This week’s blog will be a very short one. P1K have had a really busy week rehearsing for their Nativity. We are looking forward to sharing our beautiful singing and loud speaking voices with our special audience next week.
PE
We were playing running games to improve our fitness and have fun. We participated in various fitness activities at different stations around the gym hall. We practised some yoga in our classroom.
ART
Some of us have been drawing parts of the Christmas story for our window display.
LOOSE PARTS
Next date for loose parts is Wednesday 6 December.
Here are some examples of learning taking place this week, please ask your child about their learning. Many children have been very interested in making our home corner and small loose parts areas into a café. They have been making signs, creating menus, drawing plates of food, and taking on the roles of customers and waiting staff.
Miss Nicol , our PGDE student finishes her 5 week placement with us today. We will really miss her and wish her well in her career – we have no doubt she will be an excellent teacher.
Apologies if last week’s blog did not appear for some people as usual – there were some technical issues, but hopefully it is there now along with this weeks. Any issues with seeing it please let me know.
Our learning this week
It has been such a busy week we have hardly had time to take any photos, but here are a few photographs of us developing our skills through our independent learning opportunities and experiences this week. Please take time to share these photographs with your child so they can share their learning with you.
Literacy focus
This week we introduced the letters
j and v
and we introduced the tricky words
saw, was
These are words which cannot be sounded out using phonics and should be learned by memory as sight vocabulary. please practise both reading and writing these words
Use the sounds you know to read and build words. If you want a challenge you could try to write the word if an adult reads it to you.
Building a word. Using plastic letters or letters written on small pieces of card or paper an adult says a three letter CVC word ( consonant, vowel, consonant) and the child chooses the correct sounds to make the word.
Blending a word . Adult writes or uses letters to make a CVC word and the child should say the pure sounds of each letter then blend them together to read the word.
Our writing programme starts with telling stories through detailed drawing. We are now beginning to write some of the words and sounds we know as part of our sentence. This week our focus was I am me
Maths and numeracy focus
We also continue to practise our number bonds of ten. These are the pairs of numbers which, when added together, total ten. The children should learn these as instant recall facts. We also talk about ‘switchers’ e.g. if we know that 8 + 2 =10, we can tall that 2 +8 = 10.
Please support your child at home to learn these facts. If they already know them, the challenge is to apply that understanding to tens numbers to 100 ( e.g. 8+ ? = 10, 18 + ? = 20 , 8 +? = 40 etc)
We continue to work on SEAL ( Stages of Early Arithmetical Learning) Pupils are working and challenged at a level appropriate to their individual development. These are examples of some of the skills we have been practising :
Making arrays and counting in groups to find the total. Key vocabulary included the words rows, columns and groups
Adding 1
Adding 2
Counting random printed arrays accurately ( when you can’t move the item being counted)
Counting in tens
Counting in tens off the decade
Recognising and ordering numerals to 20
Counting forward and back within 30 ( to 100 for some)
Establishing a collection.
Counting a collection with accurate 1-1 correspondence
Identifying number families ( teens, twenties, 30s etc)
Subitising ( recognising an amount without counting )
Other areas of the curriculum
In PE we have been playing games which give us opportunities to practise the skills we have learned.
We had a visit from the school nurse.
We continue to practise our nativity presentation. Please support us by helping your child to learn their line and be able to speak it slowly and loudly – the hall is a very big space to fill with our voices.
We were very excited about the school fair coming up on Friday afternoon.
Looking ahead to next week
Please keep practising those lines !
‘Homework’ ( things to practice at home)
Count back from 20 -10
Write your name. Try to use correct letter formation for all the letters. Remember, only the first letter should be a capital. As a challenge, try writing your surname too.
In small groups we were thinking about words beginning with these sounds, playing games, and identifying the letters which make these sounds. Some of us were learning how to ‘build’ and ‘blend’ three letter words with the sounds we know.
We also introduced two ‘tricky words’ was and saw. Tricky words cannot be sounded out but have to be learned. We will be introducing new tricky words on a weekly basis.
