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

Spring 2

This term our class will be looking at the book 'Grandad’s Island' by Benji Davies.

This beautiful story about the loss of a beloved grandparent. When Syd and Grandad go into the attic, they find themselves on a sailing ship travelling to a jungle-covered island. They have fun exploring the wonderful island and befriending its animals.

The writing outcome for this unit is to write a return narrative and a piece of information text. Our mastery focus is writing a range of different sentences, using suffixes -er, -est and -ly to turn adjectives into adverbs. We will be using expanded noun phrases for description and specification and use the past and present tense throughout our writing.

This term in maths we will continue to learn about:
Multiplication and division

Recognise equal groups

Make equal groups

Add equal groups

Introduce the multiplication symbol

Multiplication sentences

Use arrays

Make equal groups by grouping

Make equal groups by sharing

The 2 times-table

Divide by 2

Doubling and halving

Odd and even numbers

The 10 times-table

Divide by 10

The 5 times-table

Divide by 5

The 5 and 10 times-table

After completing our learning about Multiplication and Division we will be measuring using Length and Height:

Measure in Centimetres

Measure in Metres

Compare lengths and heights

Order lengths and heights

Four operations with lengths and heights

Mass and Capacity:

Compare mass

Measure in grams

Measure in kilograms

Four operations with mass

Compare volume and capacity

Measure in millilitres

Measure in litres

Four operations with volume and capacity

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 Dragon Sitter' by Josh Lacey and 'Real Dragons' by Jennifer Szymanski. 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!

Georgraphy- What is it like to live by the coast?

This term we will studying Geography. We will be answering the key question ‘What is it like to live by the coast?’. The children will be able to name and locate the seas and oceans surrounding the UK in an atlas and label these on a map of the UK. The children will also be using compass points to help them locate the coasts in the UK and define what the coast is.

After understanding what a coast is, the children will be naming features of coasts and labelling these on photographs and describing how people use the coast to live. As part of this units fieldwork, the children will also be given the opportunity to record data using tally charts to summarise how the local coast is used.

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.

Locomotion- Dodging 1

This unit of work will enable the children to explore and learn the skill of how to dodge effectively.

Ball Skills

Feet 1-

This unit of work will help the children to develop their dribbling skills to keep possession of a ball. The children will then develop this skill further by combining passing and receiving to score a point as part of a team.

Plants

This half term we will be learning about plants. We will be finding out and describing how plants need water, light and a suitable temperature to grow and stay healthy. We will also be using this knowledge to observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants.

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

In Art and Design this term we will be ‘telling a story’. The children will be using relevant language to describe how an object feels and experimenting with different tools to draw shapes. The children will then select key events to draw and using their imagination to re-create scenes from their stories.

In music this term the children will be learning folk songs and creating sounds to represent three contrasting landscapes; seaside, countryside and city.

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.