Author: wilsol54

Class 3 Newsletter, January 2019

Literacy
During the term, we will be focussing on two main types of writing. As usual, each year group will be learning a Scots poem for our annual competition, and in class we will also be learning about different types of poems.
Later on in the term, we will be learning about discursive writing.
The children will continue to receive weekly reading homework, focused on developing their fluency and understanding. As part of our topic (The Sea), we will also practise finding and using information in reading and note-taking.

Maths/Numeracy
We will start the term by revising some of the key concepts covered last term, especially around the ’four operations’ (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) and fractions (finding a fraction of a shape or number, identifying fractions on a number line, and equivalent fractions).
For majority of the term, we will continue to work on the ‘four operations’ and also work on developing understanding of decimals.
We will continue to use the ‘Maths Basic Facts’ programme which is being used by a number of schools in Midlothian to help ensure that children develop their fluency with key maths facts. The programme helps the children to identify specific areas where they need to develop their fluency, and this term we will also try sharing their MBF targets with you using Seesaw.

‘Read Me and Laugh’
As our writing focus at the moment is poetry, we are reading a poem a day (or sometimes two or three).
Later in the term the children will have the opportunity to make their own suggestions for what our next class novel should be.

Homework
Regular class homework will usually consist of
spelling, reading and maths. This term we are going to try sharing details of some homework activities using Seesaw, but will continue using homework diaries while we see how this works.

Topic
Our main topic for this term will be ‘The Sea’. Through this topic we will be learning in a number of different curricular areas including:
Science—plants and animals that live in the sea and how scientists classify them; how sound travels and is used by animals in the sea to communicate; using knowledge of floating and sinking to solve a practical challenge;
Social Studies—learning about how human behaviour and choices impacts on our environment;
Music—listening to different pieces of music and using a range of instruments to create music linked to the sea.

Seesaw
Many thanks to everyone who has been using Seesaw so enthusiastically. It’s been great seeing all the positive, encouraging comments from home, and the children really seem to enjoy being able to share their learning highlights straight away, rather than waiting for parent consultations!
Over the next few weeks we will also be trialling using Seesaw to share details of homework tasks, and targets that the children set for their own learning. If you haven’t been able to connect yet and need information on how to do this please let me know.

Other Information
PE kit—thank you for supporting your child in ensuring they have PE kit in school, so they can take part fully in PE lessons.