Crabtree Infants' Year 1

This week we have been learning the story Jack and the Beanstalk. First we listened to the story and then we drew a story map. This is when we draw 10-12 simple pictures to remind ourselves of the main events. Please look at the example below and ask your child to tell you the story.

The next day we ‘stepped the story’. We used our story maps and worked in pairs to retell the story. When we step we only short phrases as we are trying to learn the sequence of the story. Here is an example of part of the stepping script:

Jack and Mum

Jack and Mum poor

Sell cow

Swapped with beans

Mum angry

Out window

Beanstalk grew

Jack climbed

Saw castle

Ask your child to use the story map to show you how we step the story.

After that we worked in pairs to tell the story. We pass a bean bag to each other to help us remember when it is our turn to listen and speak. When we are telling the story we try and use lots of expression to make our story interesting to listen to. If we cannot remember parts of the story we can pass the bean bag to our partner – we are good learning partners! We then all sat in a circle and passed the beanbag as we told the story as a class.

Finally, we did a drama activity called ‘re-enactment’. This is when we all sit around the edge of carpet to make a performing space. We take turns to act a part of the story and say ‘whoosh’ when we change actors!

This week in maths we continued deepening our learning of numbers within 10. We started the week by counting forwards and backwards from 0-10. We completed a range of number tracks. Starting with pictures and moving onto numbers.

Then the children had to listen carefully to a number sequence between 0 and 10. They had to spot the mistakes.

5,6,8,9,10

7,6,4,3,2

7,6,3,2,1

You may like to do this at home.

During the rest of the week we consolidated our learning from Reception of one more and one less than a given number to 10. In pairs we played a game using a dice and then recording the number one less and one more than the number we rolled.

We enjoyed a maths ChIL where were able to practise counting forwards and backwards and consolidate our understanding of one more and one less.

On Friday we recorded on mini worksheets showing our understanding of one more and one less. Here are some examples you may like to try at home.

Telling someone what one more than 6 is, or what one less than 9 is, is easier than saying that what number 5 is one more than or what number 3 is one less than. You may like to try these two ways at home.

Home learning this week

· practising counting forwards and backwards 0-10 on fingers starting at different points

· show me one more or one less than a given number between 0 and 1 using fingers, counters, toys

· practising correct number formation 0-10

All these activities will help your child feel more confident in their maths lessons.

In geography we have been looking at different maps of Crabtree. We went around our school and discussed the land use, then we made maps. We added a key so that other people could read them.