Block One (August – December)

Welcome to the Primary 1a class page. The children have all settled well since starting school in August and are enjoying learning through lots of fun activities.

Literacy

The children are learning to recognise and write the 42 Jolly Phonics sounds which are reflected daily in homework jotters. They are also learning to recognise their own names and currently practise writing them daily with a focus on neat handwriting and correct letter formation.

We have recently started to blend sounds together to make words. This can be quite tricky therefore it is important that we practise this as often as possible. We do this both orally and through the use of magnetic letter boards in class. A Blending Book will be sent home shortly in homework bags with a letter explaining how this can be reinforced at home. We will soon begin learning the first 12 Jolly Phonics Tricky Words and will add to these as we progress through the year (2-3 per week).

The school reading scheme is Oxford Reading Tree. Sight vocabulary will be sent home soon so that this can be practised at home and reading books will follow thereafter.

Some useful literacy websites/apps that we use in class are:

Doorway online (good for practising letter and number formation)

Jolly Phonics app

Teach Your Monster to Read (details about this site have already been sent in a separate letter).

 

Numeracy

We started off the year by carrying out matching and sorting activities. Within 10, we are focusing on number formation, and learning about counting, ordering, sequencing and adding. We have a focus on vocabulary of before and after, less than and more than. Maths topics in Block 1 are Time focusing on days of the week, daily routines and seasons, Money (coin recognition), Shape (3D) and Measurement (length).

Some useful maths websites/apps that we use in class are:

Topmarks

Doorway Online

 

Health and Wellbeing

We have a strong focus on the school values – Ready, Safe and Respectful and the children are trying hard to apply these to different areas of their learning and daily routines. The class focus for our Recognition Board at the moment is Good Listening. This involves sitting quietly during carpet time with eyes looking at the person who is talking, ears listening, mouths closed and hands empty and still. Most of the children are very good at this and have already been given recognition for their efforts through receiving the ‘Hot Chocolate Friday’ award. Health and Wellbeing inputs in Block 1 will cover friendships and relationships, people who help us and families.

Topics

Class topics in Block 1 are Animal Families and Toys. The Animal Families topic will include some literacy-based activities and will be delivered in conjunction with books such as, Percy the Park Keeper stories and Owl Babies. This will be taught in the first half of Block 1, whereas the Toys topic will be taught in the second half as it is more relevant in the run up to Christmas.

Gym

Primary 1a gym time is Monday afternoon. Children can come to school in the morning dressed for gym. This saves time with changing clothes and therefore makes transitions easier. Our initial areas of focus in Block 1 are learning to follow rules, developing movement skills and sharing resources. We will then move on to developmental play using small equipment, gymnastics, ball skills and social dance.

Seesaw

Learning is shared via the Seesaw app and website. Messages and reminders regarding learning may also be sent to parents via this site. Everyone should have received their QR codes by now to enable access to this site. If you have not received your code or are experiencing difficulty in accessing your child’s learning, please get in touch with the school office so that this can be rectified.

We look forward to working with all of our families and sharing our learning experiences with you throughout the year.

Mrs Smart and Primary 1a