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Guided Reading in Year 3

Hello!

Guided reading is a bit different this year so I thought I’d write a post explaining how it all works:

The children are split into five different guided reading groups. Each group has about six children in it and each group reads with me once a week on a designated day of the week. For example, Monday Group read with me on Monday, Tuesday Group on Tuesday, etc.

All the children in the group read the same book. After they read with me, I set a “target page”. They have to reach this “target page” by the next time they read with me. It’s really important that the children reach but do not exceed the target page so that they are all at the same place in the book. If you find that your child has reached the target page quickly, they can read another book at home or I can arrange for them to take another school book home.

I hope that makes sense! Please come to see me if you have any questions.

The Water Cycle

Our first mini-topic of the year is water. As part of the topic, we’ve been learning about the water cycle. In this topic lesson, children annotated a picture on the iPads to show the different parts of the water cycle.

Forces

We’ve started the year with a mini-topic on forces. We went to the playground to think about pushes and pulls that we use. Here’s a pupil using a pull force to lift himself up (he loves climbing from what I read in his homework)! Gravity and friction are two new words that we’ve learnt this week.

Maths

This half-term, the children will learn to develop their number skills. So far, we’ve learnt about multiples of numbers, partitioning numbers, odd and even numbers and we’ve been mentally adding numbers, too.

We’ll soon be focusing on using other methods to add and subtract. To help your child at home, you could encourage them to count on and back from random numbers in 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s.

We’ll learn our 2, 5 and 10 times table this year so practising them will help, too.

Roll Up! Roll Up!

Our big topic ‘Roll Up! Roll Up!’ will start in October – we’ll learn all about the circus.

We’re looking forward to learning some circus skills too!

You might be interested to know that the Netherlands National Circus are performing in Harrogate on The Stray between the 18 and 23September.(Check out Groupon for some discounted prices!)

SEAL

The SEAL topic for this half term is ‘New Beginnings’. As a class, we have decided what rules we should all follow and have created a learning contract that we have all signed. The children will develop their speaking, listening and thinking skills through circle time. It is also a good opportunity for children to reflect on their week and help others with their problems.

Well done to Grace and Mia for making Jorja feel welcome in her new beginning at Moortown Primary.

14 September 2012

This week, the spelling chant to practise with your child is ‘drop the y for an i’.

There are lots of types of words where you drop the ‘y‘ for an ‘i‘. Here’s a selection of different types of words where the rule applies.

14 September 2012

This is the second week of investigating the effect of adding ‘ing’ to words.

This week’s spellings are all words which have a short vowel sound before the final letter. This means that you need to double the final letter when adding ‘ing’.

The children will be tested on eight out of the ten words on Friday 21 September.

14 September 2012

Spellings this week are words with the suffix ful. Spellings will be tested on Friday 21 September.

Parents’ / carers’ annual survey 3

This, the third and final summary of results from the annual survey, presents just a few of the many positive comments we received.  Unlike the comments noted in the previous posts, I won’t respond to these, except to say, from all staff: thank you.

I am extremely happy with my son’s progress, he loves reading and sports and is positively encouraged by staff at all times. Moortown is a gem of a school and I feel incredibly grateful that my child attends.

Learnt so much this year! A great first year at school! School communication is excellent – the class newsletters are particularly useful, and active Twitter / regularly updated website very good. Advanced calendar dates are very useful.

The school has a strong sense of community. I feel my child’s uniqueness (as all children are) is valued and that teachers build respectful, warm relationships with the pupils, imperative to enable children to feel safe and happy enough to learn.

I think you run a fantastic school – my son is very happy.

Fantastic school in all areas with exceptional leadership.

I am happy with the way my child has progressed this year with Mr Wilks. He has been encouraged in all aspects of his learning and enjoys coming to school.

My child has had a very enjoyable year thanks to the care and understanding of Mrs Weekes and Mrs Maver (and the assistant teachers). Working together has demonstrated the value of teamwork between teachers and parents and what it can achieve.

Strengths – clear values; encouraging good behaviour; awareness of others’ feelings; deals well with bullying; warm approachable head and staff alike; friendly atmosphere; children are always polite and helpful; awareness of importance of health eating and exercise. Forgot to mention brilliant Mrs O’Malley and her team – always helpful.

Please note, we won’t rest on our laurels.  We’re always seeking ways to improve, and you can help.  If you’ve any suggestions, questions, comments or concerns, do let me know.