Class Information

Reading:  Your child has been given a Reading Jotter to use to record the reading that they do at home. They will receive house points for reading at home three times a week or more.  Reading Jotters will be checked on a Friday for that weeks reading.  Now your child is more independent, it is their responsibility to change their reading book once they have read it.

Please play an active role in your child’s home reading. Your child is required to read at least three times a week for 20 minutes.   If they are reading independently, please ask them questions about what they have read such as: What was the main idea in the chapter / story? Who are the characters? What are they like?  What words told you this?  Please then initial their reading jotter to say they have read.  Your child’s school reading book will sit in line with their independent comprehension ability, which is formally assessed each term. 

Reading Tasks:  In the middle of their Reading Jotter, your child has a reading activity sheet.  It has been designed to enable the more fluent reader to practice their comprehension skills, and for all children to engage further with the text they are reading.  The activities will vary in duration.  Some can be carried out over several books; others will be based on one particular text type. 

Children are to complete one activity each week, and should spend approximately 20 minutes completing this.  This activity will be looked at each Friday.  The children may choose which order they complete the tasks in, dependent upon the genre they are reading.  Your child has been asked to complete their reading task on the pages in the second half of their journal, but feel free to encourage them to use the computer or drawings which can be stuck into this part of the book.  Children will receive additional house points for each activity they carry out. 

Homework & Spellings:  Maths homework will be sent home on a Wednesday, to be completed by the following Tuesday morning.  This homework will be set by Ms Latimer and is designed to enable children to practice and extend their independent learning skills via the Active Learn Website.  It will always be linked to something they are currently learning in class.  Spellings will be set by Mrs Stewart via Emile on a Friday with the online activity to be completed by the following Thursday. 

Times Tables:  We encourage children to take part in Emile Multiplication Tables Check and Time Tables Practice at least twice a week.  Results from the week’s practice will be celebrated on a Monday.  Emile the bear is always excited to spend the week with the new Emile Champion.  Keep your eye on Twitter for the winner!

Year 4 children now take part in an external Multiplication Test in June which test all tables to 12 x 12.  More information about this will be sent home nearer the time.  In readiness for this assessment, formal timetables test and the Emile App is used in both year 3 and 4 each week.  Regular timetables practice is essential to be able to achieve the learning expectations of knowing all tables by the end of Year 4.  The expectation for Year 3 children is to have fluent recall of 2, 5, 10, 2, 4 and 8 tables.

PE:  Your child will be taking part in PE lessons every Tuesday and Friday afternoon.  Children can come to school in their PE kit on these days.  During the second half of the Spring term and the first half of the summer term, your child will go swimming on a Wednesday and so there will be no PE on a Tuesday.  

Toast money: If your child would like toast, please pay for each half term via the Parent Pay.  Speak to Mrs Smith for more information about this.