Term 4 Review – Year 1
Year 1 have had an amazing Term 4! Read on to find out about some of the wonderful learning opportunities that we have participated in during the last six weeks:
English – This term, we have been learning how to use comparative and superlative adjectives to describe fruits and vegetables. We learnt that the suffix ‘er’ is used to compare two objects, for example, ‘The banana is longer than the pear.’ The suffix ‘est’ is used when we want to say that one object is the best or the most of something, for example, ‘The orange is the juiciest.’
We enjoyed finding examples of comparative adjectives in our class text, ‘Pattan’s Pumpkin’, and had fun likening the huge pumpkin to other objects, for example, ‘The pumpkin is as big as an elephant.’ and ‘The pumpkin is as orange as the sunset.’ We also thought about the steps involved in growing a pumpkin and wrote some instructions for Pattan.
Can YOU remember what a pumpkin plant needs to grow?
Maths – Throughout Term 4, we have been busy learning about 10s and 1s and partitioning numbers up to 50, for example, in the number 27 there are 2 tens and 7 ones. We have also been measuring length and height, first using objects and then using centimetres on a ruler.
What items can you find to measure in centimetres at home?
Science – As part of our Splendid Skies topic, we have been investigating how the sun causes changes to objects and living things over time.
We have learnt how to keep our skin safe from UV rays on a hot day and look forward to seeing the results of our class experiments after the Easter holiday, when we will peel off our masking paper patterns from our sugar paper squares in our classroom windows to see if the sun has had any lasting effect!
Year 1 have also enjoyed exploring compasses and had great fun using this piece of scientific equipment to test which direction the wind was blowing in.
Can YOU remember the points on a compass?
Art & DT – Beginning with our fabulous weather watercolours at the start of the term, Year 1 have been on a really creative journey this Spring!
We were amazed to learn about the artwork of Dutch artist Berndhaut Smilde who makes clouds indoors using nothing but smoke and water vapour! We tried our hands at creating our very own cloud collages after being inspired by his work.
Berndnaut Smilde – Nimbus De Hallen 2014
How to Make Clouds Indoors The Art of Berndnaut Smilde
We also discussed how trees change throughout the four seasons and made some beautiful collages of Spring blossom trees.
To end the term, we made some fantastic suncatchers which we were able to take home and hang in our windows after seeing how the colours danced and reflected in the sunlight!
Can you explain to your adult the difference between transparent and translucent?
Music – Year 1 have really been loving Charanga Music this term! We have learnt about beats and rhythms, and have experimented by using our voices, bodies and musical instruments to make sound. We particularly enjoyed learning the names of the musical notes and playing the glockenspiels together as a class band. We were amazing at this and practised so well that we were able to increase the tempo of the music without falling behind!
What was YOUR favourite part of Music this term?
RE – Our big question this term, ‘Why does Easter matter to Christians?’, was centred around the overarching topic of Salvation and began with an introduction to Palm Sunday traditions within the Christian church. We learnt about the death of Jesus and his resurrection, as well as the significance of the cross as a religious symbol, before taste-testing some ‘sweet’ and ‘yummy’ traditional hot cross buns!
Can you explain why the very first Easter eggs were stained red?
Phonics – The children have been continuing to work hard to learn their Phonics sounds in preparation for the upcoming Phonics Screening Test in June and have started to focus on sounding and blending alien words. Please continue to support your child at home to recognise Phase 3, 4 and 5 sounds as well as practise their segmenting and blending of real and alien words (please see the links to past papers below). The Little Wandle parents’ page also has some great videos and resources that will really be of benefit to your child in this crucial time period in the run-up to the test.
2018 Phonics Screening Test:
2022 Phonics Screening Test:
Little Wandle parents’ page:
From all the Year 1 Team, we hope you have an amazing Easter break and look forward to seeing you again in Term 5 for more fun-filled learning adventures!
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