Year 3 Autumn curriculum letter

Dear Parents Welcome back. It has been a really enthusiastic start to the term and the children are quickly grasping the expectations of being in year 3 and are rising to the challenge!

As you are now probably aware we are starting the term with a ‘Hansel & Gretel’ topic.

We have already come up with some ‘what if’ scenarios which they have been answering and this will then lead into planning the topic. So far, the children have questioned whether Hansel & Gretel could build their own house if they needed to, if they would be overweight and have health problems if they ate all the candy house and wondered what they would have done, if the duck hadn’t taken them across the river. We will endeavour to find out the answers to these questions and more in a creative way. Strong links will be made to science, design technology, art, ICT and music. Our next topic will have a history or geography focus.

Our literacy lessons will follow the primary framework and will as much as possible be tied in with our topics. To begin with we shall look at folk tales. We will focus on improving language and communication skills, providing lots of opportunities for speaking and listening. We will continue to work on phonetics and have regular guided reading sessions. Please continue to listen to your child read at home as much as possible, the more the better. Even two or three minutes of an evening is better than nothing at all.

Encouraging your child to read doesn’t have to mean a chore. Reading out a recipe, finding out what is on television or browsing a comic is all good too! Not to mention using a computer. They can also earn house points if you, as the parent, write it in the home reading recording.

In numeracy we will follow the abacus scheme of work. There will be a strong focus on the four rules of number and a focus on learning the times tables. Most of the class will be set this for home learning in a few weeks time and then be tested on them. The test takes a random approach rather than a systematic one, so the children need to not just learn them by rote. We will also spend a lot of time working on mental arithmetic skills.

In RE, we will start with looking at harvest and our responsibilities at this time. Then we will be undertaking a project called ‘The Cruise.’ It works well as an introduction to RE in KS2 and gives the children the opportunity to explore how religions come about and develop, what features are common to all religions and what function religions serve for communities and individuals?

In PE we are starting with developing our hand eye coordination, building to developing tennis skills sufficient to play a simple point scoring game. We will also be creating our dance for the school production.

In year 3 the children will begin French lessons as part of the Modern Foreign Languages curriculum. To start with this will involve simple greetings, learning to count and some nouns and adjectives to describe them. Much of this work will be taught through speaking and listening, games and ICT programs, but as the year progresses, so the children will learn to write some of the language.

Home learning will become an integral part of our school week, and it is set to try and encourage the children to become independent learners. Of course this does not mean they shouldn’t have support. It would be really beneficial if you, as the carer, were able make sure that your child understands what it is that they are required to do and give them time to talk about it and plan it. Of course, I will always be happy to help anyone who is having difficulty and hope that home learning is seen as a challenge rather than a chore. The children will be given the work on a Thursday and be asked to return it by the following Tuesday. This will give me an opportunity to look at their efforts, write comments and hopefully reward them with house points. At times, the children may need access to the internet, if this might be a problem then please let me know.

Please take time to have a look at our class blog. It will become an integral part of your child’s learning, and I’m sure they will enjoy showing you the different features on it. I have included a parent’s page which I will up load video clips and web links to, to show you the methods and techniques your child is using in numeracy and literacy. I will do this as regularly as I can and at a time that reflects the lessons in school. I hope it is of use.

If at any time you have any concerns or need clarification on any aspect of your child’s school life, then please don’t hesitate to come see s at the end of the school day.

Yours sincerely

Melissa Thomas & Mrs Green