Dragonfly Class Summer Term 2 Year One and Foundation Stage

Topic:Underground ~ This is a topic spanning 2 terms

Assessment is continuous throughout the year for both reception and year 1 children. We continually monitor and evaluate the progressin order to ensure that children are supported, challenged & motivated. Children learn through adult-led, adult-initiated and child-led activities; there is opportunity for learning through play and adults support children’s learning both in and out of the classroom. We encourage independence, self-confidence and endeavour to foster in all children a love of learning and delight in the exploration of the world around them.

Summer Term 1
Communication & Language
/ Speaking and listening will continue to play a central role in all activities with pupils encouraged to contribute ideas and opinions as well as listen with sensitivity to the ideas of others.
Through direct and indirect activities pupils will develop and extend their understanding of questions with Y1 pupils continuing work on punctuating these accurately and consistently during formal recorded tasks. This term Y1 pupils will also begin to use exclamation marks during guided writing tasks and YR pupils will be introduced to them during guided reading sessions.
When discussing experiences, the accurate use of past, present and future forms will be modelled and when writing narratives pupils will continue work on using the past tense with accurate use of regular and irregular verbs.
Personal, Social & Emotional Development
/ Circle time will continue to support pupils with the skills needed to interact positively with adults and peers. The focus this term will be working together as a team and encouraging others to play their part. This will link closely with P.E sessions where the children will be encouraged to work as a team, playing parachute games and other team challenges. Pupils will also be working towards sports day which is towards the end of the term.
Articles 13, 14 and 19 will be planned into class circle times and throughout the term links will be made with the school focus of being thankful.
Physical Development
/ The children will continue to participate regularly in activities which develop their fine and gross motor skills. This will link with art activities where the pupils will have many opportunities to use a range of tools and techniques.
Weekly cooking lessons will continue this term and pupils will have opportunities to develop their skills with cooking utensils and understand the need to use them safely and with care. The importance of hygiene will also be established during these sessions which will be led by Ms Palmer.
Pupils will have regular handwriting lessons. For YR pupils the focus will continue to be the accurate formation of letters with the added expectation that letters are consistent in size with clear ascenders and descenders. Handwriting lessons for YR pupils will link with learning to spell high frequency words. For Y1 pupils, writing with clear ascenders and descenders will be expected in all activities and in guided lessons pupils will continue to learn to join groups of letters. This will consolidate phonic knowledge.
The class will continue to have a weekly session with the specialist sports coach. This term the P.E focus will be small apparatus skills with the sports coach and preparation for sports day including competitive sports. ‘Wellie walks’ and opportunities to use the Learning Garden will continue to be a regular occurrence. In addition, weekly swimming lessons will continue every Monday afternoon.
Literacy (English)
Reading & Writing
/ Each day there will be a daily phonics lesson. For YR pupils the continued focus will be on consolidating knowledge of Phase 3 and Phase 4 phonemes and applying these during reading and writing activities. Y1 pupils will continue to develop their knowledge of phase 5 phonemes and continue to learn sets of words which have alternative phonemes for spelling. The phonics screening test for pupils in Y1 will take place towards the end of June.
The learning/consolidation of ‘tricky words’ will be during these sessions. Y1 pupils will consolidate phonic skills with homework relating to words introduced each week.
Pupils will read daily with an adult. This may be as part of the literacy session, a class big book, 1-1 with an adult or a targeted activity linked to phonic sessions.
Writing activities will include:
  • Story writing ~ linked to shared class stories
  • Factual writing linked to science activities
  • Recounts linked to own experiences and school events
The terms verb and noun will be revised and Y1 pupils will continue to identify these in simple sentences. Pupils will also be introduced to the term ‘adjective’ and Y1 pupils will be encouraged to use these during creative writing sessions.
Mathematics
/ Y1 pupils will continue working with numbers to 100 and beyond finding numbers 1 more/1 less than a given number.
There will be consolidation of the 10, 5 and 2 times tables and pupils will begin to record multiplication using formal notation. Links will be made with repeated addition. Y1 pupils will also be introduced to division as sharing and grouping activities.
Pupils will continue to partition numbers within 100 and continue developing their understanding of simple place value. There will be daily consolidation of key number facts including doubling, halving and counting in a variety of steps. Pupils will continue work on addition and subtraction using a variety of methods.
YR pupils will work with numbers within 30. They will continue work on ordering numbers and consolidate understanding of the numberline to complete formal addition and subtraction sums as well as using practical apparatus.
Opportunities to measure (standard and non-standard units) will be through weighing activities with natural objects and gram weights for Y1 pupils. YR pupils will consolidate the vocabulary of weighingas well as using non-standard units. Cooking sessions will also support the development of weighing skills.
Pupils will explore halves and quarters through using playdough and practical apparatus. As their understanding grows this will be extended to halving and quartering groups of objects.
Understanding the World (Science, History & Geography)
/ Pupils will have opportunities to develop their understanding of the seasons and begin to know key events in each one. Through regular discussions they will identify how the seasons change and how this affects the way we live. Knowledge of how day length varies as the seasons change will be discussed and through wellie walks pupils will have the opportunity to discuss observed changes to the natural world.
Pupils will explore different materials and where they occur/ are made. The properties of materials will be explored and simple investigations will encourage children to think scientifically. Investigations will include
  • Is it waterproof?
  • How stretchy is my sock?
  • Which surface has most friction?
  • Are all carrier bags the same strength?
Pupils will become familiar with the map of the United Kingdom and where different materials occur naturally. Key towns will be identified.
Pupils will find and observe creatures which live below ground. Habitats will be discussed and children will be introduced to simple food chains.
Children will learn about dinosaurs and understand their differences in diet. They will have opportunities to learn about how we find out about the past and use books and the internet to develop their research skills. There will be many links to art, ICT and literacy through this aspect of the topic.
Pupils will improve coordination skills through using a variety of apps and computer programs which support literacy and numeracy skills.
Pupils will learn about cave dwellers in history and also those from modern times. There is a planned visit to Wookey Hole.
Discuss pipes which are under the ground. What are they for? Where do they go? Why do we need them?
Expressive Art & Design
/ Pupils will continue to learn new songs linked to topic work and will be given the opportunity to perform them in front of parents during class assembly. They will have opportunities to copy and continue simple rhythm patterns, follow simple notation and participating as a member of a group. Weekly music sessions will continue with Mrs Gosney.
Look at portraits painted by Picasso. Use black sugar paper to cut out features so front and side view is given.
What do pupils think?
Put different paintings on tables and pupils select their favourite. Give reasons for choices.
Discuss the term ‘ profile’. Look at pupils different profiles. Use whiteboard to draw pupils different profiles.. Divide into sections and paint using powder paint and mixing own colours.