Swallow Class

Welcome to Term 4

Welcome back to Term 4 in Swallow Class! This term we will be learning all about The Great Fire of London, a significant historical event which took place in 1666. This history topic is really exciting, there is so much to learn and we will be using it to help us make connections with many other areas of the curriculum. We will also be introducing a fictional story called 'Vlad and The Great Fire of London' written by Kate Cunnigham. This wonderful tale documents the Great Fire from the perspective of a flea! It is a great story to help all children access and learn some of the key historical facts from around this time.

We will begin by producing a timeline of events from the Great Fire and then find out about key historical figures from the time such as Samuel Pepys. This will help to inspire creative writing in English. We will develop art appreciation, learn new techniques and explore the geography of London before and after the fire. The term will conclude with some learning about William Shakespeare, the Globe Theatre in London and the play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. We are looking forward to a great term with some fantastic learning opportunities!                

Please follow this link or the one on the blog below to have a look in detail at the topic web which outlines the learning across subjects.

Home learning opportunities

Reading: Please send your child into school each Monday with their reading book pack so that we can exchange them for fresh ones for the week. Please try to hear your child read each day, encourage them to sound out unfamiliar words and talk to them about the meaning of any new words they encounter in their books. To deepen their understanding, ask your child questions about their book, perhaps get them to recount what the book was about, how characters were feeling and why things happened and whether they would recommend it to a friend and why.

Spelling: Each Friday your child will be given a new set of spellings to practise ready for a quiz the following week. They should practise spelling using the 'Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check' process and when they are secure with the spelling they could write some sentences using the words in their yellow spelling book. For this week's spellings, please follow this link.

Maths: Your child can use their login to access Numbots and TT Rockstars to practise maths and times tables. 

Phonics- Additional resources for learning phonics can be found at Mr Thorne on You Tube and Alphablocks on the BBC, also Phonics Play is a great website we use in school.

Reading – recommended reading books to share at home

Maths ideas for activities to do at home

Times tables expectations are here

If you have any questions or would like to talk about a particular issue please send me a message on Dojo or catch me at the end of the school day and we can arrange a mutually convenient time.