Year 2 2024 - 2025
We would like to welcome everyone back and wish you all a happy New Year.
Things to Remember
- Please ensure all items, but especially coats and jumpers are clearly labelled with the child’s name.
- We aim to go outside often so please can you ensure your child brings a waterproof coat each day to school - one can be left on their peg if you prefer.
- Children need to bring their water bottle in every day.
- For this term on a Tuesday and Wednesday your child needs to come to school in full PE kit. Tuesday will be our outdoor PE session.
- Children will continue to bring a reading book home every Monday and Thursday and this needs to be returned each Monday and Thursday with their reading diary.
- Children will continue to bring handwriting practise home every Thursday and this needs to be returned on a Monday. This book will also contain the spellings your child needs to know.
Here is an overview of our curriculum for this Spring term.
To Know You More Clearly
Galilee to Jerusalem
Our focus will be on stories about Jesus and we will be exploring what they mean to us. Through creative activities such as arts and crafts we will explore some of the different themes. We will be focusing on: The Magi and the Feast of the Epiphany, John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus, Jesus’ Temptation and Miracles, The Calling of the Disciples and Calming the Storm, Parables and Forgiveness and Reconciliation and Living out Forgiveness.
English & Phonics
In Spring 1 the children will be exploring Roald Dahl ‘Revolting Rhymes’. This text will give opportunities for the children to practise their choral speaking and will provide opportunities for performance poetry. Throughout the unit we will focus on the point of view of the wolf in traditional tales and the children will be rewriting a traditional tale from the wolf’s point of view.
In Spring 2 the children will be exploring ‘The Tear Thief’ by Ann Duffy. This will provide children with opportunities to practise their narrative writing skills.
Some of the children will be following the Read Write Inc programme and will still receive two books a week. Please remember that we recommend that the children read the books several times to build confidence and fluency. One will be a familiar text that they have looked at in class, (this will also be available to read via the Oxford Owl Website) and one will be an unfamiliar read that is linked to the sounds and tricky (red) words learnt that week.
Spellings
This term we are introducing RWI Spelling. More information to follow.
Handwriting
Please encourage your child to practise their handwriting at home. The links below model how to write their letters on the line and with horizontal and diagonal lines.
Handwriting stage 1a/1b
rwi_RPhO_HW_1a.pdf (oxfordowl.co.uk)
rwi_RPhO_HW_1b.pdf (oxfordowl.co.uk)
Handwriting Stage 2
rwi_RPhO_HW_2.pdf (oxfordowl.co.uk)
rwi_RPhO_HW_3.pdf (oxfordowl.co.uk)
Capital Letters
rwi_RPhO_Capitals_chart.pdf (oxfordowl.co.uk)
Maths
In Maths, the children will be focussing on money and the different combinations of coins that can be used to equal the same amount. We will also be exploring common 2D and 3D shapes and begin looking at the different features of these shapes and describing the shapes using our mathematical vocabulary. Throughout the term we will be continuing to develop our understanding of place value in two-digit numbers and we will be developing our addition and subtraction skills within 100. Children will continue to work on their understanding of multiplication and division and will focus on the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. Towards the end of this term, we will be introducing fractions and start to develop an understanding of a halves and quarters. To finish this term, we will be looking at telling the time on an analogue clock.
Science
During the Spring term we will be learning about Living things and their habitats. We will look at the different habitats of different animals and what they need to survive. We will also look at food chains and how they are important to the survival of different living creatures.
Geography
In Spring 1 we will be focusing on Geography. We will be looking at place and location. The children will learn to make comparisons between urban and rural places.
History
In Spring 2 we will be focusing on History. In this unit we will be focusing on The Great Fire of London. The children will explore life in 17th century London and will learn about how the fire started and the impact it had on London.
You, Me, Everyone
In Spring 1 we will learn that we are all unique with individual gifts, talents and skills. We will discuss how our bodies are good and the names for our different body parts. We will find out about how we can look after our body, the importance of a healthy lifestyle, the importance of sleep and why we should look after our personal hygiene. Through Journey In Love we will describe ways of being safe in our local communities.
In Spring 2 we will learn about how to manage when we find things difficult. We will look at how we all have different likes and dislikes but still have similar needs. Through discussions we will look at the language to describe our feelings and understand that feelings and actions are two different things. We will learn about strategies to help manage our feelings and that choices we make have consequences.
P.E
In PE this term the children are focusing on personal challenges and outdoor games. Our outdoor PE session will be on a Tuesday and our indoor session will be on a Wednesday.
Art - Painting
In Spring 1 we will be developing our painting skills. We will look at the artist Claude Monet and the children will create an abstract seasonal painting with tinting.
DT – Cooking and Nutrition- Dips and Dippers
In Spring 2 we will be developing our cooking skills. The children will discuss the importance of nutrition and will look at different dips and dippers before creating their own to taste. Before we carry out this unit we will ask for up to date allergy information.
Computing
In Spring 1 we will be looking at programming and algorithms. The children will design algorithms as programs and will learn how to debug them to move a Bee-Bot.
Music
In Spring 2 we will be looking at the use of orchestral instruments and learn how to identify different instruments in a piece of music. The children will also learn about how music can provide an accompaniment to a story. Children will write their own story script with accompanying music.
Homework
Daily Reading – It’s important that you read every night for at least 10 minutes.
Children will bring home their book bags with a reading for pleasure book on a Monday and this should be returned on a Thursday. This is a book that could be read to your child at bedtime or something they could share with you by telling you the story through the pictures.
Book bags will also go home on a Thursday with 2 phonics books or a reading scheme book. These should be returned no later than the following Monday. The books will be matched to your child’s reading level and will help them consolidate the sounds and tricky (red) words learnt that week. It will help your child to read these books more than once to help improve reading speed and expression.
*Please can you sign your child’s reading record to show they have read when book bags are returned on a Monday*
Other Homework - Occasional projects linked to topic work will be set throughout the year. Maths activities to go home when relevant and to support learning.
If you need to speak with your child's teacher, please approach us on the playground and we can arrange a time. We would ask that you kindly wait until we have seen all the children safely to their parent or carer before speaking to your teacher and we will be happy to chat. Alternatively, you may wish to ring the school office to arrange an appointment.
We look forward to continuing to work with you this term. Please contact any member of the Year 2 team if you require any further information.
Mrs Graham, Miss Fitzsimons, Mrs Moody, Miss Norman, Mrs Emerson