Year 1 Birch Class
Year 1 Birch Class Key Information
Teacher: Miss Charlotte Hathaway
Teaching Assistant: Miss Sian Warburton
Weekly Spelling Test: Friday morning
PE day: Wednesday | 2pm-3pm
Come and take a look at our learning...
What’s happening in the Autumn term?
Welcome to Year 1!
Our school year starts with a step back in time as we embark on our first History topic of the year: ‘Childhood‘. This project teaches children about everyday life and families today, including comparisons with childhood in the 1950s, using artefacts and a range of different sources. We will also be visiting Macclesfield Silk Museum on Tuesday 11th October to learn more about being a child in Victorian times.
We will be starting ReadWriteInc lessons from the word go! Now that we are in Year 1, we will practise a weekly set of spellings each morning, in order to prepare for our weekly spelling check on Friday mornings.
In Maths, we will be working on a range of skills within the umbrella topics of Place Value (within 10), Addition and Subtraction (within 10) and Geometry. These topics will reinforce and revisit some of the vital skills taught in Reception, whilst at the same time furthering the children’s knowledge and understanding of number.
Year 1 Parents Evenings will take place on Tuesday 1st November and Wednesday 2nd November, please book your appointment in via the Arbor app.
What’s happening in the Spring term?
In the Spring Term, we will be starting a Geography topic called ‘Bright Lights Big City’. This topic will teach us all about the physical and human characteristics of the United Kingdom, including a detailed exploration of the characteristics and features of our capital city, London. We will also be taking a guided bus tour all around Manchester to think about how life in a city looks and feels different to our home town in the countryside. This class trip will take place on Wednesday 29th March 2023. We will be stopping to look at skyscrapers and we will also be stopping off at an inner city park!
In Maths, we will be further developing our understanding by looking at the mathematical topics of Place Value (within 20), Addition and Subtraction (within 20), Place Value (within 50), Length and Height and Mass and Volume.
We will be continuing to prepare the children for the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check.
What’s happening in the Summer term?
In the Summer Term, we will be focussing on a History driven project called ‘School Days‘. Within this project, we will learn about our own school and locality, both today and in the past. We will also be comparing schooling in the Victorian era to our experiences today. We are looking forward to two class experiences in the Summer Term. Miss Hathaway is currently in the process of booking us onto a Canal Barge Trip to look at Victorian history in our local area. We will also be visiting Portland Basin Museum in Ashton-Under-Lyne, to look at daily life and school life in the past.
In Maths, we will be continuing to build on our understanding of number through the topics: Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s, Multiplication and Division and Numbers to 100. We will be furthering our understanding of other Mathematical concepts through ‘Halves and Quarters‘, ‘Position and Direction‘ and ‘Money and Time‘.
As the children continue to develop their reading skills during our daily RWI (ReadWriteInc) sessions, we will support them in completing the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check, w/b Monday 12th June 2023.
Reading
We love to read! We expect all children at Gamesley Primary School to read at least 5 times per week at home. The children in Year 1 will receive a reading book linked to their current RWI (ReadWriteInc) reading level. We ask that your child reads this book at least 3 times, before we change it for them at school. Books are changed on a Monday and a Thursday. If your child would like to access extra reading materials, they can access ‘take home’ books from our class library or the school ‘Book Swap Shop’. These books are designed to be read and enjoyed with a grown-up. Please feel free to read these books to your child – this is just as important as hearing them read to you!
Reading with your child
Sharing a book with a child is fun! It’s a time for closeness, laughing and talking together – and it can also give children a flying start in life and help them become lifelong readers.
If you’re not feeling confident about reading aloud or sharing books, don’t worry – there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy a story together. But if you’d like some tips, here are a few pointers to help you out.
https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/v2qLPV7R/isHI1UQI
Here are some of our favourite stories to share with a grown-up!
Remember to log in to Lexia at home, to support your reading skills… follow the link below!
What parents need to know about the Y1 Phonic Screening Check
https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/RHpyYdLS/0YlEyijn
Spelling
Each morning, the children practise their 5 weekly spellings, ready for our Spelling Check on Friday mornings. Our spellings contain 3 Set 2/3 sounds linked to your child’s ReadWriteInc learning level and 2 spellings from the Y1 Statutory Spellings list (see below for some examples). Remember 5/5 correct spellings = 1 house point!
Are you up for a challenge? Use the red words below, to create your own set of spelling cards at home!
Maths
Please follow the links below, to support your Maths learning at home.
Numbots | Basic Number Skills (Addition and Subtraction focussed)
TT Rock Stars | Times Tables practise
Please let us know if you want a replacement/reminder of your child’s login details. 🙂
General Messages
Please remember to bring your water bottle to school each day :).
Our P.E day is Wednesday (2pm – 3pm). Your child’s P.E kit should consist of a black school P.E hoodie, a school P.E t-shirt (in your house colour), joggers, black leggings or shorts, trainers and spare socks if needed. Please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather; we aim to partake in as many outdoor P.E lessons as possible throughout the school year.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Year 1 team via ClassDojo. Or if you would prefer to speak to an adult face to face, Miss Hathaway is usually available at the end of each school day.