Learning at home
If you child is at home for any reason and you would like to do some home learning then please use the ideas on this page. Also, please refer to the class pages for the half term topic web which will give you ideas of themes and objectives that we are covering in school.
Helping your child with Reading
Reading with your child is crucial to supporting them in their education. Research shows that it’s the single most important thing you can do to support your child in school. It’s best to read little and often. At Haddenham St Mary’s, we encourage parents to read with their children every day. Think of ways to make reading fun – you want your child to enjoy books so that they will develop a love of reading.
A quote from the wall of our library:
“The more you read the more you’ll know,
The more you know, the more places you’ll go”
Dr Seuss
Tips for helping your child to enjoy books:
- Encourage your child to pretend to ‘read’ a book before they can read words.
- Visit the library as often as possible.
- Schedule a regular time for reading – perhaps when you get home from school, just before bed or at breakfast time.
- Talk about the story and ask your child questions – books are not just about reading the words.
- Buy dual-language books – you can talk about books and stories, and develop a love for them, in any language.
- Look for books on topics that you know your child is interested in – maybe dinosaurs, minibeasts, cookery or sports.
- Make sure that children’s books are readily available around your home.
This is a great website with access to e-books (many in our reading scheme) and phonics activities:
Helping your child with Maths
White Rose Maths have launched some free learning from home resources/ideas. Please follow the link below should you wish to try some of these with your child.
- Try to make maths as much fun as possible. It is important that we teach children maths as a ‘life skill’, something that they use in everyday life. Play games and use practical examples as much as possible. Try to encourage children to work things out mentally as much as possible. If you didn’t enjoy maths at school, try not to let that show to your child. Try to find a way to enjoy maths together.
- Tips for helping your child to enjoy maths:
- Point out the different shapes around your home or when you are out and about.
- When you are out shopping, talk about the quantities of anything you buy.
- Let your child handle money and work out how much things cost, let them pay the shopkeeper or work out the change.
- Look together for numbers on street signs, doors and car registration plates.
Here are some booklets for further ideas:
Reception maths ideas for parents
Year 1 maths ideas for parents
Year 2 maths ideas for parents
Maths learning at home grids- Y1 & Y2
Little Forest Friends
Here are some activities to share with your child.
Little Forest Friends Activities
Little Forest Friends Activities 2
Helping your child with Spelling and Writing
A great website for practising spelling patterns. Choose your child’s year group and a sound to practise and complete the activities!
Follow this link for more ideas: Supporting your child with writing at home
Here are the lists of words for Reception and KS1: High frequency words_year1 and year 2
Reception high frequency words
General websites offering free subscriptions and games/activities
https://www.bucksfamilyinfo.org/kb5/buckinghamshire/fsd/advice.page?id=latj7cuzkbk
https://classroomsecrets.co.uk/free-home-learning-packs
BBC Bitesize
The BBC is launching its own education package as part of their Charter across TV and online – helping to keep children learning and supporting parents. You can find more information about this here.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/primary
Other useful resources
Our Youtube channel can be accessed at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP8540j6LFxRjjK4hltNrOQ
Homework at Haddenham St Mary’s
Homework reinforces what your child is learning in school. It can also give parents a chance to become involved in the learning process.
Reading:
The time your child spends on their homework is less important than their understanding of it. Reading is the most important homework. Your child will have a book from the reading scheme or from the class library. Read this every day and use the reading record to make a note of what your child has read, but please also read other books with your child.
Learning Logs (Sunshine and Sky Classes):
Your child will be given a learning log book at the beginning of the school year to record their homework activities. These activities are linked to the topics they are learning about in class and are found on the year group pages. Once your child has completed an activity they can bring their learning log into school to show their teacher. These activities can be completed by the end of the half term, in any order and in your own time. Encourage your child to take pride in their learning log, it is very personal to them. Please write the objective and the date at the top of the page and encourage your child to do this if they are able to.
Children in Year 2 (Sky Classes) are encouraged to complete an additional piece of homework each week in order to support their Maths and English learning, and to foster good routines around regular homework which will help with their transition to Junior School. These tasks will be given out on a Monday and children are asked to bring these back into school when completed.
Spelling :
Rainbows: Children are asked to learn high frequency words at home.
Sunshine and Sky Classes: Half termly spellings are put on the year group pages to practice. These are a mix of the common exception words and words containing the phonic sounds covered in class.