THINGS TO DO AT HOME
Hold up the letters and ask your child to tell you the sound they make. Ask them if they can think of a word beginning with that sound. Play ‘I spy’ using the sounds your child has learnt.
Use letters written on a piece of paper or card to ‘build’ a word. The adult says a three letter word and the child choses the correct sounds to make that word.
An adult makes a three letter word, and the child says the pure sounds of each letter to blend together to read the word.
Write down was and saw on a piece of paper or card, hold the cards behind your back then show them to your child and ask them to read the word you have shown them. Your child could practise writing these words, forming the letters the way they have been shown in class.
(If you are unsure about correct letter formation, please speak to one of us at the end of the day).
NUMERACY AND MATHS
On Friday 1 December the children will bring home their learning stories with comments on their progress in literacy and numeracy along with evidence of their learning. This week we have been assessing the children in numeracy.
PE
We were playing running games to improve our fitness and have fun. We participated in various fitness activities at different stations around the gym hall. We practised some yoga in our classroom.
NATIVITY
Together with the Pandas we have been practising the songs we will be singing and trying to say our words loudly and clearly in the big hall. Please help your child to learn their words and home, encouraging them to speak as loudly as possible!
LOOSE PARTS
Next date for loose parts is Wednesday 6 December.
ART
We decorated a giant Christmas tree for the hall and everyone drew their own Christmas bauble.
Please continue to send in your clean recycling. Many thanks
Our learning this week
Here are some photographs of us developing our skills through our independent learning opportunities and experiences this week. Please take time to share these photographs with your child so they can share their learning with you.
Literacy focus
This week we introduced the letters
c, k, and ck
and we introduced the tricky words
put, his
These are words which cannot be sounded out using phonics and should be learned by memory as sight vocabulary. please practise both reading and writing these words
Use the sounds you know to read and build words. If you want a challenge you could try to write the word if an adult reads it to you.
Building a word. Using plastic letters or letters written on small pieces of card or paper an adult says a three letter CVC word ( consonant, vowel, consonant) and the child chooses the correct sounds to make the word.
Blending a word . Adult writes or uses letters to make a CVC word and the child should say the pure sounds of each letter then blend them together to read the word.
Our writing programme starts with telling stories through detailed drawing. We are now beginning to write some of the words and sounds we know as part of our sentence. This week our focus was I am me
Maths and numeracy focus
We have been learning about the properties of 2D shapes and 3D objects.
We also continue to practise our number bonds of ten. These are the pairs of numbers which, when added together, total ten. The children should learn these as instant recall facts. We also talk about ‘switchers’ e.g. if we know that 8 + 2 =10, we can tall that 2 +8 = 10.
Please support your child at home to learn these facts. If they already know them, the challenge is to apply that understanding to tens numbers to 100 ( e.g. 8+ ? = 10, 18 + ? = 20 , 8 +? = 40 etc)
We continue to work on SEAL ( Stages of Early Arithmetical Learning) Pupils are working and challenged at a level appropriate to their individual development. These are examples of some of the skills we have been practising :
Making arrays and counting in groups to find the total. Key vocabulary included the words rows, columns and groups
Adding 1
Adding 2
Counting random printed arrays accurately ( when you can’t move the item being counted)
Counting in tens
Counting in tens off the decade
Recognising and ordering numerals to 20
Counting forward and back within 30 ( to 100 for some)
Establishing a collection.
Counting a collection with accurate 1-1 correspondence
Identifying number families ( teens, twenties, 30s etc)
Subitising ( recognising an amount without counting )
Other areas of the curriculum
In PE we continued to make sequences of movements and travelling with our body at different levels as well as playing games which give us opportunities to practise the skills we have learned.
We had a visit from the author Morag Hood. She told us about her job as an author and illustrator and she helped us to draw a picture of the digger character from her book ‘Dig, Dig, Digger”
We have been learning about customs surrounding the festival of Diwali
Looking ahead to next week
We have started learning about the story of the Nativity. Everyone takes part in our presentation of the story and will bring home a small piece of paper on Monday with a line to learn. Please help your child to practise saying this slowly and clearly . Further information about the Nativity presentation will be sent home soon.
