We are at the end of Term 2 already and what a wonderful, bright and busy one it has been! Read on to find out what we have been learning in P2b!

Literacy

The class have been working hard on learning spelling rules and are beginning to create their own word lists using the rule of the week using the ‘Jolly Phonics’ resource. The children have been practising them through a variety of spelling games and activities which have been reinforced through weekly homework. We have recently begun using spelling grids for Spelling homework tasks which have helped to encourage personalisation and choice in learning.

We have also been practising reading aloud, in pairs and independently during reading sessions and have gained confidence in independently answering comprehension and true/false/can’t tell questions based on our reading books. This Term, the class were also introduced to using dictionaries to help find the meanings and spellings of words, as well as helping to reinforce prior learning on alphabetical order. The children have been working very hard on this and are showing greater confidence in using dictionaries independently. In Grammar we have been working on verbs, vowels and alphabetical order, pronouns, plurals and ‘a or an’ which will be revisited throughout the year.

Handwriting is taught weekly with a focus on the size, shape and direction of letters. There has been lots of improvement in presentation and we are working hard on clear and legible writing in all areas of the curriculum. Great work!

Our writing genre this Term was Recount writing. We looked at the key features of a recount and highlighted them – we focused on who, what, where and when as well as verbs and adjectives to describe, a personal statement to say how the writer felt and connectives to link ideas together. We also sequenced recounts to check the events were written in the correct order. Finally, we had a go at writing our own recounts of events such as our St Andrews Day party, a memorable family occasion and singing at Nazareth House. Writing weekly news in our jotters also helped to reinforce the layout of a good recount.

In Talking and Listening we continue to focus on taking turns, making eye contact and asking and answering appropriate questions. It is important we know when to listen and when to speak. We were able to talk about our favourite book during Book Week Scotland to the class as well as take part in discussions related to Anti-Bullying Week and our IDL topic.

 

Numeracy and Mathematics

We have continued to practise mental Maths skills through introducing daily mental maths sessions, focusing on a variety of Maths and Numeracy topics. We work in pairs to solve problems and then are encouraged to explain our thinking and show our strategies afterwards. This will continue next Term as we explore a wider range of Maths and Numeracy concepts.

Our key focus this Term has been on addition and subtraction using concrete resources and pictorial representations. We have looked at word problems and mathematical vocabulary such as ‘total’ ‘difference’ and ‘altogether’ to help us decide which operation we will use. We have also been introduced to ‘think boards’ which help us to represent a problem in four different ways; a number line, a picture, a bar model and a number sentence. It has been wonderful to see the children growing in confidence I using these and will be an important tool for solving problems throughout the year.

Mrs Simmons has been working the class in Numeracy each week and she would like to pass on this message to update you on the Term’s work;

A wee message from Mrs Simmons…

I’ve really enjoyed my Monday mornings in Primary 2 this term. The children have been very keen to learn new strategies & have tackled any tasks I set them with great enthusiasm. They really are a terrific bunch!

This term we have worked on addition & subtraction using tens frames & counters, open number lines, bar models & think boards. We started to learn how to take important information from word problems and use it to help us create number sentences that would help us calculate the answer to the question. Our last week together was spent introducing multiplication as equal sets & groups of. Hopefully we can continue to explore this concept more in the new year. In the meantime, enjoy the well-earned rest & have a lovely Christmas when it comes.

Best Wishes,

Mrs Simmons

In maths we have been learning about money. We can make totals in different ways and recognise coins up to £1. We are beginning to understand the concept of change, and can solve word problems about money using the strategies we have been learning in addition and subtraction. The class have become more confident in using Sumdog and other online resources to reinforce their learning in all aspects of Numeracy and Maths.

Health and Well-Being

 Only focus this Term has been ‘Celebrating Difference’ through our Jigsaw programme. This has now been moved to an online resource which provides a more up date and comprehensive learning experience for the children. Our weekly meditation and mindfulness sessions on Friday afternoons have created a calm atmosphere which the children really look forward to before our Wellbeing lessons.

We looked at similarities and differences between us and our friends. We know these differences are what makes us special and unique. The lessons also linked very well to Anti-Bullying Week in November which focused on respecting children’s rights and how it feels to be a witness to bullying, as well as who to ask for help if there is a concern around bullying. The children understood that bullying is never acceptable, and we looked at ways to deal with bullying in our school. The respect me materials provided excellent resources to be used alongside the Jigsaw lessons for an Anti-Bullying focus.

IDL  ‘Marvellous Materials and Super Substances’

Our IDL topic for Term 2  was a science based topic on materials – we began this topic by reading the book ‘The three little wolves and the Big, Bad Pig’. We started by looking at the properties of different materials within the classroom and outside. We were able to identify and sort materials by their properties such a soft, hard, rigid, flexible, waterproof or transparent. The children were then able to discuss the suitability of why certain materials were used in buildings, clothing, furniture and tools and were introduced to the difference between man made and natural materials. Introducing discussions on sustainability and durability of materials. We will complete this Topic after Christmas by looking at the properties of a range of substances and soluble and insoluble substances

Other Highlights!

Anti Bullying Week in November was very successful in promoting vigilance in Bullying Behaviour, our differences and what to do if bullying is witnessed or experienced in school.

Book Week Scotland was a great opportunity to promote reading for enjoyment. The children loved talking to the class about their favourite books.

Nazareth house singing was wonderful – the children really enjoyed the visit and it really cheered up all of the residents and staff. Our Nativity play ‘The Very Hopeless Camel’ was fantastic and P2 did an excellent job in the singing chorus! Their turn for the stage next year!

I would just like to thank you all for welcoming me back after Maternity Leave, it has been amazing to see how much your children have learned and matured over the last year.  It has been so lovely to see their smiling faces again.

Thank you as always for your on-going support and enthusiasm with your child’s learning. We are really looking forward to more challenges, learning and fun in the New Year.

In the meantime I wish you all a joyful, happy and peaceful Christmas with your loved ones.

Mrs McGarvey