Active Learning 2022-23

Welcome to our school

Top Tips for School

Go to bed early on school nights. Children really need their rest. Aim that they are in bed, asleep by 7.30/8.00pm to get their much needed 12hours rest.
Always eat a healthy breakfast- it will help them to concentrate, learn and play.
Bring in a piece of fresh fruit for break each day along with their water bottle. (NB: Break is fresh fruit- or a bread based product only.)
We will encourage the children to drink lots of water throughout the day in class. No other juice drinks, flavoured water etc is allowed.
We will be encouraging the children to try a little bit of everything on their plate at lunch time, as the year progresses we will see know more about their preferences. If they don’t like something we will ask them to leave it on the side of their plate.
Keep encouraging all those table manners during your family meal times. At school our lunch time routine allows everyone a chance to talk about their day.
When they arrive home talk to your child about school, listen to them and share how your day went too.
Read our monthly newsletter, discuss what is on the menu and send in their dinner money on the Monday of each week in an envelope clearly marked with their name and the days they wish to take dinner.
Read to your child at least once a day.
Mark all of their clothing with a name label... this really supports them with their independence.
PRAISE YOUR CHILD-ALWAYS TELL THEM HOW SPECIAL, UNIQUE, AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL AND CLEVER THEY ARE!

Learning in Term 1

Literacy in Term 1

Book handling skills, name front, back, word, picture. Book terms – cover, author, spine, pages, speech bubble. Tell story through pictures, answer questions, re-tell story. Extend vocabulary using correct names for everything. Letter formation (c a d o g q i l) writing in air, in sand, on paper. Find rhyming words. Put story events in correct sequence. Say a selection of nursery rhymes using actions. Listen to stories from library books brought home and talk about the pictures.

Numeracy in Term 1

Number counting rhymes. Counting up to 6, backwards, starting at different point, recognise number symbols. Recognise 1p and 2p coins. Count 1p coins in a purse. Name four flat shapes – circle, square, triangle, rectangle. Make a pattern that is repeated. Order objects – small, medium, large; first, second, third and last. Use positional language eg. in front of, behind, in between, beside, under, over. Sort objects into sets according to – colour, size, shape, special features. Use language of measurement eg. taller, shorter, longer, heavier, lighter, more, less, most, least.

Themes Explored in Term 1

Nursery Rhyme Time (sequencing and changes over time)

Twinkle Twinkle (Day & Night)

Seasonal changes

Healthy Eating

Halloween

Christmas

Pedestrian and Road Safety

Induction P1 Parents and Children

Welcome to our class

Welcome to our class where you are sure of a learning environment that is:

Safe & Welcoming
Child-centred
Nurturing
Stimulating and above all
Happy!

Each and every child is important to us and throughout tyour child's early years at school we will suppport them in laying firm foundations so that they develop intellectually, personally, physically, socially, emotionally at their own pace.

In our clasroom we promote Active Learning which is skills focused and age appropriate. This practical approach enables each child to achieve their potential by encouraging them to:

experiment and create
explore and have fun
self manage
ask questions
investigate and
evaluate

Term 1 - Primary 1

Literacy

Primary one will be introduced to initial sounds through a multi-sensory approach. Sounds will be introduced each week alongside high frequency words. Listen out for those songs. Children will be learning to recognise and write those initial sounds and later in the term begin to hear those sounds being blended together. In primary 1 they will be blending and reading a range of three letter words.
With the children's handwriting we will spend time on developing the correct grip and lots of practice developing those fine motor skills. Children again will experience this development through a multi sensory approach, e.g. large and small movements, sand and tactile work, threading and using small pieces of equipment and lots and lots of following patterns and scribbling. When we come to letter formation we group the letters according to their pattern and correct formation, so for example, c,o,a,d etc are introduced first. Children will use whiteboards in class along with other kinaesthetic and visual materials to practise letter formation

Reading will come in different formats. Each week the children will choose their own library book on a Thursday. This will give you the chance to read to them and alongside them talking about the pictures, why they chose the book and parts they liked best. Please read and re-read this library book as many times as you so wish and then return it to school on Monday.

Around the half term mark, reading material that has been discussed and share in class will be issued. These books again will give you an opportunity to enjoy reading together. You can help your child by talking about the pictures in the book, to help find clues about the story and it’s characters and also encourage them to make predictions about what may happen next in the story. This reading will develop and progress in line with your child's ability.

Numeracy

Numeracy is taught actively through stories, games, number rhymes and songs. The children will focus on numbers 0-10. They will learn to recognise, count and write these numbers. They will also be developing the ability to sequence numbers to 10, whilst exploring numbers before/after/between. Most importantly they will understand the number and what is stands for. Children will also experience pattern in numeracy, measures, shape and space and stat handling. Again much of this learning is developed during their play, through rhyme and song and through real life opportunities presented in class.

You can help at home by practising numbers to ten (counting forwards and backwards, missing numbers out when counting and asking your child to tell which number is missing etc…) and reinforcing vocabulary such as, how many, largest, smallest,

World Around Us
Our themes for this term are: If You Go Down To the Woods!

There will be lots of opportunities for active learning through role play, art, writing and stories.

Physical Education

P.E. this year will be on a Wednesday morning. We ask that you send your child to school dressed in their PE clothes, with their uniform on their PE bag. Children will change back into their school uniform after PE. Please allow your child to dress and undress themselves as this supports them when they have to change in class. Make sure and give them plenty of practice with buttoning and unbuttoning their collar.

Religious Education

R.E. follows the 'Grow in Love' programme. This year the children will be learning about themselves, their families, their world and their church and community

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me

What your child will be learning in Term 2

Literacy

Children will:

Listen to stories read by adult - learn new vocabulary - talk about the stories, the characters and setting. Read words using techniques to help eg. initial letter sound, picture in book or what is sensible in context of story. Make a simple sentence about an event or picture by saying it or/and writing it. This might just be the first letter in each word. Find words which begin and end with a given sound. Give sound/name for each letter in the alphabet. Starting to name capital letters. Correct letter formation whole alphabet.

Numeracy

Count forward from a given number to 10. Addition within 10. Number words up to ten. Addition words - add on, more, makes symbols + and =. Understand the concept taking away means less. Say "Five little speckled frogs" Become familiar with - sign meaning take away.

Themes Explored

Winter, Seasons and Weather

Space 'Blast Off!'

Growth and Change

Road Safety