In the first few weeks of school we complete a range of
testing to establish the knowledge your child has on entry to school. This helps to plan for individual learning
needs.
Reading
Your child will usually bring home a reading book every day
and on Friday they will also bring
their poem book. You will need to read
this with them. The children are being
encouraged to do a border around their poem and you are welcome to hep them
with this if they have not done so already.
I encourage ‘quality work’ straight away.
I recommend you keep Reading Books in their Reading Cover
until Friday, or Monday if you would like them for the weekend for extra
practice. See my handout ‘supporting the
beginning reader,’ for what to expect and how to help and remember to fill in
the children’s Reading Journal (Yellow), which is to be kept in their Reading
Cover. The Reading Cover needs to be at school every day.
Flash Cards
I have 6 groups of flash cards for the children to learn to
read. I want the children to be able to
recognise these words quickly and without hesitation. You can make this a fun activity and it should
not be arduous. Try blue tacking them to the bedroom wall and choosing a few
each night before a bedtime story or placing them in a circle and making it a
game to find the words you know they already recognise.
The children are tested fortnightly in class and I will give
them the next set of words as their knowledge develops.
Homework
At this stage, the only homework will be reading and flash
cards. As the year unfolds, other
homework may be added. The focus for
Term 1 and 2 is a high exposure to reading and sight words. We will also be focussing on number. In Term 3, other homework may be introduced to suit individual needs.
Phonics
In class we learn a new sound every day. The children are taught to hear, read and
write that sound and how to transfer their knowledge into reading and
writing. The children will bring home
the sounds they have learnt each week to share with you; it does not need to
come back to school.
Discuss these sounds and things that begin with that letter
and they can practice writing the sounds in the sand, on concrete using chalk,
or on paper. They need lots of praise
and encouragement to practice and experiment with sounds, especially if they
are not already known.
Routines
At present, the children are learning many new routines for
attending school. You can expect them to
become tired!!! Some may even need a
half-day mid week. Talk to me if you
think this may be necessary.
One routine that really helps our class run smoothly is for
the children to take their own reading cover out of their bag in the morning
and put it into the yellow box. This
ensures we are ready for reading and helps them to become independent.
Timetable
Core curriculum subjects are timetabled daily. The timetable will be adjusted after
swimming.
Library –Every Wednesday at 9.45a.m. Please return books in Library bags by the
following Monday. Remember to have a
safe place for books at home.
Summer Swimming – Daily at 2.00
Playtime/Lunchtime
Please ensure that your child has a healthy lunch and plenty
of snacks, and water to drink. We have
several food and drink breaks, throughout the day. Chips and packet foods are ‘sometimes food’ only
and should be eaten at home where possible.
Parent Help
I love parent helpers in the class. If your child is settled and you are able to
help in any way please let me know.
I wish you all a happy time in Room 12. I look forward to working with you all. Please feel free to approach me should you
have any concerns or WOW moments to share.
Kind Regards
Annette Jimmink
Class Teacher
Contact Details
Office: 03 54 77399
(absences)
