24th February – 9th April 2020
Language & Literacy
Reading: Children will continue with the Big Cat reading scheme and also complete various reading activities based on the class novels, ‘The Owl Who is Afraid of the Dark’ and ‘James and the Giant Peach’ and ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’. The children will continue to improve and develop their comprehension skills. Children will continue to participate in the Accelerated Reading Programme and will be given a new target for this term. Please ensure your child is completing reading every night and that you are interacting with their reading record encouraging them to summarise their reading. Please sign up to the Accelerated Reading Home Connect to receive updates on your child’s performance in terms of books read and quizzes.
Writing: The children will continue to focus on Narrative Writing. The children will gain an understanding of narrative structure and learn how to develop feelings of empathy towards an evacuee character. They will create a narrative based on the experience of an evacuee. They will use problem solving skills to create resolutions for their character. They will draft, edit and publish their final independent piece of writing.
Talking and Listening: The children will be engaged in whole class discussion in relation to topic and PDMU work as outlined below.
Mathematics & Numeracy
Mental Maths focus: Focus will be placed on recall of multiplication facts using the variety of language associated with multiplication as well as continued development and awareness of mental strategies to help adding and subtracting of TU developing into the addition and subtraction of HTU.
Number and other areas of maths: Work on times tables will be on going as the children develop their awareness of the various language associated with multiplication. Children will also begin work on understanding the process of division. The children will recognise division as a form of sharing and begin to establish a link between multiplication facts and division. The children will complete work on time. Here the children will revise half past and o’clock as well as complete work on quarter to and quarter past the hour using both analogue and digital format.
Problem Solving Strategy: The children will continue to develop their problem solving skills using a range of strategies including; Draw a Picture; Guess, check and improve and Work Backwards.
World Around Us.
Theme and topic: We are at War.
This half term the children use WW2 as a case study and will investigate the main countries involved in World War 2. They will understand what life was like as an evacuee. Children will develop an awareness of the precautions taken during the war as well as the role of key figures around this time.
Scientific investigation – Building on the skills taught in Primary 3 the children will investigate materials that would most suitable to make curtains in a blackout, materials suitable for camouflage and war helmets.
Religious Education
Children will continue their preparation for their First Holy Communion. The children will explore the topic of Lent. Here the children will become aware as to how Lent is a time of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving. Related to this the children will complete work on Trocaire and understand the work they carry out. The children will understand the importance of being connected to others. The children will also complete work on Easter and develop an understanding of the events of Easter Week.
Personal Development & Mutual Understanding
For Personal Development and Mutual Understanding this term the children will be focussing on the topic of ‘Money Matters’. This will involve them understanding the importance and value of money and provides a positive link to the theme of Almsgiving in their Religion. They will also understand the importance and difference between what is a ‘need’ and what is a ‘want’.
The Arts
Music: Children will continue to make music through voice, body and using instruments.
Art: Children will develop their creative skills by experimenting with different mediums to create a Blitz skyline.
Drama: Children will adapt the role of various fictional and non-fictional characters related to their narrative writing topic and the WAU based work.
Physical Education
The children will continue to develop hand, eye coordination skills, balance and gross motor skills on Tuesday’s with a hurling coach. The children will participate in class PE lessons focusing on ball game skills including; handling, kicking and striking. The children will also be taking part in the ‘Daily Mile’ and have a slot of 30 minutes each week on The Serenity Playground over and above their allocated time during break and lunch times.
Other Events:
- 5th March – World Book Day Celebrations.
- 13th March- Green Day Celebrations.
- 26th April – P4 Crazy Hat and Hair Day in aid of Trocaire.