In the 1/2 Learning Space, we build on student’s understanding and skills in literacy and numeracy, extending on the fundamental learning in Prep. Learning in 1/2 moves beyond play-based learning – although play is still an essential part of our day! Students work together to collaborate and investigate, developing a wider perspective and understanding of the world around them.
In the 1/2 Learning Space, we have adopted a very structured small-group reading program, which supports students to extend their phonological awareness and decoding skills and to develop their comprehension of the texts they read. Students are encouraged to read independently using ‘just right books’ to reinforce their enjoyment of reading, and to develop greater fluency. Students this term will be further developing their reading comprehension strategies (finding the main idea, retelling, summarising and inferring) to assist them in understanding the texts they are reading. Some students will also be learning their letter sounds and decoding skills to help them read simple texts.
We begin to introduce genre-based writing to students in the 1/2 Learning Space. They learn about the different types and purposes of writing through explicit teaching, and through the use of exemplar texts. Teachers focus on developing students’ handwriting skills for legibility. We use a synthetic phonics program to support and extend students’ spelling skills at their point of learning need. In writing this term students are using their imagination to create narratives about topics that interest them. They will also be learning about the writing cycle and publishing a piece of work. Students will learn about poetry and transactional texts (letters, cards etc) and create their own poems and cards. They will also be taught about different English spelling patterns.
In numeracy, we use hands on materials such as blocks, shapes and measuring tools to introduce, model and reinforce student’s learning of mathematical concepts. This term students will be continuing to build on their counting and place value understanding before exploring multiplication and division strategies. This will lead into students exploring fractions, how to share something in even halves and quarters. To end the term, students will be looking at the transformation of shapes before exploring measurement, in particular the mass of everyday objects. Students are supported and extended at their point of need, through the use of flexible groupings and effective assessment practices. We are very lucky to have iPads, laptops and Interactive Whiteboards which are used daily in our learning space, to engage, excite and enhance our students learning.
Inquiry in the 1/2 Learning Space begins with guided inquiry, supported and scaffolded by teachers, to introduce students to the inquiry process. We help students to develop questioning techniques, to undertake research and to work collaboratively with their peers. Inquiry is based around student’s questions into the topic, leading to increased engagement and interest in their learning. This term students are excited to learn how products (such as milk, meat, apples and clothing) are grown/made in our inquiry topic ‘From Farm to Fridge’. Students will be involved in lots of hands on experiences to engage and excite their curiosity, including a visit to the Collingwood Children’s Farm, and planting and growing vegetables in our schools very own urban farm. They will also have opportunities to cook and make products from fresh produce.