Acorns Class
Class Teachers : Mrs Spring
Specialist Teachers : Mr Peters (PE)
Teaching Assistants : Mrs Cross (EYFS) Mrs Feltham (Maths)
Welcome to Acorns Class – KS1
Children in EYFS follow their own curriculum planned by Mrs Spring and taught by Mrs Spring and Mrs Cross. All subjects will be adapted to meet the needs of EYFS children and they will be taught alongside the older children in the afternoons. In Maths and English, EYFS follow the EYFS curriculum and provision is made both within the classroom and in the large outdoor learning area. As the year develops, very good transition arrangements are made to ensure the transition from EYFS to Year 1 is seamless for the children.
Children in Years 1 and 2 work in separate year groups for Maths allowing us to really deepen understanding. In all other subjects the class works together with tasks being adapted to suit the age and stage of each pupil within the class.
The timetable may change from term to term depending on the topic focus, any enrichment activities and swimming lessons.
Supporting Learning at Home
Reading
Please encourage your child to read to you daily in order to meet their termly reading target. We listen to each child read daily, however, children who also practise at home make the most progress. Children in Year 1 and Year 2 have access to a wide range of fully decodable books from our library. When children become free readers children have access to the Accelerated Reader scheme which allows the children ( with some adult guidance) to select from a range of books that will help develop their reading and their comprehension skills. Each time they complete a book in the scheme, they will take an online quiz, the results of which are accessible to parents.
Please ensure that you make a note in your child’s reading record every time you hear them read.
Phonics
Phonics is taught daily in EYFS and Year 1. During phonics lessons we teach the children the sounds letters make in order for them to read. There are 6 phases. Phases 1 – 4 are taught in the EYFS year, Phase 5 in Year 1 and Phase 6 in Year 2. Phase 6 is largely connected with spelling rules. Learning phonics can be tricky for some and daily practice with the sounds we send home will be beneficial to your child.
Spelling
Spelling is taught as part of the daily phonics sessions in EYFS and KS1. These skills are further reinforced during any writing activities. Children learn their common exception words and tricky words as part of a daily structured programme each morning. Children who find spelling difficult are provided with individual support using resources such as Nessy which can also be accessed at home.
Maths
Key maths skills are incorporated into Key Instant Recall Facts ( KIRFS). A set of KIRFs are sent out every term for each year group. Learning these facts is useful for your child and allows them to progress rapidly. Examples of KIRF skills include times tables, counting forwards and backwards, recognising 2D shape names etc
EYFS
It is important that all children learn how to dress and undress themselves, zip up coats, use cutlery to eat and attend to their personal hygiene independently. Parents are ideally placed to ensure their child acquires these skills. In addition, talking to your child to encourage their communication skills are all vitally important to children at this young age – encourage as much conversation as possible. If your child has unclear speech, it is helpful to say their sentence back to them so that they can hear the correct sounds.