Prep 2 Curriculum Brief

In our phonics work we will continue to progress through the Read, Write, Inc scheme and children will be in groups appropriate to ability. We will focus on long and short vowel sounds which will be reinforced and taught through reading the story, learning and practicing the tricky words.

Each week children will be asked to learn a set of spellings for a test which will be based on the grapheme they have been learning that week. Spelling tests will be on Thursdays.

We will explore a variety of texts to develop comprehension and composition skills. Examining plot, time and sequencing events in stories. Children will learn to write for different purposes; to entertain, to inform and to recount familiar events. Our Grammar work will examine plurals and ‘ed’ endings in the past tense. Punctuation will focus on capital letters, commas, full stops, exclamation and question marks.

We will be continuing to learn cursive handwriting (joined up) starting with the lead in and exit formation which will later become joined.

In their reading, the children will continue to follow the Oxford Reading Tree at an appropriate level to them.

We will begin the term by revising place value and number facts to solve problems. Children will learn to partition numbers in different ways to support subtraction methods. We will focus on counting in steps of 2,3, and 5 from 0, and in tens from any number, forward and backward. Children will then learn to solve problems with addition and subtraction, using concrete objects and pictorial representations, including those involving numbers, quantities and measures. We will learn to derive and use related facts up to 100.

Later in the term we will be looking at the properties of shape. To identify and sort common 2D and 3D shapes. To sort 3D shapes on the basis of their properties and use vocabulary precisely, such as sides, edges, vertices and faces.

Squash, Bend, Twist, Stretch

In Science this term Prep 2 will expand on their knowledge of materials and test a range of materials through investigations and explorations. They will work on ways to test materials for elasticity and flexibility and find out which paper is the strongest. One of the projects will include to design and make a paper bridge to hold a toy car.

During the Autumn term, Prep 2 will study land and water as they investigate the continents and oceans by using their atlas and research skills, before completing a continent research project.
The class will also hone their mapwork skills as they gain an understanding of the use of direction in geography, using left and right and 4 and 8-point compass directions to instruct and follow and being able to identify simple symbols and abbreviations.

This term we will be studying the Ice Age/Stone Age era. We will begin by looking at animals of the Ice Age and continue on to a study of early man, the discovery of fire, animals that were hunted and how this was done, weapons and tools, food and homes, clothing and cave artists.

This term in French, we will focus on revising and expanding our foundational knowledge. We’ll begin by reviewing numbers up to 20, colours, and practising responses to basic questions and greetings. Building on this, we will learn vocabulary for body parts, animals, and fruit and vegetables. Additionally, we’ll explore how to ask for items in a shop, a key skill for everyday conversations.

Our learning will be supported by the Skoldo Elementary Book to enhance our understanding of vocabulary and sentence structure. To help consolidate what we’ve learned, we will also sing plenty of fun French songs!

This term we will look at being part of God’s family; what it means to Christians to be part of God’s family and the importance of caring for each other. We will learn about Creation and God’s world, leading us to Harvest and why it is celebrated. Finally, we lead onto the birth of Christ and the importance of Christmas.

This term we will create art based on the theme of Aboriginal Art. We will discover the history of Aboriginal Art and the methods and materials traditionally used to create it. We will work in a range of media including paints, oil pastels, chalks and dried pulses. We will experiment with colour mixing and how to make colours lighter and darker. We will also print and create some three dimensional pieces.

The theme for music in the first half of term will be Exploring Timbre and Tempo.  Children will recognise that music can be used expressively to create different moods and will use this knowledge to create their own sound effects.  At the end of the topic Prep 2 will create a whole class composition using percussion instruments.

This term our core topics are Families and Friendships, Safe relationships and Respecting ourselves and others. We will be exploring what it means to be a good friend, what we look for in a good friend and recognising our own strengths and talents. We will discuss how negative stereotypes can influence behaviours and attitudes and consider why they can be unfair and unhelpful.
We will consider what it means to be kind, what are good manners and why they are so important, as well as how to solve conflict within friendships in a positive manner.

Due to the exploratory and ‘spontaneous’ approach in this subject, we will often go off in different directions depending on the ideas and interest of the children. And so the formal lesson plans are often deviated from to preserve a flexibility and originality of approach.  New projects often ‘evolve’ from the children’s ideas in the sessions and it is an important part of the approach and style in this subject  to maintain this flexibility and spontaneity.  This generates a feeling with the children that they are going on a ‘journey’ in this subject each term. The formal lesson plans are only intended to be used as a basis and guide to the type of work and projects that are covered and are not intended to be rigidly adhered to.

Weeks 1 – 4

Robot Project – mechanical movements – fixed and moving pivots

This involves the design and construction of card robots with moving parts.  The pupils will be introduced to the idea of appropriate decoration, use of colour, ideas involving symmetry.  The robots will be cut out and joined together using paper fasteners to incorporate simple movement. The pupils will also be able to design attachments for their robots which can also incorporate movement.

Weeks 5 and 6

Spinner project

This involves the design and construction of card and cd spinners. The pupils will be looking at colour combinations to produce various effects. They will be working with card circles, paper fasteners, pva glue, holographic paper and coloured card.

Weeks 7, 8 and 9

Matchstick Maze designs.  This project involves 12cm/12cm square plywood bases and the design and construction of a maze, where a ball bearing is guided through the maze from a designated start to the finish, pupils will be involved in measuring and marking out, sanding, decorating, glueing. The pupils will be introduced to the junior hacksaw in this project.

Materials:  blockwood, plywood, modeling sticks and matchsticks.

Skills;   measuring and marking out, sanding, cutting using junior hacksaw.

Weeks 10, 11 and 12

Fridge Magnet designs

Design and construction of shapes which attach to metal using self adhesive magnetic tape.

This term pupils will continue to develop their Word Processing skills to create work that they can save, retrieve and print. They will learn about algorithms and de-bugging and put these into practice using floor robots. They will participate in some basic programming skills to work on their logical thinking skills.

Games: Tag-Rugby. Simple handling and non-contact activities. Skills will be introduced through a collection of set tasks and drills. These will be put into practice using small side games, which require pupils to work together in a 1.v.1, 2.v.2 or 3.v.3 situations.