Block Two (January- March)

Now that we are into Block 2 in Primary 1, the children are progressing well in their learning. They are building on their knowledge and understanding and their confidence continues to grow as they engage in a variety of play activities.

Literacy

We reinforce the 42 Jolly Phonics sounds by practising these each day and are learning alternative sounds as well as 2-3 new tricky words each week. When blending sounds together, we are focusing on longer words and words containing digraphs. In writing, we use our sound cards to help us write unfamiliar words and strive to remember sentence structure – capital letters, finger spaces and full stops. Some of us are doing really well with this and have started to produce lengthier pieces of writing. We are learning to recognise capital letters and say the letter names as we match them to their sound. Within reading, children should continue to practise reading books and sight vocabulary at home as often as possible in order to reinforce the learning that takes place in class.

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

Doorway online (good for practising letter and number formation)

Jolly Phonics app

Topmarks (CVC Balloons game good for hearing beginning, middle and end sound)

Teach Your Monster to Read (Children were all given login details for Teach Your Monster to Read so that this site can be accessed at home as well as in class).

Numeracy

In number, we continue to focus on number formation, and learning about counting, ordering and sequencing. We have a focus on vocabulary of before and after, less than and more than. We are carrying out addition, initially within 5 and moving on to 10 and are learning what the addition and equals symbols look like and mean. Maths topics in Block 2 are time (days of the week, months and seasons), money (adding coins together), measure (weight) and shape (position and movement). We continue with mental maths – counting forwards and backwards from different starting points, counting in 2s, 5s and 10s and learning double numbers.

Maths websites that we use in class are:

Topmarks (Addition to 10, Hit the Button and Today’s Number)

Doorway Online

Health and Wellbeing

We have our gym afternoon on a Monday. This term we are focusing on social dance, creative dance, gymnastics and ball skills. We continue to have a strong focus on the school values – Ready, Safe and Respectful and the children can now talk about these readily and relate them to various aspects of school life. We regularly use our Recognition Board in class and certificates are given out on Friday for Starry Star Writer, Inspiring Individual and Hot Chocolate Friday.

Topic

Our class topic for Block 2 is Hamish McHaggis. This is a literacy-based topic about Hamish who is a haggis and lives in his Hoggle in a secret glen called ‘Coorie Doon’. Written by Linda Strachan, there are nine books from which the children will learn about various places of interest in Scotland as they follow Hamish and his friends on their adventures. As well as learning about Scottish history and culture, this topic allows for the learning of Scots words, mapping skills, orienteering and Scottish wildlife. Hamish’s Hoggle will soon be set up in the classroom and the children will be able to use this as a quiet reading space. Hamish and his friends visit Loch Ness in the first book and after reading about them going to the Visitors’ Centre at Drumnadrochit, we will set up a ‘Mountfleurie Visitors Centre’ in the classroom. The children will make souvenirs, postcards and information leaflets relating to Leven to sell in it. This role play area will help to reinforce learning in literacy (making information leaflets and postcards) and around money and addition as well as assisting with social and communication development.

I wonder where Hamish will take us to on his travels?