Our Learning Journey provide information for our learners and their parents/carers about what they will be learning over the next block of learning and teaching. They also provide enrichment opportunities for learners.
Current Learning Journey – April to June
Maths – Fractions, Decimals and Percentage and Ideas of Chance and Uncertainty
We will consolidate our understanding of values less than a whole in both fractions and decimals. Our fractions work will include finding equivalent fractions and their equivalent decimal value. We will link this with percentages and find simple percentages of amount.
In Ideas of Chance and Uncertainty. We will be examining the likelihood of something happening eg what is the chance of snow today ? This links naturally to our previous work on fractions and percentages
How you can help: Help your child see fractions, decimals and percentages in the real world – shopping is a good place for this!
Use language such as impossible, unlikely/uncertain, likely/possible, definite/certain when discussing future eents with your child eg it is unlikely we’ll get to the library before tea
English Language
Listening and Talking – This is infused through our curriculum and teaching practises
Reading – We will be working in groups to practise fluency and analysis skills using selected novels. We will also practise our comprehension skills using a range of resources.
Writing – We are focussing on persuasive techniques this block as we create a tourist information leaflet and then a personal persuasive text on a subject that learners will choose themselves.
How you can help: The best things to do are what I expect you are already doing ! Discussions with your child about what is going on in their life and the bigger world, and ensuring they are reading regularly at home – and anything counts ! If you would be interested in some suggested book lists, please let me know!
Health and Wellbeing
This cycle we are considering the social wellbeing aspect of sharing food and enjoying doing just that at various points in the term! We will also be considering what we can do to support ourselves through this period of change as we prepare for our next stage of learning.
How you can help: Discuss what your child has been learning in these areas – perhaps over a meal! We have a number of transition plans in place – whether your child is moving to a new school, or a new stage in the same class. If you have anything you’d like to discuss regarding your child, do get in touch.
Topic
Through the theme of ‘Flight’ we will be considering the scientific and technological advances that have allowed man to fly across the planet and beyond…. Our main foci of learning will be on Forces and Space, and we will also be listening to Holst ‘Planet Suite’ as well as creating our own ‘music of the spheres’
How you can help: There are a number of good museums dedicated to flight in Scotland – our local one is in Montrose. Glasgow Science Centre has a planetarium that I’ve heard is very good – although, on a clear night, I bet finding a dark place near Auchterhouse and looking up could be just as marvellous….
Modern Languages
This term we are learning to describe animals, both pets, farm and African animals. We will also be looking at different French speaking countries around the world
How you can help: encourage your child to share their learning in French with you – you may find yourself remembering back to your own language experiences!
January to March
Maths – Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication and Division
We will continue developing strategies to help us solve equations using all four operations. These will include developing conceptual understanding of word problems as well as tackling the dreaded missing number equations!
How you can help: Ask your child to explain HOW they solve problems – and don’t expect to see written algorithms!
English Language
Listening and Talking – This is infused through our curriculum and teaching practises
Reading – We are applying critical analysis skills to work with novels and short pieces of texts including poems. Later in the cycle, we will broaden our reading skills – including inference, predictions, questioning and making connections – to study the text Macbeth
Writing – Firstly, we will learn and apply our knowledge and understanding of figurative language and imagery to support us learning more about poetry, as we use the stimulus of the outdoors to explore a range of poetry structures
How you can help: The best things to do are what I expect you are already doing ! Discussions with your child about what is going on in their life and the bigger world, and ensuring they are reading regularly at home – and anything counts ! If you would be interested in some suggested book lists, please let me know!
Health and Wellbeing
This cycle we are exploring relationships through considering peer pressure, forms of bullying and how we manage these situations. We hope to have a visit from our Community Police Officer to help us learn how and when to contact the Emergency Services, and we will be learning how what we eat affects our health and energy levels.
How you can help: Taking what we are learning in class within your home makes learning real. For example, discussing friendships with your child helps them to understand how they can manage these relationships. You could also discuss times when friendships have been difficult. Do please let us know about what your child is learning outside of school – we value what our learners are doing and would love to celebrate their achievements with them!
