Bumblebee Class (Year 2) 2024 - 2025

Welcome to the class page for Bumblebee 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 2

This term our class will be looking at the book 'The Night Gardener' by The Fan Brothers.

The story is about a boy called William who looks out of his window one day to find a large commotion going on outside. When he gets down to the street the town has been transformed by a topiary owl, crafted by a mysterious person. This heart-waring tale has very little text, leaving an emotional impact through gorgeous pictures and enchanting feel.

This term we have two writing outcomes first a setting narrative and secondly a diary entry. Both outcomes will use the knowledge and skills gained from our previous term such as using the suffix -ly to turn adjectives into adverbs and form adjectives using suffixes -ful and -less. We will focus on how to use co-ordination (or, and, but, so) and using expanded noun phrases for description and specification. We will also focus on using capital letters, full stops, question marks, exclamation marks and apostrophes to show singular possession in nouns and separate items in a list.

This term in maths we will be continuing our learning about:

Number: 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 1-digit numbers

Add to the next 10

Add across a 10

Subtract across 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

This term will be also extend our knowledge and understanding about Shape:

Recognise 2-D and 3-D shapes

Count sides on 2-D shapes

Count vertices on 2-D shapes

Draw 2-D shapes

Lines of symmetry on shapes

Use lines of symmetry to complete shapes

Sort 2-D shapes

Count faces on 3-D shapes

Count edges on 3-D shapes

Count vertices on 3-D shapes

Sort 3-D shapes

Make patterns with 2-D and 3-D shapes

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 'Owen and the Soldier' by Lisa Thompson. 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!

History- How was school different in the past?

This term in History we will be answering our key question ‘How was school different in the past?’. The children will be:

• Finding out how schools have changed over time
• Investigating what school was like in the past
• Investigating what schools were like in the 1900s
• Comparing a modern classroom with a classroom 100 years ago
• Comparing three periods of time
• Expressing their own opinions and views on which school from the past they would prefer to go to.

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

PE

Health and Wellbeing

Dance: Explorers

The children will focus on learning how to move in different controlled movements. They will show how to control and co-ordinate their bodies and perform movements that represent an explorer preparing for an expedition.

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. 

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.