Phonics

In phonics we have been focusing on consolidating our phase 4 sounds such as ck, sh, th and ng and introducing phase 5 sounds, such as ie, ea, ou  and oy. We have been working hard to segment and blend, which has helped us with our daily reading. We have been practicing our precursive handwriting and sounding out our words phonetically to help with our writing across all areas of learning.

English

During this half term in Year 1, we have been reading the books ‘The Deep Dark Wood’ and ‘George and the Dragon’. Our story ‘The Deep Dark Wood’ is based on the traditional tale Little Red Riding Hood. We used lots of role play to understand the character’s thoughts and feelings and created comic story boards to re-tell the story. We have also been learning how important instructions are and followed instructions to make chocolate rice Krispy cakes. In Year 1, we created our own dragon’s eye to discuss the dragon’s appearance. We have continued to compose pieces of writing on character descriptions and setting descriptions. We have focused so much on our capital letters and full stops to make wonderful sentences.

Maths

In our Maths lessons this half term, Little Marvels have been continuing to count, order and add numbers up to ten. We have focused on forming numbers correctly. We have been working extremely hard on our arithmetic learning; we have been using part whole models to calculate addition stories. We have been learning composition and understanding what numbers we can add together to create another number. We have also practiced measuring.

Science

This term, in our science lessons we have been learning about seasonal changes around the world, we have looked at how day length varies and why the days get shorter and longer. We have also conducted experiments to consolidate our understanding. In year 1, we explored what a rain gauge is, and how puddles form as well as what a solar furnace is. We have examined what a water cycle is and how the weather affects our daily lives. We also went on a welly walk around the school to see how leaves change from season to season.

History

This term, we have been learning about the London Frost Fairs and how they compare to a modern fun fair. We have enjoyed listening to stories about the Frost Fair and we even created our own. We also delved into the tropical climate and stunning geography of St. Lucia, one of the beautiful Caribbean islands. Through this study, we learned about the island’s warm temperatures, lush landscapes, and vibrant rainforests, gaining an appreciation for its natural beauty and ecological significance.

DT

In our DT lessons, we have been creating 3D moving storybooks, we have been learning how to cut around shapes and lines, stick objects together using glue. We have been creating sliders using cards and discussing the mechanism of the sliders and how things move.

Computing

Little Marvels have enjoyed their first term learning about how computers work and the importance of technology. We learned all the parts of a computer, how to power it on and off. We practiced how to hold a mouse, scroll up and down and click. We also have been learning how to drag and accurately click onto something. We have been building our own houses, treehouses and decorating our own cakes. We have certainly got more confident with using computers!

PE

In our PE lessons, we have been practicing our throwing and catching, we have done underarm throws and overarm throws. We practiced our pencil rolls and thrown from a distance. We have been working super hard to help enhance our gross motor skills.

RE and PSHCE

In Little Marvels we have been learning about why people who follow the Christian faith refer to God as father. We shared discussions about why love is important in families. We also considered how and why Christians might want to talk to God. During our PSHCE lessons we looked at how important rules are and how we can keep ourselves safe around school by following the rules. We have also shared stories about our friendships and what makes a good friend and how they can keep us safe in our environment.