‘Homework’ ( things to practice at home)
Look around the house for objects which are spheres, pyramids, cubes, cuboids or cones. Discuss how many faces ,vertices and edges you can see on the objects you have collected.
Count back from 20 -10
Write your name. Try to use correct letter formation for all the letters. Remember, only the first letter should be a capital. As a challenge, try writing your surname too.
In small groups we were thinking about words beginning and ending with these sounds, playing games, and identifying the letters which make these sounds. Some of us were learning how to ‘build’ and ‘blend’ three letter words with the sounds we know.
We also introduced two ‘tricky words’ his and put. Tricky words cannot be sounded out but have to be learned. We will be introducing new tricky words on a weekly basis.
THINGS TO DO AT HOME
Hold up the letters and ask your child to tell you the sound they make. Ask them if they can think of a word beginning with that sound. Play ‘I spy’ using the sounds your child has learnt.
Use letters written on a piece of paper or card to ‘build’ a word. The adult says a three letter word and the child choses the correct sounds to make that word.
An adult makes a three letter word, and the child says the pure sounds of each letter to blend together to read the word.
Write down his and put on a piece of paper or card, hold the cards behind your back then show them to your child and ask them to read the word you have shown them. Your child could practise writing these words, forming the letters the way they have been shown in class.
(If you are unsure about correct letter formation, please speak to one of us at the end of the day).
Writing – Our starter sentence this week was ‘He put his…………’
We are encouraging the children to try to write as many of the letters and words as they can.
NUMERACY AND MATHS
In numeracy we have been carrying out some assessments to establish where children are in their learning and to identify next steps.
We were completing our topic on measure, using the language : taller, shorter, heavier, lighter, full, empty, more, less.
THINGS TO DO AT HOME
Please choose an activity from the SEAL wall which was sent home earlier in the term.
We were playing running games to improve our fitness and have fun. We participated in various fitness activities at different stations around the gym hall.
We took part in yoga in the classroom.
RME
We talked about the celebration of Diwali and watched a short film about it.
NATIVITY
We have started practising our Nativity play which will be performed to families on Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 December. Your child has a piece of paper with the part they will be playing in their purple folder (If it says N. and a number, they are a narrator). Can you please help your child to learn their words. Further information will be coming out shortly.
WORLD BOOK WEEK
We had a visit from local author Morag Hood. She talked about her job as an author and illustrator and shared two of her books with us: Spaghetti Hunters and Dig Dig Digger. She showed us how she draws one of her main characters and the children drew along with her. They were very engaged in this activity and were proud of the results. Your child should have brought their drawing home in their purple folder yesterday.
LOOSE PARTS
Next date for loose parts is Wednesday 6 December.
SPARE SOCKS AND TIGHTS
As the weather gets wetter, we are always needing a supply of dry footwear. If any families are able to donate any old socks or tights that would be really useful.
INDOOR PE
As we are now doing all of our PE inside can you please make sure that your child has suitable shoes for the gym halls. Can we ask that long hair is tied back.
In small groups we were thinking about words beginning with these sounds, playing games, and identifying the letters which make these sounds. Some of us were learning how to ‘build’ and ‘blend’ three letter words with the sounds we know.
We also introduced two ‘tricky words’ is and me. Tricky words cannot be sounded out but have to be learned. We will be introducing new tricky words on a weekly basis.
THINGS TO DO AT HOME
Hold up the letters and ask your child to tell you the sound they make. Ask them if they can think of a word beginning with that sound. Play ‘I spy’ using the sounds your child has learnt.
Use letters written on a piece of paper or card to ‘build’ a word. The adult says a three letter word and the child choses the correct sounds to make that word.
An adult makes a three letter word, and the child says the pure sounds of each letter to blend together to read the word.
Write down is and me on a piece of paper or card, hold the cards behind your back then show them to your child and ask them to read the word you have shown them. Your child could practise writing these words, forming the letters the way they have been shown in class.
