What another busy and exciting week we have had in Year 1! The children have continued to work hard, build their confidence and show us just how much they are learning. Here is a little look at what we have been getting up to!

Maths

This week in Maths, we have been developing our understanding of addition and exploring how two numbers can be combined to find a total. We have been using practical resources, including bead strings and part-part-whole models, to help us visualise the numbers and understand how addition works.

The children have been encouraged to explore different ways of making a number, identify the two parts that make a whole and use these to work out addition calculations. Using these hands on resources has helped us explain our thinking and develop confidence when finding answers.

At home, you could support your child by looking for opportunities to practise adding small amounts together, such as counting toys, pieces of fruit or objects around the house. Encouraging children to explain how they worked out an answer is just as important as finding the correct total!

Read Write Inc.

The children have continued to work hard in their Read Write Inc. sessions, developing their reading, spelling and writing skills. We have been using our phonics strategies to sound out unfamiliar words, blend sounds together and segment words to help us spell them accurately.

Our Fred Talk and Fred Fingers strategies remain an important part of our learning. We are also continuing to build confidence with our writing, taking care to listen for sounds in words and use our phonics knowledge independently.

Alongside our phonics, we are learning to recognise common exception and high-frequency words. These words are particularly important because some cannot be sounded out using our usual phonics strategies.

This term, we are focusing on the following words:

• the

• a

• to

• I

• is

• of

• do

• go

Please continue to practise these words with your child at home. Little and often is a great approach and can make a real difference to their confidence and fluency.

Reading

Thank you for your continued support with reading at home. Regular reading is one of the most valuable ways to help your child develop confidence, expression and fluency.

A reminder that children should bring home two books in their reading folders:

• RWI home book: This should be read three times throughout the week to help children become familiar with the text and improve their fluency. An adult will change this book every Monday.

• Coloured-sticker book: Children can change this book independently as often as they need to. First thing in the morning is an ideal time, and we will continue to support them as they become more confident with this routine.

Please remind your child to put their reading folder in the classroom tray each morning so that we can access their books and listen to them read.

We would also love you to record each reading session in your child's reading record. Every week, one child from each class will receive a reading certificate during assembly. Children can also earn a certificate or prize for every 20 reads, so please remember to sign the record each time your child reads at home.

Thank you for helping us to foster a love of reading!

Thematic

This week, we have been exploring the world around us through our Geography learning. We have been learning to identify the difference between a village, town and city! We have also been identifying human and physical features. Human features are things that have been made or built by people, such as houses, roads and bridges, while physical features are natural parts of our environment, such as rivers, hills and forests.

We have also been developing our map skills, looking at how maps help us to represent places and understand what an area looks like. The children have been exploring maps and aerial photographs, thinking carefully about what they can see from above and identifying different features within a landscape.

Through discussion and observation, we have been practising using geographical vocabulary to describe places, share our ideas and explain whether features are human or physical. We have loved seeing the children become more observant of their surroundings and begin to understand how geographers explore and learn about the world.

Home Learning

This week, we would love for you to look at some maps! Any maps you can find, this might me one on a phone, a zoo, a park. We would just love for you to explore them!

Spare Clothes for Year 1

Please ensure that your child has a named spare set of clothes in school, including underwear and socks. Accidents and spills can happen, and having a change of clothes available helps children stay comfortable and return to their learning quickly.

If you have any spare children's clothing or underwear that your child has outgrown and you would be happy to donate, we would be very grateful. These items can be a great help when a child needs a change of clothes during the school day.

Thank you for your kindness and support.

Show and Tell

Please remember that toys, jewellery, Pokémon cards and other personal belongings should remain at home. These items can easily become lost or damaged and may distract children from their learning.

If your child has something special they would like to share with the class, please email a photograph of the item to their class teacher. We can display the photograph while your child tells their friends all about it.

Thank you for helping us keep our classrooms focused, safe and organised.

Additional Information

Wellington Boots and Outdoor Learning

Please ensure that every child has a named pair of Wellington boots and a named plastic bag to store them in. The boots will be kept in the children's lockers, so labelling both items clearly is essential.

We also ask that children come to school with suitable waterproof clothing so that they can enjoy our outdoor learning whatever the weather!

PE – Monday Afternoons

Our PE session takes place on Monday afternoons. Children should wear a plain white T-shirt or Chilton PE T-shirt, black or navy bottoms and a plain black or blue sweatshirt.

Read at 3!

We love welcoming parents and carers into our classrooms for Read at 3! Every Friday, you are invited to join us for 15 minutes to enjoy a book with your child. These sessions are a wonderful opportunity to share stories and celebrate the children's developing reading skills.

Key Dates

• 23 October – Halloween Disco. Children may come to school in fancy dress.

• 23 October – Final day of term.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We hope you have a wonderful weekend and look forward to another great week of learning!

Team Periwinkle – Eloise.hall@chiltonprimary.co.uk

Team Teal – Poppy.winchcombe@chiltonprimary.co.uk and Elaine.howard@chiltonprimary.co.uk (Mrs Howard is available on Tuesdays).

Miss Hall, Mrs Winchcombe and Mrs Howard