Robin Class

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Welcome to Year 2’s Class Page! 

Please scroll down for further information about our lovely class and how we learn together!

Thank you,

Miss Mitten

Standards and Expectations

Moving into Year 2 is a significant step up, the children will have their own trays, allowing them the opportunity to take a greater responsibility for their reading books and some exercise books. In Year 2, we begin to build a higher level of independence and children will have more responsibility for their learning, choices and behaviour. Building on from the wonderful learning in Year 1, we have high expectations that children become proud of the standard of work they are producing and begin to use margins for their writing and produce learning that is presented neatly. All pupils are encouraged to work their very hardest and contribute fully to class life. They are expected to be well behaved, polite and helpful at all times and follow our `Class Rules’. In Year 2, we remember to always try our best and have a go at every challenge. 

Curriculum

Please click on the links below to see the topics covered for Core and Foundation subjects, our class timetable and the termly overview. 

Phonics

We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds revised programme, which ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school. We teach phonics for 20 minutes a day and each Friday, we review the week’s teaching to help children become fluent readers. Once children in Year 2 have full knowledge of phonics and are fluent readers, they will move on to the Year 2 spelling and SPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) scheme.  If any children did not pass the phonics screener in Year 1, they will retake the phonics screener in Year 2, Term 6.

For more information on how to support your child with phonics and reading, please see the links below. 

Reading

Reading is the foundation of your child’s education. We spend a great deal of time in KS1 learning to read and reading together. We encourage children to read a wide variety of genres and to fully immerse themselves into stories and characters. As well as reading themselves, the children are also given plenty of opportunities to listen to high quality texts, authors and poets to help build on their vocabulary and love of reading. This not only takes place throughout the day but is also timetabled daily. 

We teach children to read through reading practice sessions three times a week. These:

• are taught by a fully trained adult in small groups of approximately six children
• use books matched to the children’s secure phonic knowledge using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised assessments and book matching guidance. 
• Each reading practice session has a clear focus, so that the demands of the session do not overload the children’s working memory. The reading practice sessions have been designed to focus on three key reading skills: decoding, prosody (teaching children to read with understanding and expression) and comprehension.

The children have access to a wide range of genres in our class library and can chose a sharing book to enjoy each week. Pass on any comments you may have about his or her progress through the reading record. Those children in Year 2 who are working beyond our new reading scheme, will bring home a colour banded reading book.

Curriculum

Please click on the links below:

Writing

Writing is taught daily in Year 2 and we teach the children a wide range of fiction and non-fiction genres. Often, our writing is based on a class story book and we begin our learning by developing our understanding of the book, use of inference, drama and story-telling to over learn the structure of the story. We then apply what we have learnt into adapting the story and creating our own drafts of a story, based on this learning. In Year 2, the children begin to learn how to edit a piece of writing by making changes to spelling, grammar and punctuation, or making improvements to what they have written by adding in words and phrases. 

In Year 2, it is important that we focus on spelling, particularly spelling words from the Year 1 and 2 spelling lists accurately, as well as tricky words. These will be a focus in our homework and new phonics scheme.

Maths

We follow the White Rose scheme for teaching and learning of maths. This approach focuses on mastery, supported by developing fluency and a deep understanding of the concepts. We encourage mathematical learning with the use of varied resources, concrete and pictorial, to support your child at all levels of their mathematical journey. This makes maths more accessible and fun for all children and helps to convey abstract concepts in a child-friendly way. You can help your child with maths by counting everyday objects regularly, going up to 100, beyond and back again. Encourage your child to tell the time with you, add up items on your shopping list and use the correct coins.

Mental arithmetic is an important part of the Year 2 curriculum. Children in Year 2 need to be confident in recalling the addition and subtraction number bonds to 10 and 20 and be secure with the 2, 5 and 10 times tables by the end of the year. Another important skill that we will use to further the mastery approach is the skill to reason and explain problems. By asking the children to explain how they got to their answer and explain why they believe they are correct, will deepen their understanding of concepts and methods taught to them.

Handwriting

The children will write with a pencil and on the line. By the end of year 2, we hope that the children will be able to join letters or are beginning to use the lead in and out lines, making cursive letters, ready to start joining in year 3. We support children to write cursively with handwriting lessons using the 'LetterJoin' handwriting scheme.

Supporting your child with reading 

Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home. ALL children in KS1 will be bringing home two different books each week:  

1. A reading practice book.  This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently. This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please do not worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.  Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together. You could use the comprehension questions in the back of the book to support this.

1. A sharing book. Your child will not necessarily be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together. In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The sharing book is a book they have chosen from the school library for you to enjoy together. Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters; explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun! REMEMBER, children are never too old to be read to!  

Children will be sent home with their reading books on a Friday to share with you throughout the week and brought back in to change the following Friday. Please record any reading completed in your child’s reading record.

This year, we are approaching homework differently. We will be uploading a termly spelling overview and our Key Instant Recall Facts (KIRFS) document to our school website and Class Dojo. These are to inform you of our spelling and mental arithmetic focuses for the term. Practicing these spellings and key maths skills at home with your child is welcomed and would support your child’s learning in school. Our Little Wandle scheme includes many spelling elements with daily spelling practise, so we will not be having weekly spelling tests in school.

Other homework now includes a cross-curriculum themed activity sheet with an exciting selection of activities based on different topics we are covering each term. Please see the next page in your child’s homework book for their activity sheet for Term 1 which also contains some additional information about how and when to submit completed activities.

We look forward to working with you this year and thank you for your continued support.

Parents

If you need to speak to the class teacher about any aspect of your child’s schooling, please do not hesitate to contact the office to arrange a telephone appointment.

Class Teacher: Miss L Mitten