Welcome to Year 2
Hello from Mrs Anderson and Miss Costall! We are really looking forward to teaching Year 2 this year and cannot wait to share all the exciting learning experiences we have planned throughout the academic year. As well as class dojo, please keep checking this page each half term for curriculum updates, in addition to useful websites and activities which will help to support your child’s learning. We will regularly share the methods and concepts we use in class so you are able to help model these at home.
Please note our PE days are Monday and Friday.
You will find some additional information below about what your child will be learning in Year 2 and how you can support at home:
What will my child learn in Year 2?
Literacy
- Your child will continue to work on the phonics they started in Year 1, aiming to read words by sight without having to sound them out. They will learn further spelling patterns and rules and how to apply these in their writing. They will also look at the possessive apostrophe, homophones, near-homophones and suffixes.
- Throughout Year 2 your child will be expected to understand the following grammatical terms, as well as spot them in their reading and apply them in their writing:
Capital letter, full stop, question, exclamation, noun, adjective, verb, adverb, noun phrase, conjunction, past tense, present tense, command sentence, statement sentence.
- There will be a more detailed focus on handwriting, with children encouraged to form their letters correctly, learn which letters are to be joined and make letters a consistent size in relation to one another.
- In reading, there will be more of an emphasis on reading comprehension. In addition to reading fluency, children must also understand what they are reading and what is being read to them. Children in Year 2 will listen to, discuss and give their own thoughts and opinions on a range of books including stories, non-fiction text and a wide range of poetry at a level beyond their own reading ability.
- Your child will be expected to read and write correctly most of the Year 2 Common Exception words, please click here to find them.
Maths
- In Year 2, children will build an understanding of mathematical concepts using concrete apparatus and visual representations, before applying their knowledge to solve problems and challenges.
- There is a focus on the 2, 5, and 10 times tables. In addition to Numbots, your child will have access to Times Table Rockstars which is a fantastic online resource to help your child learn and recall their multiplication and division facts for the various times tables.
- The children will learn to add and subtract with two-digit and one-digit numbers.
- The children will learn how to find ⅓, ¼, ½, and ¾ of a shape or a quantity of objects.
- In terms of measure, they will learn to identify weight, capacity, and length, and they will learn to tell the time to the nearest five minutes. They will also study properties of 2D and 3D shapes, as well as a range of data-handling methods such as bar charts and pictograms.
- By the end of Year 2, pupils will be expected to know the number bonds to 20 and be precise in using place value.
How can I support my child at home?
1. Provide opportunities for reading
Give your child access to a variety of different books including non-fiction. This will help expand their vocabulary and knowledge, as well as develop their reading fluency. Look at the structure of different texts as this will help your child use the correct structure in their writing.
2. Help them to understand what they read
Reading comprehension is very important in Year 2 and you can do this whilst reading to your child or listening to them read. Help them engage with the book or text they are reading by asking questions to check their understanding such as; ‘what do you think the book is about?’, ‘what might happen next?’, ‘why do you think the character feels this way?’
3. Explore real-life Maths
Try and apply Maths in real-life situations to help develop your child’s reasoning and problem-solving skills, for example help calculate change when shopping, identify prices of items, look for 2D and 3D shapes in the environment, learn to tell the time on an analogue clock.
4. Get writing!
Provide different opportunities for your child to form letters and write. Here are some ideas to encourage your child to write at home:
- Form letters in shaving foam, sand or water.
- Keep a diary or gratitude log that your child can write in regularly.
- Write to a family member or friend.
- Write out a story changing part of the plot or one of the key characters.
- Keep a handwritten recipe book of your family’s favourite recipes.
5. Encourage independence
Create a weekly timetable to help your child organise themselves. Help to encourage them to get dressed on their own and sort their belongings without your support.
Links:
End of Key Stage 1 Assessments (SATs) papers:
KS1 SATs Papers - SATs Papers KS1 [1999-2021] - Free Downloads (sats-papers.co.uk)
Writing/spelling:
Spelling Shed
Little Bird Spelling (to practise common exception words)
Little Bird Spelling || Practise spelling Common Exception Words (ictgames.com)
Spooky Spellings (to practise common exception words)
Spooky Spellings || Practise spelling Common Exception Words (ictgames.com)
Reading:
Working at expected reading videos
KS1 Reading - Working at the Expected Standard - How to Hide a Lion - YouTube
KS1 Reading - Working at the Expected Standard - A Squash and a Squeeze - YouTube
Maths:
Times Table Rock Stars
Times Tables Rock Stars: Play (ttrockstars.com)
Top marks maths games
Learn to Count with fun Counting Games for KS1 Children (topmarks.co.uk)
Interactive Base 10
Learn to Count with fun Counting Games for KS1 Children (mathlearningcenter.org)
Interactive 100 square
Paint the Squares - Interactive Number Charts (topmarks.co.uk)
If you have any matters or concerns you would like to discuss with your child’s class teacher, please do not hesitate to call school to schedule an appointment.
Mrs Anderson and Miss Costall
