Rabbits' blog 16
Date: 9th Mar 2024 @ 3:31pm
9th March 2024 blog 16
This week has been stupendously studious. The children are truly working consistently at a Y1 level of curriculum and embracing it (rather than me working harder than them !). Spring term is all about growth and I love seeing the immense progress that becomes so apparent. We have 3 more weeks to go and we are putting the foot down hard on that academic accelerator!
Our new Pathways book is Major Glad and Major Dizzy. It's an interesting book that would probably not leap out at you on a book shelf but we're loving it. The 2 soldiers' life from 1870 to present day is catalogued through pictures and text. It links perfectly with our history topic and also helps with consolidating learning about London. We talked briefly about the Blitz (partly thanks to one event in the book and partly thanks to Ophelia who had a lot to say about the 'itz' the day before) which I hope they will remember in y6. Maybe.
We are able to use our working memories more effectively these days so writing sentences from a model and with a word bank is not the hard work it was in the autumn term. We can now start to focus more on presentation of our writing. Feel free to enforce this at home. I'm looking for consistent kinetic letters which are gradually reducing in size, a starting point (margin) and when they make a mistake, they know how to deal with it so the reader is not confused or in any way losing the thread of the sentence. I model again and again how to rehearse and read back the sentence and they are beginning to do the same. My job is joyful!
Amelia in Major Glad, Major Dizzy is quite naughty (a Victorian girl forced to sew and be dainty who wants to play soldiers and marbles with her younger brother and isn't allowed. Think I'd be quite naughty!). So our story time text is Amelia Jane by Enid Blyton. I wondered if they would enjoy the listening to me trying to remember all the character voices and few illustrations but they really do; although she is 'dreadfully naughty' as Enid would say so what's not to like! It can be a great idea to read along with a reader so if you have the book or want to buy it, send it in with them so they can follow as I read. I have borrowed a couple of the other Amelia Jane series from Nantwich libraray so this could last the rest of the term.
While we are on books, our No Outsiders learning this half term has a focus of celebrating our differences. The differences include cultural, physical, any! I love how 5-6 year olds don't really see some differences within their friends. If only the world were that accepting!
World Book Day was wonderful. Thank you for your dedication to the cause. I hope you have been able to spend your voucher. I read 2 glorious quotes about reading today that I will leave you with:
'A love of reading is the biggest indicator of future academic success.' (The OECD- the organisation of economic cooperation and development)
'Children are made readers in the laps of their parents.' Emilie Buchwald
Happy mother's day to all you. Hope the cards we made remain in tact!
Mrs H