(If you are unsure about correct letter formation, please speak to one of us at the end of the day).
Writing – Our starter sentence this week was ‘The bat…………’
We are encouraging the children to try to write as many of the letters as they can.
NUMERACY AND MATHS
In numeracy we have been counting backwards from 20 and putting numerals in order. Some of us were working on number bonds to 10.
We were talking about the language of measure : taller, shorter, heavier, lighter, full, empty, more, less.
THINGS TO DO AT HOME
Please choose an activity from the SEAL wall which was sent home earlier in the term.
We were playing running games to improve our fitness and have fun. We participated in various fitness activities at different stations around the gym hall.
HWB
As part of our Health and Wellbeing programme to help build resilience and following on from our introductory assembly, we were discussing the idea of special people in our lives and how they can make us feel happy when things are not going so well. We drew pictures which showed, ‘I am happy when…………’
LOOSE PARTS
We enjoyed the sunshine during loose parts this week.
Next date for loose parts is Wednesday 6 December.
SPARE SOCKS AND TIGHTS
As the weather gets wetter, we are always needing a supply of dry footwear. If any families are able to donate any old socks or tights that would be really useful.
INDOOR PE
As we are now doing all of our PE inside can you please make sure that your child has suitable shoes for the gym halls. Can we ask that long hair is tied back.
Please continue to send in your clean recycling. Many thanks
Our learning this week
Here are some photographs of us developing our skills through our independent learning opportunities and experiences this week. Please take time to share these photographs with your child so they can share their learning with you.
Topics of pupil interest this week included electrical circuits and the moon.
Literacy focus
This week we introduced the letters
l and b
and we introduced the tricky words
me and is
These are words which cannot be sounded out using phonics and should be learned by memory as sight vocabulary. please practise both reading and writing these words
Here are some words to read and build. If you want a challenge you could try to write the word if an adult reads it to you.
leg bin bat lot
Building a word. Using plastic letters or letters written on small pieces of card or paper an adult says a three letter CVC word ( consonant, vowel, consonant) and the child chooses the correct sounds to make the word.
Blending a word . Adult writes or uses letters to make a CVC word and the child should say the pure sounds of each letter then blend them together to read the word.
Our writing programme starts with telling stories through detailed drawing. We are now beginning to write some of the words and sounds we know as part of our sentence. This week our focus was I am me
Maths and numeracy focus
We are learning our number bonds of ten. These are the pairs of numbers which, when added together, total ten. The children should learn these as instant recall facts. We also talk about ‘switchers’ e.g. if we know that 8 + 2 =10, we can tall that 2 +8 = 10.
Please support your child at home to learn these facts. If they already know them, the challenge is to apply that understanding to tens numbers to 100 ( e.g. 8+ ? = 10, 18 + ? = 20 , 8 +? = 40 etc)
We continue to work on SEAL ( Stages of Early Arithmetical Learning) Pupils are working and challenged at a level appropriate to their individual development. These are examples of some of the skills we have been practising :
Making arrays and counting in groups to find the total. Key vocabulary included the words rows, columns and groups
Adding 1
Adding 2
Counting random printed arrays accurately ( when you can’t move the item being counted)
Counting in tens
Counting in tens off the decade
Recognising and ordering numerals to 20
Counting forward and back within 30 ( to 100 for some)
Establishing a collection.
Counting a collection with accurate 1-1 correspondence
Identifying number families ( teens, twenties, 30s etc)
Subitising ( recognising an amount without counting )
Other areas of the curriculum
In PE we continued to make sequences of movements and travelling with our body at different levels
Miss Nicol has been talking to us about electricity, why we need it, how we use it, and how to stay safe.
Looking ahead to next week
‘Homework’ ( things to practice at home)
Look around your house for things that use electricity. Discuss with an adult where the power comes from….. is it mains electricity from a plug and socket, or is it a battery? If it is a battery is it one that you can charge or one you need to replace.
