Castle Primary School
HAL
Home Assisted Learning
Reading
Our expectation is that all children read at least 4 times per week (many children read at home every day). Please record your child’s reading activity in their Reading Record.
Reading Records are checked weekly (YR-3 on Mondays and Y4-6 on Fridays) and children receive a silver sticker as a reward for reading at least 4 times. 15 silver stickers are exchanged for a token to visit ‘Bob the Book Machine’. Children should bring in their Reading Record and reading book into school each day so that they are available should an adult at school listen to them read.
YR and Y1
Reading in YR and Y1 will be focussed on Phonics, using the books that are sent home each week. Regular practice of key sounds and blending these to read words is vital in supporting your child to read. Your child’s teacher may also send home phonic videos to support improve your child’s reading.
Y2-Y6
In Y2- Y6, it is important that your child develops their fluency and accuracy. Regular reading aloud to an adult will help support this. Older children in Y5 and Y6 may wish to read to themselves and then have a reading conversation with you about what they have read.
Maths
This will consist of online learning for all year groups.
YR-Y2
Children are encouraged to complete maths quizzes on the app ‘One Minute Maths’. The app is an engaging and effective way to help develop children’s number confidence and fluency. It includes activities linked to addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. You can find out how to download the app here:
https://whiteroseeducation.com/1-minute-maths
Y3 and Y4
The online learning will be delivered through Times Tables Rockstars. This is aimed to develop children’s ability to practise and, recall at speed, their table facts. Being fluent in their recall of multiplication facts makes a huge difference to mathematical ability as children move through the school. Your child will be provided with a log in.
Y5 and Y6
As part of our approach to ‘preparing’ our older pupils for secondary school, the children will be set Maths Learning on a platform called ‘My Maths’. The learning set will be linked to the learning in class. Log in details are shared with children and can be found in their reading records and Spelling books.
Spelling
Despite modern technology, the ability to spell accurately remains a key learning skill.
Y1-Y6
At the beginning of each academic year, the children are provided with an exercise book and a set of key spellings are sent out at the beginning of each term. Please support your child to practise the words. We recommend that all children practise 4-5 different words each week and practise these at least 3 times - testing them is useful! Children will be tested on these words at the end of each term and an updated spelling sheet will be sent home.
