January 21st

Thank you for the donations of ‘junk’ for our modelling table to be used from next week onwards. I’m so looking forward the wonderful creations your children will no doubt be producing and bringing home. We’ll need a steady supply of cardboard, loo roll holders, boxes and tubs for this to happen, so please reserve a bag of such goodies from your recycling. I’m hoping to add a doll dressing up station (fine motor skills) and writing basket (literacy) next week too.
Since the start of term, I’ve been keen to encourage a sense of independence, perseverance and resilience in the children. These important learning skills can be empowering, leading to enhanced self-esteem: in short, great for learning and well-being. The Y2s this week, have been working on multiplication problems in pairs, supporting each other rather than relying on adult help. Y1s have taken more responsibility for getting resources ready and looking after personal possessions.
In Maths Y1s used milk bottle tops and 2 tens frames to explore adding numbers to 20, while crossing a tens boundary: 8+5 is the same as 10+3. We use this strategy because it’s easier to add a number to 10 (see photo). Y2s have persevered with arrays, and have drawn a range of arrays for 12.
History spilled into Guided Reading this week, when the children sequenced the life of Mary Anning, as learnt through ‘Stone Girl, Bone Girl’. They also considered the effect of bullying Mary experienced as a child.
‘Show and Tell’ was a highlight this week. 7 children spoke with confidence and clarity about their items, among which was an Islamic prayer mat, a model of a doll made from ‘junk’ featuring a lever which moved the doll’s head and an art book full of the child’s own drawings and paintings. We also enjoyed the book about Minecraft! Next week, we’d love to see some fossils. I will make an exception to the Tuesday rule for fossils, and these may be brought in on any day for showing.
Things you could do to help your child for next week:
· Y1s – practise number bonds for 10 (1+9, 2+8 etc.)
· Y2s – talk about sharing out of anything in preparation for work on division (sharing 20 grapes between 4 people etc.)
· Research what life must have been like for the common person 200 years ago (time of Mary Anning)
· Learn any words or rhymes using sign language
Have a lovely, cosy weekend. See you on Monday!
Audra Fitzgerald