When you are out and about keep your eyes open for solar panels and wind farms.
Count back from 20 -10
Write your name. Try to use correct letter formation for all the letters. Remember, only the first letter should be a capital. As a challenge, try writing your surname too.
Hello everyone, we have had a busy week in school. It was lovely to see so many parents and family members at our drop in today, thank you for coming.
This is what we have been learning this week:
LITERACY
We introduced the new sounds u and f.
In small groups we were thinking about words beginning with these sounds, playing games, and identifying the letters which make these sounds. Some of us were learning how to ‘build’ and ‘blend’ three letter words with the sounds we know.
We also introduced two ‘tricky words’ to and he. Tricky words can not be sounded out but have to be learned. We will be introducing new tricky words on a weekly basis.
THINGS TO DO AT HOME
Hold up the letters and ask your child to tell you the sound they make. Ask them if they can think of a word beginning with that sound. Play ‘I spy’ using the sounds your child has learnt.
Use letters written on a piece of paper or card to ‘build’ a word. The adult says a three letter word and the child choses the correct sounds to make that word.
An adult makes a three letter word, and the child says the pure sounds of each letter to blend together to read the word.
Write down to and he on a piece of paper or card, hold the cards behind your back then show them to your child and ask them to read the word you have shown them. Your child could practise writing these words, forming the letters the way they have been shown in class.
(If you are unsure about correct letter formation, please speak to one of us at the end of the day).
Writing – we used some of the words we have been learning for our starter sentence this week- I went to the………………
These examples of writing will go in your child’s learning story which they will be bringing home on the 1 December.
NUMERACY AND MATHS
In numeracy we have been practising careful counting and some of us have been adding two numbers together to make amounts totalling numbers between 11-20.
In measure we were using the pan balance to predict then measuring using cubes.
We were predicting which container held the most water then checking to see if we were correct.
THINGS TO DO AT HOME
Practise careful counting of a group of items. Say the number out loud as you place your finger on each item. How many items can you count correctly?
PE
We were playing running games to improve our fitness and have fun. We participated in various fitness activities at different stations around the gym hall.
HWB
As part of our Health and Wellbeing programme to help build resilience and following on from last week’s introductory assembly, we were discussing the idea of special people in our lives and how they can make us feel happy when things are not going so well. We drew pictures which showed, ‘I am happy when…………’
WALK IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
As part of exploring and discovering the interesting features of our local environment we enjoyed our walk around Buckstone. We looked at street names, the different types of houses and local amenities such as the park. We posted a letter to Mrs Conlin at the post box, and we were very excited to find out that it arrived the very next day! Mrs Conlin was delighted with her card and message from P1K.
Please continue to send in your clean recycling. Many thanks
Our learning this week
Here are some photographs of us developing our skills through our independent learning opportunities and experiences this week. Please take time to share these photographs with your child so they can share their learning with you.
Topics of pupil interest this week included fish (particularly flying fish)and umbrellas.
Literacy focus
This week we introduced the letters
f and u
and we introduced the tricky words
the and he
These are words which cannot be sounded out using phonics and should be learned by memory as sight vocabulary. please practise both reading and writing these words
Here are some words to read and build. If you want a challenge you could try to write the word if an adult reads it to you.
fin fat tub nut fog fun
Building a word. Using plastic letters or letters written on small pieces of card or paper an adult says a three letter CVC word ( consonant, vowel, consonant) and the child chooses the correct sounds to make the word.
Blending a word . Adult writes or uses letters to make a CVC word and the child should say the pure sounds of each letter then blend them together to read the word.
Our writing programme starts with telling stories through detailed drawing. This week our focus was an umbrella
Maths and numeracy focus
We continue to work on SEAL ( Stages of Early Arithmetical Learning) Pupils are working and challenged at a level appropriate to their individual development. These are examples of some of the skills we have been practising :
Making arrays and counting in groups to find the total. Key vocabulary included the words rows, columns and groups
Adding 1
Adding 2
Counting random printed arrays accurately ( when you can’t move the item being counted)
Counting in tens
Counting in tens off the decade
Recognising and ordering numerals to 20
Counting forward and back within 30 ( to 100 for some)
Establishing a collection.
