Street Detectives

We start our year off by becoming street detectives and learning about our local area.  We look at maps of Prescot and create our own maps using symbols and keys. We also compare photographs of 'old' and 'new' Prescot and explain why the changes may have taken place.  The children enjoy reading the poem 'The Owl and the Pussycat' by Edward Lear and discover how it was written for the 13th Earl of Derby's children.  Lord Stanley had a number of animals which later became Knowsley Safari Park.  The children enjoy their fieldwork task where they follow a map and identify different features of Prescot. 

 

English

The children in year 2 have an hour of Read Write Inc. every day.  Please see the Read Write Inc. section for more information on this.  

We also have separate English lessons and during this term we will be using the ‘Soggy the Bear’ books by Philip Moran to engage the children.  They will be writing descriptions of Soggy, retelling the stories and thinking of questions to ask Soggy.

During our Land Ahoy topic there will be lots of opportunities for writing. We will be writing lists, thank you letters to the RNLI, stories about the RNLI and facts about Grace Darling. We will also be writing instructions about how to find the treasure on our Pirate treasure maps.

To further develop the children’s language there will be lots of opportunities for role-play.  They will act out the story of Grace Darling and role-play being rescued by the RNLI.

Our grammar focus this term will be adjectives, adverbs and past tense.

KS1 Common Exception Words

Maths

We follow Inspire Maths which emphasises the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills and will help children make connections to develop deeper understanding.  We will use the concrete-pictorial-abstract approach to help children deepen their understanding.

We will also have daily maths meetings to help rehearse and embed key maths skills.  We will be focusing on days of the week, months of the year, telling the time, making totals using money, number bonds, shape names and properties of shapes.

Number: Place Value

The children will be investigating and understanding the value of the tens and ones digits in a 2-digit number.  They will use this skill to order different numbers from smallest to largest by looking at both digits in the number. The children will also be practising counting forwards and backwards in 2s, 5s and 10s. 

Number: Addition & Subtraction

Year 2 will be learning and using addition and subtraction number bonds up to 20 to solve problems. From their knowledge of place value, they will work on number bonds to 20 by looking at the tens and ones digits. They will be looking at the 'make 10' strategy and the 'regrouping into tens and ones' strategy.

Measurement: Money

The children will be counting in pence, pounds and a mixture of both. They will use coins to make an amount but also investigate how many other ways there are to make that same amount. The children will be challenged to find the difference within two different amounts of money. They will use this skill to find change.

Land Ahoy

Get your sea legs on, it’s time to sail the salty seas!

This term we will be finding out about the RNLI and how to stay safe on the beach.  This topic aims to develop the children's knowledge of the world, helping them to locate continents and oceans and seas - naming as many as they can.  For our history focus we will be looking at reasons why people in the past wanted to travel around the world and will ‘explore’ the idea of ‘exploration’, with significant people, such as Captain Cook.   The children will make timelines of Captain James Cook and Grace Darling.   The children will also take part in a Pirate Day which will involve lots of pirate games and activities.

 

Science

Our first science topic this term is 'Plants'.  The children will observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants.  They will discover how plants needs water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy.  We will be identifying garden plants, wild plants and trees, and those classified as deciduous and evergreen.  

We will set up a variety of investigations which the children will observe and then record their findings - 

What do bulbs need so that they can grow healthily?

Do seeds need water so that they can grow?

Do plants need light so that they can grow?

Do all seeds germinate in the same way?

The children will have opportunities to experience and observe phenomena, looking more closely at the natural and humanly-constructed worlds around them.  They will be encouraged to be curious and ask questions about what they notice.