This week in English the children have been writing a recount of their toy workshop last week. We discussed that a recount is a piece of writing about something that happened to you in the past (past is one of our key topic words this half term). We then thought about past tense words that we might need to use e.g. played, looked, helped, made, listened.
At home when you are reading with your child or even when you are just having a chat, ask them to be past tense detectives to try and spot/hear all of the past tense words that are being used.
Next the children looked at photos and sequenced events from the toy workshop. We talked about time openers these are words that come at the beginning of a sentence and help us to put things in chronological order. e.g.
First we went into the hall.
First we went into the hall.
Next we sat and listened.
After that we played with the toys.
After that we played with the toys.
At home see if you can come up with some more time openers, you might like to have a look through some reading books with your child to see if they can spot them.
On Tuesday we did some shared writing as a class. We use shared writing as a way to collaboratively come up with ideas and write a group piece before the children write their work independently. It allows the children to discuss ideas, vocabulary and 'have a go' before they put pencil to paper. It also helps them to see how a piece of writing should be structured.
Here is Woodpecker class' shared writing:
Finally on Wednesday the children wrote their recount of the toy workshop independently.
You might like to use this plan on our working wall to ask your child to verbally recount the toy workshop to you.
Maths
This week in maths we have been exploring place value within 20 and looking at how numbers are put together in tens and ones. The children have been verbally counting backwards and forwards to twenty and noticing patterns between the numbers. We have been building our numbers in counters using yellow counter to represent the tens and red counters to represent the ones and then creating sentences to describe which each number is made up of ie: eleven is made up of one ten and one one.
We have been using dice to complete number races to twenty and back to zero on a number square and playing games like number snap where we match two numbers that added together make twenty.
You might like to try some of these at home to help your child become more familiar with the place value concept and combining numbers to make 20.
Other games you could play include snakes and ladders and going on a number hunt to find objects that total twenty such as 9 leaves and 11 acorns etc.
We have also been using diennes in class. Ask your child what one stick is worth and what one brick is worth.
We have been using dice to complete number races to twenty and back to zero on a number square and playing games like number snap where we match two numbers that added together make twenty.
You might like to try some of these at home to help your child become more familiar with the place value concept and combining numbers to make 20.
Other games you could play include snakes and ladders and going on a number hunt to find objects that total twenty such as 9 leaves and 11 acorns etc.
We have also been using diennes in class. Ask your child what one stick is worth and what one brick is worth.
In PSHE we have been talking about how to be a good friend. Ask your child what they came up with over the weekend.
On Wednesday next week the children will be watching a Christmas film in school. If your child has a Christmas film with a U certificate, they are welcome to bring them in next week so that we can vote for which film we will watch. Please ensure the DVDs have your child's name clearly labelled.
On Thursday afternoon next week each class will be having a Christmas party. You will be happy to know the children do not bring in a party plate or any party clothes. We will just be playing games and dancing.
Have a lovely weekend,
The Year Two Team.
