Year 1 is an exciting year for our children. We focus on developing social skills and independence alongside academic progress in the core subjects and across the whole curriculum. Please read below for more information:
Over the year in Year 1, we cover the following topics:
We also have lots of exciting and fun filled trips and event days throughout Year 1.
Reading is something we love to do and we really hope you can share this experience with your child. We ask you to listen to or read to your child as much as you can and write a note in their diary to tell the teacher about their experience and understanding. When reading with your child at home, you will have a range of books to choose from. Each child will have access to a decodable phonics book, a guided reading book and a reading for pleasure book every week. At Parkgate, gaining enjoyment from reading is really important to us, therefore each week the children choose a book from the reading area that particularly interests them.Â
As a school, we use the Letters and Sounds scheme to teach reading and phonics. Letters and Sounds provides a structured and systematic approach to teaching phonics. In using this approach, our aim is to promote fluency in speaking, reading and writing. The children are exposed to different phases that consist of different phonemes that the children learn. The children are also exposed to a range of vocabulary such as digraphs, trigraphs, phonemes, and pseudos. The aim of phonics is to improve children’s ability to blend sounds together to read a word and segment sounds in order to spell a word. Although the children have a daily 30-40 minute phonics lesson, the subject is something that is stretched across the curriculum, but in particular guided reading and English.
In June, the children will complete the Phonics Screening Check. This focusses on recognising and blending sounds in order to read real and pseudo words.
Home School Diaries
These are used to communicate between parents and teachers. The teachers will check the children’s diary once per week. Please write a note when your child has read and comment on their understanding of the text. We really appreciate as much reading as you are able to do with your child. When they have read, please ask them questions about what they have read to make sure they understand the text.
Homework
Spellings will be given out each week on a Monday and children will be tested on these the following Monday. You will find your child’s spellings in their Spelling Journal that they will stick in each week. We ask that children practise their times tables a minimum of 3 times a week and that children are listened to read, each day, for a minimum of 10 minutes. Maths, Reading and SPaG homework will be set as appropriate.
Class Dojo
We use Class Dojo as a communication app. Please see your child’s class teacher for your child’s details for you to access this.
Useful Websites
https://play.numbots.com/#/intro
https://www.purplemash.com/login/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/
The Year 1 team are always available and happy to discuss any queries you may have.
For more information about the Key Stage 1 curriculum, please contact Miss R. Howard (Key Stage 1 Leader and Assistant Principal).
For more information about the Key Stage 2 curriculum, please contact Mrs Phoebe Brooker (Key Stage 2 Leader and Vice Principal).
For general enquiries please contact Elaine Leivers