Topic
Our topic this block is the history of Dundee with a particular focus on the Victorian Era! We will place this time period within the Scottish History timeline and learn about life in Dundee through a visit to Verdant Works – this will help us compare our lives with those of the Victorians. We will also examine the theme of social justice by considering how Dundee was known as ‘Radical Town’, the development of Unions and the concept of fair trade. The latter will be brought back to the 21st Century as we take part in Fair Trade Fortnight at the start of March. Finally, the development of electricity was key at this point of history, so we will look at the science of batteries and circuits.
How you can help: Hill of Tarvit in Fife was the home of the Jute Baron who owned Verdant Works – a trip there would be a wonderful contrast to the children’s learning about the people who worked in the mill Mr Sharp owned….. When you are out and about in Dundee City centre, look up to find dates of building built in the Victorian era – and a trip to the McManus is ALWAYS a good use of time!
Modern Languages
Last term we actually focussed on learning French vocabulary and sentences about school life, so we are now looking at describing families as well as our likes and dislikes.
How you can help: encourage your child to share their learning in French with you – you may find yourself remembering back to your own language experiences!
– August to December
Maths – Numbers and Number Structures, Addition and Subtraction
Depending on where a leaner is working- found through Cold Tasks – we will be looking at the Place Value of digits in numbers and the magnitude of these values, the importance of zero, the cycle of our counting system and how partitioning can support us in working with numbers. We will use some of this knowledge in addition and subtraction strategies and develop more strategies to give us a wider range to solve problems with.
How you can help: Talk about numbers with your child, especially larger values and decimal values. Where can you find these numbers in real life?
Maths – Shape
Children will start to use the terms circumference, diameter and radius to accurately describe parts of a circle and they will be able to use this knowledge to draw circles of given sizes.
How you can help: Talk about shapes with your child, asking them to name a variety of 2D and 3D shapes. Sometimes, regular reminders are needed for children to remember shape names!
English Language
Listening and Talking – This is infused through our curriculum and teaching practises
Reading – We are developing a range of skills including predicting, inferring and summarising using a variety of texts including multi-media. Later in the year we will apply these texts with a novel study.
Writing – Through the stimulus of the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt, we will be writing a range of texts including a biography, report and letter. This will enable us to explore text structures and features as well as develop a range of sentence structures, specific vocabulary and a focus on note-taking from a variety of sources.
How you can help: The best things to do are what I expect you are already doing ! Discussions with your child about what is going on in their life and the bigger world, and ensuring they are reading regularly at home – and anything counts ! If you would be interested in some suggested book lists, please let me know!
Health and Wellbeing
This block we are focussing on understanding and managing our feelings as well as managing relationships and risk-taking. We are planning to take part in a workshop on Substance Misuse with NHS Tayside.
In PE, we are focussing on developing ball skills and how these can be applied in a variety of games. As learners encounter new challenges they are encouraged and supported to demonstrate their ability to select, adapt and apply movement skills and strategies, creatively, accurately and with control.
How you can help: Taking what we are learning in class within your home makes learning real. For example, discussing emotions with your child helps them to understand a range of feelings is normal and how you manage your own feelings. You could also discuss times when friendships have been difficult. Do please let us know about what your child is learning outside of school – we value what our learners are doing and would love to celebrate their achievements with them!
Topic
Our topic this block is Scotland! Our focus is a geography angle, looking at changing landscapes and use of land. We are using the theme of belonging to a place as a stimulus for art and drama.
How you can help: Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh would be a wonderful trip in the October holidays if you’re looking for something to do! If you have visited different places in Scotland, look at photos and discuss what each place has to offer – you could even use Google Earth for a virtual trip!
Modern Languages
This term we will be revising and extending our use of French greetings. We will also be talking about dates of the year and describing our families. To extend our learning, we will be writing a letter in French and we are also going to be in touch with our twinned town, Guiche!
How you can help: encourage your child to share their learning in French with you – you may find yourself remembering back to your own language experiences!
UNCRC
As a Gold Rights Respecting School, it is important that we continue to embed children’s knowledge of Rights throughout the curriculum.
Every week, children will participate in learning such as:
- Watching Newsround and linking it to UNCRC articles
- Participating in Picture News to explore current global issues with links to the UNCRC
- Create Right of the Term and share information with the nursery and school
- Take part in the Out Right Campaign which this year focuses on Children’s Rights to Health
