Phonics sound checks.

This gives children a chance to practice the types of words will be on the check.

The words with an alien by them are nonsense words which are to be read phonetically. Those without are actual words.

We have been practicing the following steps for finding each word.

1. Sound button the word.
2. Sound out each sound.
3. Blend the sounds together.
4. Check it makes sense. (If it is a real word.
5. If it doesn’t make sense then check which sounds might be an alternative.

Below are past checks from the last few years. Feel free to download them and use them however you like to practice reading unfamiliar words. 

We have also included copies of phase 3 and 5 sounds you can use to practice too. 

Kenya 

This term we have looked at Polar regions and now we are starting to look at hot places. We have been reading "Lila And The Secret of Rain" by David Conway and Jude Daly which is set in Kenya. 

Pine classes own Mr Robinson spent a year teaching and working in Kenya and therefore was able to share some of his photos and stories about his time. He talked about the 3 main areas of Kenya he taught in and the similarities and differences of each:

Central Kenya - a lush green area rich with plant and animal life. 

Northern Kenya - a desert which was very hot and dry with little water or plant life. 

Nairobi slums - a urban setting of extreme poverty in which schools are often overcrowded.  

We also discussed Nairobi and other cities in Africa which showed us that Africa is over 50 counties with countless different habitats, people and cultures. 

We finally learned some Swahili...

Asante sana : thank you very much. 

These are the Common Exception Word spellings for this term.

Capacity

This week we have been looking at capacity in maths.

We filled up different sized containers and have ordered them using related vocab. 

Below is a poster of some of the vocab we have been using if you wish to keep trying at home. 

Happy bank holiday weekend everyone!

Maps of Faringdon

We have been exploring Faringdon this term, and together have used maps and Google Streetview to see the important features and buildings.

We followed a journey through the town on our maps and used bricks to represent some important buildings (School, Corn Exchange, Post Office, Town Hall, All Saints Church, Folly).

Looking at internet safety

We have been learning about who can see our photos on different devices. 

Together we uploaded some photos from the ipad to the internet. 

On the ipad only the person with the device and the password could see the photos. 

When it was copied to the school network only staff with a login and password could see the photos. 

Once we uploaded the photos to the internet the whole world could access them without any password needed. 

Marvellous Maths

This week in maths we have been looking at counting in twos.

We made number tracks going up in twos and were answering questions using 2p coins.

A wonderful 'wow day' in our woods.

Year one had a fantastic time in the woods this week building houses out of straw, sticks and bricks. After hearing all about the 3 pigs we put our knowledge of materials together to build our houses.

It was pretty clear to see which material was the strongest against the huffing and puffing of The Big Bad Wolf... but the straw was still the most fun. 

Here are some photos of the houses we made (then blew down) during the wow day. 

Q: What do pigs do on nice days?
A: They go on pignics.

Letters and Information

Please find below the letters and overviews for this term.

This includes the weekly spellings for the rest of this term.

Telling the time.

We started the new term looking at how to tell the time.

We looked at what we were doing every half an hour throughout the day and made a daily routine.

What would an Owl See in our woods?

We had a wonderful visit from Chrissie's Owls.

She brought in Jazz the Barn Owl and Reuben the Indian Eagle Owl to show us.
We learned a great deal about their habitats, bodies and how they hunt.

Below is Chrissie's website for more information.

We have been reading "The Dark" by Lemony Snicket and discussing what the dark is like. 

Here are some of our ideas.

Autumn Is Here.

Year one have been spending a lot of time in the woods this week.

We have been searching for signs of Autumn and acting out the story of A Dark Dark Tale by Ruth Brown.

Measuring

Year one have been exploring how to measure items around us using non-standard measurements.

We recorded how long things are in cubes, then compared items to find out the longest and shortest.

Our "Toy Wow Day" was full of toy-riffic activities.

We had a fantastic day exploring different toys from the past 

and making some of our own.

We have been reading 'Naughty Bus' by Jan and Jerry Oke.

Thanks to all who joined us for our Year One Welcome Meeting.

Find the presentation slide from the meeting below along with the links to recommended phonics websites to explore.

This week in year one we have been very busy with all sorts of exciting learning:

In maths we have been looking at different ways to make 5 or 10 with cubes.

In English we have been matching rhyming words taken from our text "Snail and the Whale."