Spider Class (Year 2) 2024 - 2025

Welcome to the class page for Spider Class.

Here you will find all of the exciting and wonderful things that your child will be learning during their time in Year 2. If you have any questions, please use Class Dojo or speak to a member of our team at drop off/ pick up.

Thank you

Autumn 1

This term our class will be looking at the book 'A River' by Marc Martin.

The story is about a girl who looks out of her window at the river and begins an imaginary journey from the city to the sea. The River story uses detailed and immersive illustractions to allow the reader to get lost in every page. Whilst reading this story it will allow the children to think of imaginative journeys and consider different landscapes that form our beautiful world of today.

The first writing outcome for this unit is to write circular narrative using their own ideas gained from the story. We will aim to build on from previous learning in Year 1 and use suffixes -er and -est when using adjectives. Children will be learning how to use -ly to turn adjectives into adverbs and developing their understanding of how to use suffxies to create plural nouns using -s or -es. Within the children's sentences we will be using both subordinating and coordinating conjunctions, expnaded noun phrases to describe and specify and use capital letters, full stops and question marks to demarcate sentences.

This term in maths we will be learning about the place value of number and addition and subtraction.

Place Value

Numbers to 20

Count objects to 100 by making 10s

Recognise tens and ones

Use a place value chart

Partition numbers to 100

Write numbers to 100 in words

Flexibly partition numbers to 100

Write numbers to 100 in expanded form

Count in 10s on a number line to 100

Count in 10s and 1s on a number line to 100

Estimate numbers on a number line

Compare Objects

Compare numbers

Order objects and numbers

Count in 2s, 5s and 10s

Count in 3s

Addition and Subtraction

Bonds to 10

Fact Families- addition and subtraction bonds within 20

Related facts

Bonds to 100 (tens)

Add and subtract 1s

Add by making 10

Add three one-digit numbers

Add to the next 10

Add across a 10

Subtract across a 10

Subtract from a 10

Subtract a 1-digit number from a 2-digit number (across a 10)

10 more and 10 less

Add and subtract 10s

Add two 2-digit numbers (not across a 10)

Add two 2-digit numbers (across a 10)

Subtract two 2-digit numbers (not across a 10)

Subtract two 2-digit numbers (across a 10)

Mixed addition and subtraction

Compare number sentences

Missing number problems

Times Tables

Times tables will be taught daily as part of our mental maths lessons. We will be learning our 2, 5 and 10 times tables as well as completing daily challenges and a weekly timed quiz. All children have a log-in for TT Rockstars which is a fun, exciting website with lots of games to support the learning of times tables. Please encourage your child to practise their times tables using this website or any other games.

Everyday 8.50 - 9.20 am we will have our phonics or whole class shared reading lesson. Each child will bring home a shiny book and paper book taken from current reading level. Obviously, accidents can happen but please try and look after the books so they can continue to support our children with their reading.

Reading Expectations

Read with your child every day even if it is just 2 minutes- this can make all the difference. 
Record in their reading diaries we need to ensure that your child is recieving their vending machine or reading buddy. 
Asking your child about what they think might happen next in the story, how do they think the character is feeling, who is the author and what do they do. 
It does not have to be their paper or shiny book they read it can be any, you can read to them- change your voice for expression, bring the characters to life. 
Shiny book bag books MUST be returned to school every day ready to be changed every Monday. 
Paper books ( they are the same as what they are reading within their phonics lesson to promote confidence), they should be coming into school every day - ready to be changed every 3rd read within their phonics lesson. 

If your child has finished the reading scheme they will continue to have whole class shared reading lessons. The text we will use for this half term is 'The Troll' by Julia Donaldson. We will learn how to make inferences on the basis of what is being said and done, sequencing events in stories and how this information is related, make predictions, clarify new vocabulary and retrieve information using the text. We will be also discussing out favourite words and phrases from the text. 

To support the children in their reading sessions we use a strategy called VIPERS. 

Reading diaries MUST come in every day reguardless of whether or not they have been written in- we cannot replace them if they are continously being lost or not taken care of.  

Every child has a frequent reader book worm (below). For every 3 reads they complete at home they get a tick/ stamp on their worm. When the worm is full (12 ticks/stamps) they receive a free book of their choice from the book vending machine. If they fill their frequent reader worm three times then they get a free reading buddy as well. Great incentive to get reading!

Geography- 'Why is our world wonderful?'

This term in Geography we will be answering our key question 'Why is our world wonderful?'. The children will be learning the seven continents, the five oceans of the world and name the four capital cities of the UK. Towards the end of this unit we will be carrying out some fieldwork to collect data and complete a tally chart.

Your child will have 2 PE lessons each week. Their days this half term are Tuesday and Thursday. Please ensure they come into school in their PE kit on these days.

Gymnastics: Linking

The children will focus on applying and developing movements that they can link together on apparatus. Towards the end of the term the children will be given the opportunity to create and perform their own sequences of movement.

Dance: Water

This unit of work will enable the children to explore and respond to a stimulus through different structured activities. They will focus their learning on initiating group movement and understand how to work safely in the dance space and use descriptive language when moving.

Animals including Humans

This term the children will be able to identify and name a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, bird and mammals and understand how animals and humans are related.

We will also be conducting some investigations and experiments using the full range of scientific skills. 

Forest School 

Forest School sessions will be scheduled for later in the school year.

Useful links

https://www.classdojo.com/

https://ttrockstars.com/

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?q=year%202%20maths

Rules of spellings for Year 2 

Weekly spellings will be added to the class dojo. A paper copy will also be handed out on a Monday. Children need to practise everyday ready for their test on a Friday. 

Homophones - Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings and are spellled differently. For example, flower and flour, bee and be, hair and hare and their, they're and there. 

Common Exception Words for Year 2 - we will rehearse Year 1 common exception words and then begin to learn the Year 2 set. Please see the attached list of words to practise. Make them into games, colour them in and have fun learning them.

Contracted words - children will learn how to use an apostrophe correctly for contracted words. For example could not - couldn't, I have - I've. They will learn that the apostrophe is replacing a letter and also irregular forms of the rule. For example, will not - won't.

General Reminders:

Please ensure that your child's uniform is clearly labelled.
Children's water bottles should contain water (unless we are notified as to why) again, bottle should be clearly labelled.
Most communition will be done via Class Dojo a great way to upload and home learning, WOW moments or if you have any questions or concerns.