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

Summer 1

This term our class will be looking at the book 'The King Who Banned the Dark' by Emily Haworth-Booth.

The story is about a King who has been frightened of the dark since childhood and decides he wants to ban it completely. His advisors suggest that the best ways to get his people to accept the ban is to make them believe it was their idea. So they set about spreading negative rumours about the dark. This story explores themes of power, revolution, manipulation and acceptance which children enjoy discussing.

The writing outcome for this unit is to write a persuasive letter and to narrate by writing a banning narrative. We will be focussing on using suffixes e.g. -ness, er, -ful and -less and understanding how to use the suffix -ly to turn adjectives into adverbs. We will practise using the correct choice and consistent use of past and present tense throughout our writing.

This term in maths we will learn about Fractions and measuring Time:

Fractions

Introduction to parts and whole

Equal and unequal parts

Recognise a half

Find a half

Recognise a quarter

Find a quarter

Recognise a third

Find a third

Find the whole

Unit Fractions

Non-unit Fractions

Recognise the equivalence of a half and two-quarters

Recognise three-quarters

Find three-quarters

Count in fractions up to a whole
Measurement- Time

O’clock and half past

Quarter past and quarter to

Tell time past the hour

Tell time past to the hour

Tell the time to 5 minutes

Minutes in an hour

Hours in a day

Using the 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 'Fantastic Mr Fox' by Road Dahl. We will learn how to make inferences on the basis of what is being said and done, sequencing of events in stories and how information is related, make predictions, clarify vocabulary and retrieve information. We will also be discussing our 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- What is a Monarch?

This term in History we will be answering the key question of ‘What is a monarch?’. The children will recall what a monarch is and their roles, explain what a coronation is and use sources to explain how William the Conqueror became the King of England.

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.

Games for Understaning- Attacking and Defending

This unit of work will help the children develop an understanding of simple attacking principles and give them the opportunity to apply them as a team into a game.

Locomotion- Jumping 1-

This unit of work will enable the children to apply effective jumping techniques.

Materials

This half term we will be learning all about different materials such as; wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard. We will first explore different materials and identify objects which are the same but made from different materials. We will then test these materials to see which can bend, squash, twist and stretch.

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

In art this half term children will be using sculpture and 3D design to make clay houses. They will be able to flatten and smooth their clay, rolling shapes successfully and making a range of marks in their clay. At the end of the unit the children will create a clay house tile that has recognisable features made by both impressing objects into the surface and by joining simple shapes.

In Music children will be developing knowledge and understanding of dynamics using instruments; learning to compose and play rhythms to represent planets.

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.