Year 2
Welcome to Year 2
In Year 2, we focus on building independence and resilience towards learning. Expectations are high; we take the Five and Thrive approach very seriously because we understand just how crucial these attributes are to achieving lifelong success.
We also understand how important it is to take risks in our learning; nothing ventured, nothing gained!
We foster a positive attitude towards learning, where aspirations can be set high and a child’s emotional well-being and development are at the forefront of all that we do. Although typical learning is more formal than previous years, play still plays an integral part in our learning and development in the classroom. Drama in particular is an excellent vehicle to develop both confident speakers and writers.
Children are encouraged to take on responsibilities around the class – some of these responsibilities include: plant monitor; book monitor; light monitor and tidy monitor. This is all part of helping our children to take responsibility for themselves, others and their environment.
We buddy up with Year 5 regularly where we focus on developing our Thrive skills for life targets as well as developing our reading and writing skills together. We also attend forest school on alternate half terms where we focus on furthering our Science, Geography, DT and social skills with Rob.
Weekly Timetable
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What can Parents do?
Reading
The most important thing that parents and carers can do at home to support their child’s learning is regular reading followed by discussion about the book. Children are expected to read to an adult at home 5 times a week. They need an adult to sign their home school diary each time in order to collect their house points and to be ticked off on the homework sheet. The week runs from Friday to Thursday in preparation for the Rewards Assembly on a Friday morning. The expectation is that an average child will be starting Year 2 on a level 6/7 and finishing on a level 10/11. This level will give them the independence needed for Key Stage 2. In Year 2, there is a heavy focus on comprehension and inference; in order to support your child further, please use the reading question prompts provided on our curriculum page.
Homework
Regular, ongoing homework consists of reading, spellings, times tables and learning to tell the time. These are the core elements to build solid foundations for your child's future learning - the more frequently they are rehearsed, the more confident they become, and the more readily they can access the rest of the curriculum.
On top of this, we will set creative home work based upon our class topic. The purpose of this home work is for your child to work alongside an adult at home, learning life skills and benefiting from your knowledge and skill set. It should be a fun activity, completed together and be used as another opportunity to bond over shared interests.
Spelling and Tables
Building their confidence with the 2, 3, 5 and 10 times table will provide them with an excellent foundation for their mathematical development. Chant them, learn them out of order, play games online, put post-it notes up your staircase, sing them...... Get creative about how you can get them stuck in your child's head!
The same goes for weekly spellings - paint them, write them in shaving foam, with magnetic letters, make up rhymes.... find a way which works best for your child. Remember to test them out of order as some children get stuck because they just learn them in order!
Life Experiences
Above all, the most valuable thing you can do to help your child, and us, is to provide them with rich life experiences. Get them out in the big wide world, seeing and experiences as much as they can. Follow their interests. The more experience of the world they have, the more they bring to the classroom. The impact that this can have on their vocabulary and imagination is immense. HAVE FUN!!!!! They are only young once. Whilst academic learning is valuable, their social and emotional development must come first, ensuring they are then ready for learning in the classroom. It doesn't have to cost a fortune - get them out in nature and simply take time to notice the little things!
PE
PE in KS1 is primarily about balancing, throwing and catching. Their core strength is really important and has a great impact on not only their health, but also their ability to sit still and write neatly! Monkey bars are excellent for children this age - get them out to the park as much as possible! We begin to focus on team sports and all that is involved in working together to one shared goal. Regular, intense, short bursts of exercise will build your child's stamina and improve their health, in turn, activating the brain.