. Targets will be sent home within the next week. Targets will be sent home within the next week. Your child has 3 writing targets matched to the level in which they are currently working. Your child has 3 writing targets matched to the level in which they are currently working. In numeracy, your child has an Ma2 target (number) and an Ma1 target (Using and applying all areas of maths). As in previous terms Ma3 (shape, space, measure) and Ma4 (handling data) are on the target sheet. We teach and assess these regularly but do not set targets in them. This is just for your information. In numeracy, your child has an Ma2 target (number) and an Ma1 target (Using and applying all areas of maths). As in previous terms Ma3 (shape, space, measure) and Ma4 (handling data) are on the target sheet. We teach and assess these regularly but do not set targets in them. This is just for your information.

10. What do the target levels mean? The levels are National curriculum levels used to explain the knowledge, skills and understanding that the children have attained so far. These levels are used in school as an overall guide for all subjects. In Numeracy and Literacy these levels are further broken down into sub-levels. c = just beginning to work within the level b = becoming much more secure within the level a = working towards completing the level Level 1c, 1b Level 1c, 1b These levels are below the level expected when compared to most Year 2 children at this point in the year. Level 1a Level 1a slightly below indicates that a child is working slightly below the average for Year 2 at this point in the year. Level 2c Level 2c average indicates that a child is working at the average level for Year 2 at this point in the year. Level 2b Level 2b slightly above indicates that a child is working slightly above the average for Year 2 at this point in the year. Level 2a Level 2a indicates that a child is working well above the average expected for a Year 2 child at this point in the year.

11. I can link my ideas together. (1a) I can link my ideas together. (1a) I can use some connective words like ‘and’. (2c) I can use some connective words like ‘and’. (2c) I can use words to help me describe an object or person. (2c) I can use words to help me describe an object or person. (2c) I use different ways to start my sentence for effect (2b) I use different ways to start my sentence for effect (2b) I am able to use some wow words in my writing (2a) I am able to use some wow words in my writing (2a) I went to the park. I saw a cat. Could become; I went to the park and saw a stripy, ginger cat. or Last week I raced off to the park near my house and suddenly a stripy, ginger cat leapt out and hissed at me. Just then…… Now have a go together at improving this one by playing writing tennis; I went to Macdonalds.

12. With support I am able to use apparatus, role play and diagrams to help show a problem. (2c) With support I am able to use apparatus, role play and diagrams to help show a problem. (2c) With support I am able to explain how to solve a simple problem. (2b) With support I am able to explain how to solve a simple problem. (2b) I can think of my own way of showing how I have solved a problem. (2a) I can think of my own way of showing how I have solved a problem. (2a) Have a look at our problem ‘‘Rucsac’’! Have a look at our problem ‘‘Rucsac’’!