Category Archives: maths

Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Listening and Talking, literacy, maths, Social Skills

Swimming Lessons

December 11, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

The classes have really enjoyed their lessons at Scalloway pool this term. Mr Kirkness was impressed with their listening and effort and both classes have made lots of progress with confidence and skills.

Each week the classes take turns at going in the pool so while the p2 group are in I teach the p1’s at the poolside and vice versa. It is quite a productive time and the children are kept very busy with maths and literacy activities.

A huge thankyou to all the parents who volunteered to come along each Tuesday. I am very grateful for all your help.

Art and Craft, Expressive Arts, Listening and Talking, literacy, maths, Social Skills, STEM

Shapes

November 19, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

The children have had great fun using different materials and resources to create symmetrical designs. They have been using mirrors to check for symmetry indoors and outside and also painted wonderful symmetrical abstract designs.

They have also been learning about the 2D shapes and practised counting sides and corners. They designed their own pictures using different shapes.

We are very lucky at Whiteness to have so many fantastic resources for the children to use…..some modern technology mixed with some very old puzzles.

The Primary 2’s have been learning about which shapes can tile and which ones can’t. they found examples in and around the school and might find examples at home too. They investigated tiling using the different shapes they had been learning about.

The children have also been learning about 3D shapes and using their knowledge of 2D shapes they can describe the faces they can see. They have been learning about flat and curved faces as well as counting the vertices on the different shapes. They loved using the ‘feely box’ to describe and guess the shapes.

Again we found lots of examples of 3D shapes in the school and outdoors.

They used shapes to build models and the p1’s practiced sorting shapes into ones that could roll or not roll and ones that could stack or not stack.

Art and Craft, Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Listening and Talking, literacy, maths, numeracy, Science, Social Skills, STEM

To Start the Term…..

October 31, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

The classroom has changed around a bit and they are very excited and enjoying the Halloween Shop and messy activities set up for them this week.

The children have been having fun playing literacy and numeracy games and going over some of the learning from last term.

Art and Craft, Expressive Arts, Listening and Talking, maths, numeracy, Social Skills

Feathery Four

September 8, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

The primary 2’s are so good at helping the primary 1’s in the class. They worked together to draw and cut different sized circles to go on the peacocks tail feathers.

Feathery Four is a character in a story that helps with the number 4 formation.

Listening and Talking, maths, numeracy, Social Skills

A Bit of Number

August 28, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

The primary ones have been practicing their number formations in lots of different ways. They listen to stories, use craft materials, sand, whiteboards, shaving foam, playdough etc.

using playdough to make 2 eggs for a nest!

The other children have progressed onto numbers to 100. They have been using loads of practical materials to make tens and Units numbers, they love the interactive whiteboard games and place value basketball game on Topmarks. they have been working in pairs with playing cards and 100 squares to practise their numbers.

They love number games like Snakes and Ladders and are are really good at taking turns.

Art and Craft, Listening and Talking, literacy, maths, Social Skills

Drawing Club

August 20, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

Yesterday we had our first go at Drawing Club this session. The children absolutely loved the story of Splat the Cat and his first day at school. These are their drawings showing Splat riding his penny Farthing bike to school.

They really liked the story ‘Brenda is a sheep’. The ‘sh’ letters and words made Brenda be more and more sneaky.

Health and Wellbeing, Listening and Talking, maths, Social Skills, STEM

Obstacle Course to 30!

June 11, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

The best way to practice counting out loud is to have lots of fun while doing it. The primary 1 children built an obstacle course and took turns at being the leader and counting to 30, controlling everybody who was running around, under, through, behind, over obstacles.

Art and Craft, Health and Wellbeing, Listening and Talking, maths, Social Skills

Fruit Pots

June 5, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

Primary 1/2 are the Health Committee this term.

They presented their idea for fruit pots in assembly a few weeks ago and designed pot shaped adverts to display on the Health Committee board.

Today the children were very busy……washing, chopping and sorting fruits into little pots.

They used the fruit/vegetable knives very sensibly.
They counted out the cups and little forks and started sharing all the different fruits into the pots.

The children were very excited to welcome all the classes and staff to come and get a fruit pot at breaktime.

Health and Wellbeing, Listening and Talking, maths, Science

Polycrub Progress

June 4, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

The radishes were the first thing to be ready for harvesting. They have grown really fast. The children got to take some home and the cooks at school chopped somefor the children to try at lunchtime.

The sunflowers are getting very big. The children have re-potted them and are keeping an eye on the flowers at the top to see which ones bloom first. They are measuring Laurie’s one everyday as it is the tallest at the moment.

