Primary 5 – Term 1

Hi everyone. This is the first term’s update on Primary 5’s learning. The class are already working very hard and are eager to learn. This is a quick snapshot of what will be covered in the term ahead. There is lots to do and I am sure that there will be lots of fun along the way.

IDL

Our interdisciplinary topic this term is knights and castles. We have already started this and the children are enjoying learning about what castles are nearby and what knights did. I am hopeful to take the class to visit the Dean Castle.

Literacy

The class have already started reading our class novel, ‘The Butterfly Lion’ by Michael Morpurgo. They have been completing tasks relating to the text and I am already impressed with their comprehension skills. Within reading this term, we will be looking at the main purpose of a text as well as the different genres of books. We have an extensive class library that the children can access for personal choice and enjoyment, as well as our school library which we will also be visiting. The children will continue with bug club and this will have a learning focus of metalinguistics and visualisation. The children will develop their understanding of what they are reading and I am hopeful of your support at homework time to complete their reading online. All children will be encouraged to read their texts with expression and fluency.

Our writing genres for the term ahead are descriptive writing and narrative writing. The class will be working on writing their piece, editing it and re drafting it, focussing on layout in order to engage their reader. This is when the children will access ICT in order to type their re draft piece of writing.

In terms of our listening and talking element of literacy, the children will be focussing on listening to and for instructions. This is something that the class find difficult at times. They will work on their ability to show respect to everyone in the class by giving good looking eyes and listening ears when it is appropriate to do so.

The class will complete handwriting every week within class and we would ask that this is promoted at home in terms of homework also.

Numeracy

The entire class will continue to work on their times tables throughout the year.  We have already began working on our understanding of place value and what value each digit holds within the columns. Depending on what group the children are in for their numeracy, they will be working on place value using units, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands and hundred thousands.

We will also be looking at rounding to the nearest ten, hundred and thousand. This will enable the children to develop their skill of estimating so they can then find approximate answers to calculations and problems.

The children will develop their knowledge of shape. Some of the things that the class will be investigating through shapes are describing triangles by their sides and defining what kind of triangle it is, for example, equilateral, isosceles and scalene. The class will investigate the symmetrical values of each shape, looking for a line of symmetry, and will learn how to make patterns and designs using these symmetrical properties. This topic will be covered by Mrs McIntyre on a Wednesday.

Our whole school will concentrate on number talks throughout the year. These lessons encourage children to solve calculations using different strategies. This allows children to have ownership of their own learning by using the strategies that suit their learning style best.

Health and Wellbeing

Our P.E. days are a Monday and a Wednesday. We are currently learning about hockey and developing our ability to dribble, pass and shoot to target. After this topic, we will hopefully be moving onto to rugby and the skills involved with this.

Primary 5 already participate in mindfulness every day, this is something that the entire class benefit from and have been doing this since the beginning of Primary 4.  It is my intention to train all children in the massage in schools programme which will enable the children to develop another skill in managing their mental health on a day to day basis. I will, of course, be seeking parent’s permission before this would be introduced and further information is available on request.

Our PATHS programme will help the children to develop positive relationships within the class and school.  Delving into the emotions that the children feel will help them to understand why they are feeling this way as well as giving them the tools to cope with these emotions.

Our core health and wellbeing teaching will focus on good diet, how much sleep a child of their age needs to stay healthy and how they can rest. We will also look at the skills that are required to manage changing relationships focussing on tolerance and mutual trust.

R.E.

In order to link our R.E. with our health and wellbeing, we will be learning about friendship through bible stories. The class will earn some of the miracle stories that allowed Jesus to show that he was the son of God. We will continue to pray to God and ask for forgiveness when we need it and say thank you for things we are grateful for.  In preparation for mass throughout the year, the children will be learning new hymns and prayers.

Expressive arts

This term, the class will be focussing on art through drawing. We will look at the use of lines and texture within a drawing and what materials we can use effectively. Our music this term will be focussing on singing. This will be completed through our hymn practises and drama will be explored later in the year.

ICT

Now that the children have access to their usernames and passwords for the network, we will spend this term practising logging in and accessing the computer network, bug club, Sumdog and glow. The children will also be looking at re-drafting some of their writing which will develop their word processing and formatting skills. They will then to encourage to save this work to their own desktop.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support so far this term and look forward to everything that is to come.

Take care,

Mrs McCreadie