Getting the hang of year 1 again!

The past couple of weeks has been so busy! I have started my new CPAC job, and am enjoying that so far - I had an induction 2 weeks ago and since then have been getting organised to work with staff across a few different schools. I'll update you on that stuff another day - today I have got some of the  cute things we've been doing in our class. 


 Last year we had great success with the 'Jolly Grammar' program, where kids are taught letter spelling patterns and grammar knowledge. We have started this again this year. Each week we introduce a new spelling rule, and brainstorm words that include the week's sound. Here are the first two weeks - sh and ch.

 

This term we have started the year with recount writing, I have been modelling the process for the children. We started with the introduction last week, where we worked through from the brainstorm stage, to the draft. After the class had written their introduction I got them to buddy up and read each others. Then they had to circle the 'who' 'what' 'where' and 'when' in each others work. This was really cute - I explicitly taught a few of them that were the early finishers - then when a few more finished I asked the group I taught first to go and be teachers to the other children. They were so excited to show off their skills and work alongside their peers as their teacher. :)

For art we did a directed drawing of their faces, then added crayon, paint and water colour to finish them off. They turned out super cute. We usually back our paintings onto large cardboard before we hang it up - just makes it a bit tidier and looks nicer :) I love Sara's "Anna those are freckles!"

Maths this term so far has been data collection and representation. We wrote the letters in our names down, and predicted which we thought would have the most (most of the kids predicted the letter e, the rest chose the letter their name started with). We placed them on an alphabet graph, and as we were gluing them down they were coming up with the cutest things 

"Look! E and I have the same!"

"A has 20!... I wonder if it will get any more?"

"P has none!"

"Z only has 1"

It was so cute. Afterwards we talked with our partners and came up with a few observations about the data collected. We worked out that the vowels had lots and talked about why. We also practised our tallying.

The final picture I have is all of our pencil tins. Each afternoon the kids place their pencil tins on the drawers at the back of the classroom so the tables are clear for the cleaners. Every day they line them up in order! I never asked them to, they just do it! Isn't that the sweetest? Funny little bunnies!