They have also cleared out all the spinach. They got a little bag of leaves to take home and try and the rest has been frozen ready to add to a recipe soon.

Willum did a great job of tying up peas onto the canes. It is really exciting seeing the peapods growing now. The children are desperate to start popping them open.

The children finally got to try some peas today. So many growing now.

The polycrub looks amazing and the children work hard to water and look after the plants daily.

Listening and Talking, literacy, maths, numeracy, Social Skills

Sorting Data

June 4, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

The children have been learning about tally marks and this has really helped improve their ability to count in 5’s.

The primary one’s collected flowers sticks and stones and created this pictograph together outside.

The children have loved carrying out surveys and asking each other questions.

The primary ones practiced sorting objects using different criteria. It could be by colour, shape or size.

They worked really well with a partner discussing how they were going to sort the objects and taking turns at different stations.

Health and Wellbeing, Listening and Talking, maths, Social Skills, STEM

Compass Bearings

May 14, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

As part of our IDL about ‘On Our Doorstep’ the children practiced using a compass and looking for different landmarks in different directions.

They worked in their groups of four to complete the task and had great fun.

There was time left before heading back to school so they had a giant whole school game of ‘Octopus’ at the Strom Pitch.

Listening and Talking, maths

Capacity Fun

May 14, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

The children have been learning about capacity. The primary ones have been great at working in pairs to measure different containers. They were great at estimating how many cupfulls it would be before they counted and checked.

The Primary Two’s compared different containers and measured them using non- standard units. Againthey were excellent at making estimates before measauring.

They then went on to learn about using litres and half litres. It was great to be outdoors for this as they loved measuring the big containers.

It was great timing for the oil delivery to the school as the children were able to see the dials and put this learning into a real life context. We had 5000 litres delivered.

maths, Social Skills

Weighing in class

May 5, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

The children have been learning about weighing recently. They worked in pairs to compare objects and then use non-standard units to weigh items from around the classroom.

The primary 2’s then moved on to learn about kg and 1/2 kg and had great fun trying to estimate each others weights.

Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Listening and Talking, literacy, maths, Social Skills

Hills and Parks

April 29, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

As part of our IDL topic this term the children have been out and about again………

Today the children set off up the hill to explore and appreciate the amazing views which are just ‘On Our Doorstep’.

Once at the top they found ‘First Base’ and then they went into their mixed groups to complete their task. They had to find all the markers with letters on them and put them together to solve a puzzle.

It was great to see the children helping each other and working in their groups. There was time for a little rest at the ‘second base’ before heading back to school.

Going down the hill was much easier than going up.

Last Monday the children all went over to Strom Park. This time in their groups they used some sports equipment to practise some activities for Sports Day.

in their groups they had to decide what activities to practise and set it up themselves. It was amazing to see the inclusion of all pupils of mixed ages.

Listening and Talking, literacy, maths, Social Skills, STEM

measuring length

April 20, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

The children have been having fun learning about length. The Primary 1’s created these flowers and talked about longer, shorter, taller, tallest, smaller etc. Lots of great discussions and vocabulary used.

They used their ‘magic sticks’ to compare the size of objects outdoors.

All the children used different body parts to measure objects eg. ‘heel to toe’ steps, and handspans. They loved doing this and got good at estimating their answers before actually measuring to check.

The Primary 2’s used different units to measure objects in the classroom and outdoors. They then went on to learn about metres and half metres.

They worked in pairs to create a snake which was exactly 1 metre long.

The primary 1’s showed their buddies how to measure objects using their sticks and the p7’s recorded the answers.

They have had fun using the playdough to make long and short worms.

Health and Wellbeing, Listening and Talking, literacy, maths, Sciences, Social Skills, STEM, technology

Go Furt Fridays

April 20, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

Go Furt means get outdoors………It was a chilly 3 or 4 degrees on Friday morning but the children were still keen to get outside to build shelters and play together.

We will be heading out every Friday to make the most of our wonderful outdoor space at Whiteness. There is a shed full of loose parts which the children use to develop so many important skills including problem solving, cooperation, teamwork, etc.

It is fantastic seeing them having so much fun together and there imaginations are just the best!

Art and Craft, Health and Wellbeing, Listening and Talking, maths, Science, Social Skills, STEM

Kites STEM Challenge

March 5, 2024 Mrs Forsyth Leave a comment

The children worked in pairs to create a kite using a variety of materials. Lots of skills were being developed through this activity – for example collaboration, co-operation, problem solving, listening etc.

The wind was blowing so it was great to go and test the kites. The children soon found out that in order to fly the kites well they had to work together.