Welcome to Elm class, 

Year 1 

Our Autumn topic is called 'Childhood' and has a History focus. 

This project teaches children about everyday life and families today, including comparisons with childhood in the 1950's, using artefacts and a range of different sources.

We will also be learning about relationships, rules, listening and thinking about our feelings and bodies. In science our topic is 'Everyday Materials' which teaches the children that objects are made from materials. The children will be investigating the properties of materials and will begin to recognise that a material's properties define its use.

Mrs Montgomery and Mrs Magnall

We are both delighted to be moving up with your children from from Reception and are looking forward to a fabulous term ahead. The children have all settled in extremely well and we are so proud of each and everyone of them! 

Phonics Screening Check

The Phonics Screening Check will take place in June. To prepare for this please practise reading frequently with your child. Your child should be secure with phase 3 as we are currently working on phase 5. To support them, go over these sounds regularly. Each new sound that we learn will be sent home each week, on a Friday in the yellow book.  Please go through them and practise reading and writing the words that are sent home. If you would like to discuss any other ways your can help your child, please let us know and we will be happy to help. 

Some fanastic sites for phonics practise are: 

https://www.youtube.com/@MrTsPhonics

https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/alphablocks

Key Messages

PE - Tuesday's and Wednesdays

This term we are lucky to have Onside delivering PE sessions on a Tuesday afternoon. Our PE lesson with Mrs Magnall with then take place on a Wednesday afternoon. Please could children keep a drawstring bag containing their P.E. kit in school so they can change into their P.E. kit on the relevant days.

Water Bottles -

Please remember to ensure your child brings in their water bottle daily. (no squash please)

Reading and Phonics

Encouraging your children to read from a young age is essential and we will send a reading book and reading diary home for you to explore together.  Please record any reading you have done with your child in the reading diary.  

In year 1, we will deliver daily phonics lessons and we will introduce the children to new sounds as well as new High Frequency Words. Can we please ask that you practise these with your child and encourage them to use them in their writing. The weekly homework will also be based around the phonics sound that we are looking at in class. 

It is essential for your child's reading and writing that both you and they are pronouncing the phonics sounds correctly. Please click and follow the links below to watch videos to hear how to correctly pronounce each sound:

Phonics Level 2 Pronunciation

Phonics Level 3 Pronunciation

Phonics Level 5 Pronunciation

Maths

This term we will be focusing on place value within 10, addition and subtraction within 10 and geometry (shape).

Topic 

If you would like to support your child with our learning related to 'Childhood' then you could do the following:

• Explore words and phrases related to the passage of time.
• Expore artefacts to help them understand childhood in the past and how childhood has changed over time (clothes,toys etc)
• Explore the six stages of life and create timelines and family trees.
• Discuss similarities and differences between childhood today and childhood in the past.
• Plan a visit to the Black Country Museum

Homework 

Each week we will send home English or Maths homework. This homework will be based on activities that we have done in class the previous week. 

Homework will go out on a Thursday and will be due in the following Tuesday.

Our Learning Through Pictures

Our Classroom Environment