S T R A T H C O N A

Year 1J U N I O R S C H O O L

2017

2

Teacher

Mrs Di Dalton

Specialist Staff Specialist teachers are responsible for teaching the following curriculum areas: Advanced Learning Mrs Andrea Machin Art Mrs Susan Clarke Christian Education Mrs Bronwyn Arnott Mandarin Ms Diana Li Library Mrs Penny Joyce Music Mr Scott Buchanan PE Mrs Tiffany Kelly Perceptual Motor Program (PMP) Mrs Tiffany Kelly Swimming Miss Jess Mitton and Mr Nathan Cole

Homework

Year 1 activities involve the students reading and discussing their daily take home books. They are also encouraged to read for pleasure including regularly sharing old favourite picture books or stories. Simple, individualised homework tasks may include Mathematics, Integrated Studies, Spelling or Reading activities. A poetry book will go home each Thursday with a weekly poem. Please go through it with your daughter and regularly re-read previous poems.

Excursions Excursions and incursions are planned to link in with curriculum areas and to offer the students a variety of experiences. Please check CareMonkey and complete the necessary documentation.

3

Curriculum Overview Teaching and Learning experiences are based on the Australian Curriculum. The learning areas include: English, Mathematics, Science and History.

Laptops/iPads

The students use the classroom laptops and iPads either individually, in pairs or as a class. They are used for interactive games, reading activities, problem solving, mathematics, drawing and typing as well as consolidating and extending learning.

English

As specified in the Australian Curriculum, the English curriculum is designed to develop the students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking and creating. The English curriculum is built around the three interrelated strands of Language, Literature and Literacy. Teaching and learning programs should balance and integrate all three strands. Together the three strands focus on developing students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating. Learning in English builds on concepts, skills and processes developed in earlier years, and teachers will revisit, strengthen and develop these.

Reading The reading program uses acknowledged methods to advance students’ skills. During reading sessions students are encouraged to develop an enjoyment and interest in books and to make connections between books and their own experiences and to read familiar texts confidently. The classroom and home reading books are graded in Reading Recovery Levels. Students are given books carefully matched to their reading ability. With encouragement and support, they are able to extend their vocabulary to read more challenging material. Other activities within the reading program include explicit teaching of reading strategies, learning of sounds and symbols of letters, development of a list of commonly used and special sight words, discussion of picture storybooks, small group reading, reading of children’s own sentences, viewing of videos relevant to a particular story or topic and building independent reading skills. Ongoing assessment, both formal and informal takes place throughout the year.

Writing Writing activities will follow a similar pattern of shared time when specific text type genre will be modelled followed by small group activities. This will include formal handwriting. The major forms of writing for Year 1 will include recounts, reports, narrative and procedural text. All attempts to spell words will be encouraged and praised. Correct spelling of frequently used words is emphasised as students become more confident with the writing process. The learning of spelling is based on three strands: THRASS, topic related words and high frequency words. The correct size and formation of letters and correct posture and pencil grip are aspects of writing that are emphasised in daily activities.

Speaking and Listening Each student will have an opportunity to share information on a regular basis. The emphasis is on speaking clearly, facing the audience and preparing something of interest. Other activities include reading or speaking on stage during Friday Assembly, reading a familiar book to the class, responding effectively to questions about a story, dramatising a story, reciting a poem, contributing to class discussions, listening carefully to instructions and conversing with others. The

4

development of thinking skills is important and the students are encouraged to think critically and creatively. Mathematics At Strathcona we believe that learning mathematics involves the combination of both the content (body of knowledge, facts, models and skills) and process (ways of investigating, thinking and reasoning mathematically). As specified in the Australian Curriculum, Mathematics is arranged into the Content strands of: Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. Number and Algebra includes:

Develop confidence with number sequences to and from 100 by ones from any starting point. Skip count by twos, fives and tens starting from zero

Recognise, model, read, write and order numbers to at least 100. Locate these numbers on a number line

Count collections to 100 by partitioning numbers using place value Represent and solve simple addition and subtraction problems using a range of strategies

including counting on, partitioning and rearranging parts Recognise and describe one-half as one of two equal parts of a whole.

Measurement and Geometry:

Measure and compare the lengths and capacities of pairs of objects using uniform informal units

Tell time to the half-hour Recognise and classify familiar two-dimensional shapes using obvious features Give and follow directions to familiar locations

Statistics and Probability:

Choose simple questions and gather responses Represent data with objects and drawings where one object or drawing represents one

data value. Describe the displays. When working mathematically, focus is placed on the strands of Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving and Reasoning. Working mathematically includes:

Using problem solving strategies (e.g. guess and check, drawing) Investigating everyday mathematical situations Using appropriate instruments to measure.

Integrated Studies Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 work together in many aspects of this subject. Learning experiences are based on a specific topic. The focus strands of the curriculum include English, Mathematics, Thinking, History, Science, Design and Technology.