Counting a collection with accurate 1-1 correspondence
Identifying number families ( teens, twenties, 30s etc)
Subitising ( recognising an amount without counting )
Other areas of the curriculum
In PE we had on fitness session and one on travelling movements and using different levels
Miss Nicol has been talking to us about electricity, why we need it, how we use it, and how to stay safe.
We made flying fish by folding and joining paper strips. It was fun to drop them from a height and watch them fluttering.
We found a break in the weather and went for our walk in the local area. Please ask us what we saw, where we walked and what we discussed.
Looking ahead to next week
Please see email communications about arrangements for Wednesday
Loose parts play on Tuesday.
‘Homework’ ( things to practice at home)
Look around your house for things that use electricity. Discuss with an adult where the power comes from….. is it mains electricity from a plug and socket, or is it a battery? If it is a battery is it one that you can charge or one you need to replace.
When you are out and about keep your eyes open for solar panels and wind farms.
Count back from 20 -10
Write your name. Try to use correct letter formation for all the letters. Remember, only the first letter should be a capital. As a challenge, try writing your surname too.
Please continue to send in your clean recycling. Many thanks
Our learning this week
Here are some photographs of us developing our skills through our independent learning opportunities and experiences this week. Please take time to share these photographs with your child so they can share their learning with you.
Topics of pupil interest this week included autumn leaves, geese and octopuses /octopi ( both are correct plurals of octopus ) Ask your child to share some octopus facts with you.
Literacy focus
This week we introduced the letters
g and o
and we introduced the tricky words
I and to.
These are words which cannot be sounded out using phonics and should be learned by memory as sight vocabulary. please practise both reading and writing these words
Here are some words to read and build. If you want a challenge you could try to write the word if an adult reads it to you.
got dot dog mop get top
Building a word. Using plastic letters or letters written on small pieces of card or paper an adult says a three letter CVC word ( consonant, vowel, consonant) and the child chooses the correct sounds to make the word.
Blending a word . Adult writes or uses letters to make a CVC word and the child should say the pure sounds of each letter then blend them together to read the word.
Our writing programme starts with telling stories through detailed drawing. This week our focus was “I am in the garden…..”
Maths and numeracy focus
Some pupils are still finding it tricky to count backwards from 20 – 10. Please practise this at home if necessary. Many thanks
We continue to work on SEAL ( Stages of Early Arithmetical Learning) Pupils are working and challenged at a level appropriate to their individual development. These are examples of some of the skills we have been practising :
Adding 1
Adding 2
Counting random printed arrays accurately ( when you can’t move the item being counted)
Counting in tens
Counting in tens off the decade
Recognising and ordering numerals to 20
Counting forward and back within 30 ( to 100 for some)
Establishing a collection.
Counting a collection with accurate 1-1 correspondence
Identifying number families ( teens, twenties, 30s etc)
Subitising ( recognising an amount without counting )
Other areas of the curriculum
In PE we have been focusing on jumping and landing, bending our knees as we take off and again as we land, trying to land quietly on our toes and roll down to our heels with both feet together. We have jumped off and over things.
We looked in detail at autumn leaves to make our own drawings.
We had our school photographs taken
We have enjoyed playing some singing games and rhymes with Mrs Cross, developing our skill in keeping a steady beat and also exploring different ways in which we can use our voices.
Looking ahead to next week
We will be going for a walk in our local area on Thursday – more information to follow on Monday via email.
‘Homework’ ( things to practice at home)
Write these sentences. An adult can read one to you and you use your knowledge of the tricky words and blending sounds to write independently. Give it a go, even if it is a challenge for you. Challenges are how we learn.
I am a cat.
I am ( insert own name).
I can hop.
Count back from 20 -10
Write your name. Try to use correct letter formation for all the letters. Remember, only the first letter should be a capital. As a challenge, try writing your surname too.
Buckstone Primary School 