Year 2
Welcome to Year 2
Summer Term 2024
Areas of study for Year 2*
Literacy
Our literacy this term will be linked to our topic ‘Around the world in 30 days’. We will be using our knowledge of various curriculum areas to create writing in different genres. The children will create diaries linked to the book ‘The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish’. We will be writing interesting animal fact files using Andy Seed’s book ‘Interview with a Tiger’ and also writing letters to the Earth using the book ‘Dear Earth’ for ideas. The children will be researching significant individuals in the history of flight and space travel, including the Wright Brothers, Amelia Earhart and Neil Armstrong and writing about their lives and their achievements. They will be encouraged to develop their vocabulary and embed their spelling and grammar skills.
Numeracy
This half term in our maths sessions we will be studying time and fractions. The children will use fractions to solve problems using shapes, objects and quantities. They will be encouraged to connect unit fractions to equal sharing and grouping, and to measures, finding fractions of lengths, quantities, sets of objects or shapes. The children will develop their knowledge of time by learning to read analogue clocks. They will also be developing their mathematical knowledge of position and direction. They will be using mathematical vocabulary to describe position, direction and movement, including movement in a straight line and rotation as a turn for quarter, half and three-quarter turns.
Reading
In reading this term the children will be consolidating their decoding skills and using strategies such as choral and echo reading to improve their fluency. They will be reading fully decodable texts until they are secure in their phonics and then reading a range of book band books in different genres. They will develop their comprehension and understanding of texts by being encouraged to be ‘reading VIPERS’ and to focus on vocabulary, inference, prediction, explanation, retrieval and sequencing skills. Our class reader this term is Paddington by Michael Bond. The children will have regular opportunities to read for their own pleasure and entertainment. They will also read widely for fact finding and discovery, across the curriculum.
Phonics*
In phonics this term the children will be consolidating Phase 5 alternative spellings and moving on to Phase 6 spelling patterns and rules. Children who may still have gaps in their learning will be supported with targeted interventions and small group work.
RE
Our RE this term will be linked to our topic and we will be finding out how different religions view the earth. We will be studying creation stories and talking about how we should care for the earth. The children will also be using a question-based approach in their investigation of what makes a good leader. They will study leaders they know and that are familiar to them (leaders in school, in the country, in sport etc) as well as leaders in different faiths. They will develop their knowledge of Moses and Jesus by reading stories about them and find out more about the role of a Granthi in the Sikh faith.
PE
During PE this term the children will continue working on their fundamental movement skills, both non-locomotor and locomotor, and also object manipulation. The lessons will be based around Striking and Fielding games and the children will get the opportunity to use a bat to hit a static or moving ball, as well as exploring different ways to send a ball towards a target. They will also be practising different skills for sports day.
Science
In Biology this term the children will be using their investigative and observation skills to find out about plants. They will be carrying out experiments to discover what plants need to thrive and growing their own plants from seed. They will be learning about the basic structure of some common plants, including trees and will also be recording comparisons of plants grown in different conditions. In the second half of the term, our science will focus on the use of materials in the aviation industry. We will discuss the different materials used to make planes and rockets. The children will use their investigative skills to find out what materials can be used to make and fly a kite, discuss what properties the materials will need and use their observation skills to assess and how effective those materials are.
History
This term in history we will study the famous people in history who have explored the skies! From the early days of the Wright Brothers and Amelia Earhart, to human exploration of space and the moon landings. We will be using video footage, secondary sources and biographical texts to learn about the individuals who conquered the skies. We will also be studying the impact these people have had on our lives today.
Geography
This term in Geography we will be learning about the hot and cold areas of the world - the Equator, the North and the South Pole. We will learn about their location finding out about the Northern and Southern ‘hemisphere’ and what it is like to live near the equator or far from the equator. In addition to this, the children will learn and be able to locate the world’s seven continents and five oceans.
Music
Over the course of the summer term, the children will be learning about the song ‘TIME’. TIME’, which is an exploration of beat and beat division, structure, and textural layering. The children will practise playing ostinatos (repeating patterns) over a steady pulse using both turned and untuned percussion instruments. They will be introduced to the C major scale and the C and G chords.
Computing
This term in computing the children will continue to develop their understanding of how to use the internet and carry out research online, safely. They will use this skill to find out about animals based in hot and cold areas of the Earth. They will also be problem solving in a unit based on ‘Computational Thinking’. They will learn the four key techniques to computational thinking: decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction and algorithms. They will be using bee-bots to solve a problem and programme the bee-bot to carry out the correct instructions.
Art, Design & Technology
In our Art lessons this term the children will be looking at different places near and far from the equator and creating pieces of art inspired by the Northern Lights. They will also create art using warm and cool colours to demonstrate the different temperatures of the earth linked to our developing geographical knowledge.
In Design and Technology this half term, the children will be using what they have learned in history to make mini planes and moon buggies. The children will think about all the components of these forms of transport focusing especially on wheels and axels. They will be exploring the properties of a range of materials.
PSHE/RSHE
In PSHE this half term we will focus on keeping safe in different situations and environments. The children will learn about safe relationships and what ‘hurtful’ behaviour means in various contexts. As the end of the summer term approaches, they will discuss safety in relevant places such as near rivers, on beaches and in holiday clubs. They will revisit how to respond in an emergency.
* * To teach phonics in Key Stage 1, we use the Twinkl Phonics scheme and Rhino readers. These are organised systematically and carefully matched to the child’s phonic stage, to ensure that all of our children develop the skills they need to become fluent and confident readers.
**To teach reading in Key Stage 1, the children learn the sounds they need to decode words and read texts that are linked closely to their phonic knowledge. Alongside daily phonics sessions, the children participate in guided reading sessions to focus on their comprehension skills. They are encouraged to become reading VIPERS and focus on the key objectives of Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval and Sequencing. We read the children a wide selection of engaging and entertaining real books to inspire in them a love of reading and develop their language and understanding.
*If you require additional information relating to our school curriculum, please ask at the school office or the class teacher.
Top Tips
- Share books with your children- you read to them, they read to you.
- Discuss books and stories — characters, events, endings etc.
- Make suggestions for a different ending, new character etc
- Join the local library & encourage your child to choose their books— this helps to develop preferences etc.
- Don’t forget rhymes and poems – particularly good for improving fluency.
- Encourage your child to write shopping lists, notes, postcards, diaries.
- Encourage correct letter formation — this will help with cursive writing later.
- Play I spy using phonic/sounds - don’t forget endings.
- Practise reading and spelling keywords.
- Watch, listen and discuss news (ideally CBBC Newsround). http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews
- Rewards them with educational games, programmes and web-games.
- Devise a home timetable for your child to complete homework and read.
Educational websites
The following sites provide information relating to trips and studies...
http://www.readingmuseum.org.uk
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English
Educational web-games
The following sites host links to relevant KS1 (Infant) web-games. You may wish to challenge your child to try some KS2 (Junior) web-games as the academic year progresses.
http://games.e4education.co.uk/groupone/index.php
http://www.uptoten.com/kids/uptoten-features-search-searchpage.html