English - Key Stage 1 Curriculum
Are you keen to keep up with what your child is learning in English lessons?
Literacy is a daily lesson, made up of three aspects:
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking and listening
Across these areas, the children will be working with a range of material, including stories, non-fiction and poetry. They will be looking at stories with familiar settings, traditional tales, and different stories by the same author.
Most children are becoming more confident readers by Grade 2. They will probably still be working through the school reading scheme, and will be reading with the teacher and in small groups (guided reading).
During Grade 2 the children are encouraged to think about and plan their writing, so they are able to move on from the simple stories they wrote in Grade 1. By the end of Grade 2 their stories will include some description and dialogue.
During the year they will have the chance to tell stories and put on short performances, designed to help them speak in front of an audience, and develop their intonation. They may also have the chance to see other groups perform. They will be thinking about how they work as groups, learning to take turns as they listen and talk to each other.
Maths – Key Stage 1 Curriculum
As in Grade 1, there’s still a lot of practical and visual learning in maths, using real-life situations children can relate to. The children are learning to think about the methods they use to solve problems, and to check if they are correct. They will start to work with logic problems, and will be recording their results using lists and tables. They will also start to work on solving maths problems mentally.
You may find the children revisiting topics they covered in SK or Grade 1. This is revision in preparation to ensure that children have really understood the basics before they move into Key Stage 2. The maths your child is learning now can be easily reinforced at home.
Science – Key Stage 1 Curriculum
Your child will be learning about everything from animals to electricity in Year 2 science.
During Year 2 more work will be done to develop the core scientific skills of observation and investigation. The children will work on a different topic each term, designed to encourage them to ask questions about the world around them, and they will be taught the importance of gathering evidence and carrying out experiments. They will start to think about the importance of planning before they start a task: how they will find the answers, what questions they will need to ask, and what the result might be. They will also be thinking of the best ways to present their results; for example, they could be using drawings, charts, diagrams, ICT, or standing up and speaking to the class.
There are a range of topics for Science in Grade 2, divided into four main groups.
- Animals Including Humans
- Living Things and Their Habitats
- Everyday Materials
- Plants
Your child will probably study one or more of these. You may find your child returning to a topic they have covered before, but this time in greater detail.
