Year 1

[Wozald1989]

How are your year 1 children getting on? Wht are they learning? Are they enjoying it?
My lo is still not happy about the change of class/teacher but keep hoping it will improve soon.

Mine loves it... learning about Queens and Castles, materials and has done 6 weeks of streetdance.

Tbh I have no idea what she is learning but she is happy enough to go and her reading and writing have improved a lot.
Expectations in terms of organisation- changing own books, handing in homework etc ate very high

My dd is learning about their bodies and the environment. She's loving it as she found reception a bit boring. She has to change her own book and has more responsibility which I think she enjoys. She particularly likes maths. We don't really have any idea of what they do as info isn't forthcoming from the school but it seems ok at the moment.

Mine's complaining there's too much writing and not enough maths. His writing appears to have actually got worse since the summer holidays. (I guess he doesn't get immediate feedback the way he would at home.) They have been doing stuff about story maps, and lots of topic work.

They started off with high expectations of organisation - then seem to have given up and are just changing their books for them, not even sending them over to choose like they did last year.

DS is happy, that's the main thing.

I've been in to see DS's books on an open afternoon, they have done some stuff on Harvest, lots of writing practice (his letter formation needs a lot of work) and he seems to be doing a lot of adding and subtracting using number lines.

He seems happy, but is definitely moaning about the lack of free play they get this year.

What do they have in term so homework?

My dd has 2 reading books a week, then she has to choose an activity based on one of those books. Today she designed a new front cover. She also has a list of 5 spellings to learn a week and then either a maths sheet or a hand writing sheet. Her older sister gets a similar amount and shes 10.

Homework - reading books x2 twice a week, or less if they're not finished with them.

Most weekends we've had a topic to "research". Which in effect at DS's level means for the parents to research and decide what an appropriate thing for DS to do about it is.

Mine gets a new book whenever they are done with the previous one. Have just started getting homework now which is a learning log with loads of different tasks to pick from and they can chooses which ones to do to cover a 2 a4 pages. E.g. A Skeleton, labeled. A pic from a certain book author with what you liked about it. Writing a list of rhyming words

we are supposed to do reading daily, she is a good reader so as her books are 70+ pages it is generally 1-2 a week. 10 spellings a week too. Only other homework is a few small tasks done by the end of term.

Can't work out if she is enjoying it or not. I think she likes the work. she likes the staff. she doesn't seem keen overall though and I think she finds life quite tiring at the moment with a couple of after school activities a week too.

Mine loving it.

They have been the great fire of London where they have painted Tudor houses then the local fire brigade came in and set fire to there houses in the playground. They let the children go all over the engine and let use the hoses.

Homework, reading everyday and one sheet either maths or English on a Friday to be handed in the following Wednesday.

Oh for love of God.

Mine's loving it.

They have been doing the Great Fire of London, where they have painted boxes to look like Tudor houses. Then the local fire brigade came in and set fire to there houses in the playground. Theyalso let the children go all over the engine and let use the hoses.

Homework, reading everyday and one sheet either maths or English on a Friday to be handed in the following Wednesday. This week it was number bonds.

Homework we get reading 3x a week minimum, a double a4 spread on a topic at the weekend (like, label the different senses) and we'll start getting spellings soon too I think.

Mine doesn't have any spellings yet, she is starting her first after school club in a couple of weeks which she is looking forward to. they are starting to push independence but we can still go in with them in the morning

Talking about independence, what sort of handover do other Yr 1s have in the mornings and evenings? Ours are handed over to us by the teachers after school. In the morning though they kind of wander in on their own. We're not allowed past a particular corner of the building, so we can't even see that they've gone through the door. I've been feeling a bit uncomfortable about it, and often hang around in the playground just to check he doesn't come out again.

I see Wozald you can take yours in. What do other schools do? We've never gone in with them, but in Reception there was a handover to the teacher at the door.

Homework... ours has 10 spellings a week, reads daily (book changed when needed) and then has 6 tasks to complete over the 6 weeks of term which are a range of activities - drawing a portrait, making a castle, writing a story, finding facts, etc.

Handover... Everyone stands in playground, whistle blows and they line up. Teacher leads them in - stragglers take themselves in. End of day, they line up in playground before gates opened for parents, and teachers let out of line when they see parent/other adult.

Up to year 3/4 we have to wait in the playground until the bell is rung then the children line up in classes then they go in. In the afternoon the parents wait by the relevant door and the teacher only lets the child when they see the child's parent.

My little year 1 is really liking it so far although, it does seem a bit of a culture shock to her after reception.

This term's topic is sea-rescues. They've even reading the lighthouse keeper series, learning about grace darling (to whom we are related so dd was able to do show and tell about it!), built and painted a light-house etc.

They've started learning cursive writing and dd's writing has really improved. They change books once a week and we are expected to read with them at least x3 per week. Teacher counts up reading diary entries and they get a star on their chart if they read x3. The reading doesn't have to be their book, could be a recipe, a sign, etc.

Dd gets 8 spellings a week which are tested on a Friday and 1 piece of homework per week which alternates between English and maths. Last week was a maths game where you roll a dice and do the sum on the square you land on.
Hand over, we go right up to the classroom door and see them in.

Sorry, I think my post has turned into an essay!