Year 2 Class Information – Autumn

School value

Autumn 1 – Cooperation

Autumn 2 – Communication

Literacy

We will read – One Day on Our Blue Planet by Ella Bailey

The Bear and the Piano by David Lichfield

The class are also reading a range of non fiction books about the history of flying. We secure the correct letter formation and basic joins. We work on writing clear and accurate sentences to build short paragraphs  e.g. understanding sentences and recognising verbs.  The library at Touchbase Pears is a great place to borrow books and is free to join and use. This online library is another great place to read.

Spellings

We learn the spelling patterns from the national curriculum for Year 2 from little wandel along with words from the statutory spelling list. Children also participate in dictation and handwriting during English lessons.

Your child needs to be able to spell all of these words by the end of Year 2. Try using games like Karate Kats and Spooky Spellings to make spelling fun.

Maths

We will work on addition and subtraction. Your child has a school subscription for two excellent National Curriculum-aligned maths sites/apps. The log-in details for these have been sent home.

Mathletics

Times Tables Rock Stars

Science

Autumn Unit – The use of everyday materials

You may find this link helpful to look at with your child:

https://wordwall.net/en-gb/community/y2/materials/everyday

Computing

Autumn 1 – Unit – Creating media – digital photography

Autumn 2 – Unit – Data and information – pictograms

We constantly work on how to use technology safely and responsibly; how to recognise unacceptable behaviour; and ways to report concerns. Keen coders might enjoy this free club at the Central Library.

Trips for the term

TBC

Topic Focus

Significant events

Art and Design

In the autumn term, we will be looking at mixed media, the unit aims to refine children’s colour mixing skills from Year 1 and enables them to combine these in different ways through collage. They will also broaden their knowledge and experience of painting beyond paint and paintbrushes and begin to develop a vocabulary around tools, experimentation and evaluation. This will be built upon in Y3 but the foundation of colour mixing skills should be secure by the end of this unit.

Design and Technology

We will learn about cooking, nutrition and having a balanced diet. This unit builds upon Year 1’s exploration of smoothies by introducing the principles of a healthy and varied diet. Children will learn about food groups, balanced meals and safe food preparation techniques, culminating in the design and construction of a healthy wrap. This unit provides foundational knowledge for more complex cooking and nutrition topics in later years.

History

As part of our history topic we will be looking at how schools have changed over time, comparing the past with the present. Building on prior learning about how toys have changed, children will use historical sources (especially photographs) to understand classroom features, teaching methods and daily life in schools from different periods, including within living memory and beyond living memory. The unit aims to develop skills in chronological ordering, source analysis and historical comparison.

Geography

This unit builds upon Year 1’s foundational map skills and understanding of UK weather by introducing global climate zones. Children will learn to locate continents and poles, compare contrasting environments (UK vs. Kenya) and investigate weather patterns to understand hot and cold places.

Music

In Year 2, this term the purpose of music education is to consolidate foundational skills by encouraging more confident and controlled singing and instrument playing within a wider range of musical activities. Building on Year 1’s experimental sound-making, children start to compose and improvise simple musical ideas using the interrelated dimensions of music more purposefully. They develop their listening skills to identify and recall more detailed musical features, expanding their appreciation of diverse musical styles.

 

We have chosen to use Sparkyard for our music delivery as it supports the non-specialist to deliver high quality music education, mapped to the national curriculum. In Year 2, music lessons are delivered by Claire Vaughan.

https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Melody-Maker/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdhTodxH7Gw

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/classical-music-ks2-george-gershwin-rhapsody-in-blue/zmj792p

PE

Autumn 2 – Master basic movements including running, jumping, throwing and catching, as well as developing balance, agility and coordination, and begin to apply these in a range of activities

1:1 participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending

1:2 perform dances using simple movement patterns. 1: 3

Swimming – Children will be going swimming every Tuesday afternoon until the end of the term.

RSHE

In continuing with our topic we will be looking at how some friendships make us feel unhappy but I can ask for help from an adult to find a solution. How manners and courtesy are about showing respect and being thoughtful about others through our actions and words. We will also look at when things change or we lose someone we have lots of different emotions.

RE

We will explore:

Living by rules

Being temperate, self disciplined and seeking contentment

Responding to suffering

Sharing and being generous