Welcome to Year 6!

The Team

The year 6 team consists of Mrs Woodward (Class teacher), Mrs Moore, Mrs O'Malley and Mrs Edmunds who are the Learning Support Assistants. 

English

This term in English, we are linking our learning with our geography project all about Yellowstone. We are researching the first National Park in America and writing in the passive voice to create our own Explanation texts about Yellowstone. The areas we will focus on are: Volcanos, the wildlife, the canyon and the changing of seasons.

Our class book for this next term is Wonder by RJ Palacio and is about a young boy called August (Auggie) Pullman who was born with a severe facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade (Year 6) at Beecher Prep, Auggie wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can't get past his extraordinary face.

Reading

Transcription/Reading focusing on VIPER skills • Drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence. • Discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader • Provide reasoned justifications for their views • Summarising the main ideas drawn from more than 1 paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas • Preparing poems to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone and volume so that the meaning is clear to an audience.

We recommend that you try to read with your child as often as possible, ideally at least four times per week. Whilst reading, you can focus on word reading alone, ask retrieval questions (where the answer is obvious in the text) or ask inference questions (where the answer is implied in the text).
 
We aim to check reading records weekly. Children should aim to read at least three times per week. Remember, school reading books are important for progressing in the reading levels, but the best practice for a developing reader is to read as many different genres and text types as possible.

Reading is, of course, a vital skill for your child’s development and a skill which provides access to other areas of learning.

Recommended reading list for year 6 children:

https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/reading-lists-for-ks2-school-pupils/suggested-reading-list-for-year-6-pupils-ks2-age-10-11/ 

Maths

This term, we will be learning about Fractions (adding/subtracting/multiplying and dividing with different denominators),measurement, ratio and algebra. We are following the White Rose Hub approach to maths, meaning that topics will be covered in blocks at depth.

This is the link for pupils to follow so they can continue to develop their learning at home. 

https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning?year=year-6-new 

Geography

This term we are learning about Yellowstone National Park. We will be learning about when Yellowstone was discovered, what is special about Yellowstone, The volcano, Grand Canyon and the different wildlife that resides there.

Science

In Science this term we will be learning about Living things and their habitats. In particular: 

• describe how living things are classified into broad groups according to common observable characteristics and based on similarities and differences, including micro-organisms, plants and animals
• give reasons for classifying plants and animals based on specific characteristics

PE

We have P.E. once a week: on Thursdays. As children start to hit puberty during Upper Key Stage 2, it is also important that PE kits are taken home to be washed after all PE lessons.

Inter-house sport will take place once every three weeks.

Home Learning
Home learning will be communicated through the children's learning logs and will change each week. There will be one piece of English and one piece of maths homework each week. Homework will be set on a Friday and due in the following Wednesday. Sometime I will mark the homework or we will mark together so that I can correct any misconceptions.

Times tables practice will be communicated through Times Table Rock stars.

Children will also bring home spellings words on a Wednesday, we are focusing on the year 5 and 6 statutory words.

Parent Partnership
I am always happy to discuss anything with parents and carers to help to support children in learning or to provide pastoral support. If you would like to meet, please contact the office to arrange this.

If you are interested in supporting the class – either regularly or for a standalone session; with your time for reading or a particular skill you have – please contact Mrs Woodward to see when a suitable time would be for you to visit the class. We are very grateful for any assistance and look forward to welcoming visitors back into our classroom!