Year 2 w/b 10th January
Date: 16th Jan 2022 @ 1:08pm
It has been another wonderful week in Year Two. We have been particularly focusing on our handwriting, presentation and spelling and the children have continued to work hard to meet this challenge.
On Monday, we read the first half of our text, Jack and the Baked Beanstalk. Then, in groups, we explored the following vocabulary from the book: flyover, overhead, thoughtfully, construction, resist, exchanged. To demonstrate our understanding, we defined the words, used them in a sentence and then drew a picture to represent each word. On Tuesday, we were introduced to our text map and began learning some actions. This helped us with some further vocabulary work as we discussed and agreed actions to best represent: doorstep, magnificent, company, isolated, entire, loneliness, superb, terrific, dreadful, friendless, filled with excitement, about time, in summary. On Wednesday, our core skill task involved suffixes, as we focused on adding the suffixes -ment and -ness to create nouns such as: enjoyment, movement, excitement, amazement, darkness, happiness, loneliness. We then applied our comprehension skills in order to answer a range of questions about the model text. On Thursday, our core skills task was once again SPaG focused. We learnt that there are four sentence types: statements, questions, exclamations and commands. We particularly focused on identifying questions and exclamations. This helped us to analyse our model text to identify the features of persuasive writing, finding examples of: questions, exclamations, alliteration, repetition, emotive language and words/phrases to start each reason. On Friday, we began by looking at conjunctions, as we first practised saying them in some sentences and then focused on our letter formation as we wrote them down. Next, we played a persuasive game: conscience alley. Children who were for Jack going up the beanstalk lined up on one side and children who were against Jack going up stood opposite them to create an alley. As ‘Jack’ walked down the alley, children gave their reasons for or against in an attempt to persuade Jack, focusing on using conjunctions in their reasons. Everybody then wrote their reasons down in full sentences, using the conjunctions. This will help us as we plan and write next week.
In maths, we have started our multiplication and division unit, beginning with multiplication. First, we focused on grouping objects, which involved understanding that objects can be grouped together and that groups containing the same number of objects are equal groups. We then made written sentences from these equal groups. Next, we looked at picture stories, and wrote repeated addition and multiplication sentences to match a picture, describing the number of equal groups. Finally, we began to see multiplication as repeated addition, using a number line alongside repeated addition and multiplication sentences to work out a total. Next week, we will begin to look at our times tables. In Year Two, we learn the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. We know that the best way to learn these times tables is lots of practise, so children will soon be given logins to Times Tables Rock Stars, which I am sure they will be very excited about. Our Maths Fluency sessions continue to support us with our foundational mathematical skills and knowledge. They also prompt lots of discussion and are very enjoyable, as the photos show.
This week, Mr Simmons had organised a very exciting Forest School session which was related to our work with Jack and the Baked Beanstalk. First, the children looked for different ‘beans’ or seeds. Mr Simmons then led a group discussion as we identified the types of seeds and what they would grow into. This was followed by a most enjoyable game as we each tried to steal some seeds from the ‘giant’. Finally, the children planted their seeds and then enjoyed some time exploring Forest School.
To finish our computing unit, we focused on ‘debugging’, the process of finding and correcting errors. We first debugged some given algorithms. Then, we worked in partners to complete a practical activity. Each partner had the same bricks. They sat back-to-back as one child created an communicated an algorithm to build a model, which their partner followed exactly. The pair then compared models to see if they had created an exact match. If not, they knew they needed to debug their algorithm. This activity was a lot of fun!
On Tuesday, we completed our final session on the Victorians to allow us to reflect on our Victorian Day. We engaged in a discussion which enabled us to demonstrate our ability to identify similarities and differences between Victorian times and the present day. I was very impressed with the children’s confidence to explain their thinking. What wonderful historians!
On Thursday, we enjoyed our first PE lesson of the half term; our focus is ‘Invasion Game Skills’. This week, we practised our skills of bouncing and catching as we threw overarm for a partner to catch consistently after one bounce. We began by practising our bouncing/catching skills as we progressed through the following sequence: bouncing from two hands and catching in two hands; bouncing from one hand and catching in two hands; bouncing from one hand and catching in one hand; bouncing from one hand and catching in the other hand. We then played ‘Cat and Mouse’ which allowed us to apply these skills while travelling. Finally, we practised throwing a ball for a partner to catch after one bounce. We then applied this skill to a game called ‘Fill Your Hoop’.
In HeartSmart, we continued think about some ways that we can ‘look out’ and think about other people’s needs. This has helped us to keep filling our Year Two Kindness Jar with lots of acts of kindness. Additionally , we have explored the NSPCC ‘Speak out. Stay Safe’ campaign where we discussed who is a ‘trusted’ adult and who we could talk to both in school and out of school if we felt worried or sad.
I am very proud of Year Two’s continued hard work and enthusiasm and I look forward to another wonderful week.
Miss Witham
