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Willows (Y2 Mrs Wilcox)

Welcome to Y2 Willows!

Welcome to Summer 1, it's zoo time!

 

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Summer 1  

What will we be learning this half-term?

 


Reading – Your child should be reading 4 or more times a week using their phonics books or a reading for pleasure book. Parents will need to sign or comment in their child’s planner.
Spellings – Spelling lists will provided every Friday for your child to learn, with a spelling test to commence the following 

Homework Menu
Homework can be presented in a variety of ways. Please ask your child’s class teacher if you are unsure. The homework task menu is below.

You may complete tasks in any order. One piece is expected each week but feel free to do all of them 😊

Science

Life cycles

  • Create a mini scene inside a shoebox
  • Show different stages using drawings or small models
  • Example: pond with frog life cycle
  • Make a spinning wheel using paper plates or card
  • Divide into 4 parts:
    • Egg → Baby → Young → Adult
  • Use animals like:
    • Butterfly
    • Frog
    • Chicken
  • Write a short story:
    • “I am a butterfly…”
  • Describe how it grows and changes

English

  Jemima Puddleduck - Beatrix Potter 

Describe Jemima Puddle-Duck:

  • What does she look like?
  • What kind of personality does she have?
  • Is she sensible or easily tricked?

Write a letter as Jemima to the farmer’s wife:

  • Explain what happened with the fox
  • Say how she feels now
  • Ask for help keeping eggs safe

Draw a scene (e.g. Jemima meeting the fox) and add:

  • Speech bubbles
  • Thought bubbles

Focus on using simple punctuation.

Write a new ending:

  • What if Jemima didn’t trust the fox?
  • What if the eggs hatched safely?

Encourage imagination and simple sentence structure.

Remember – these are just ideas – any homework of your own interest is just as important 😊

Maths

Practice your times tables on TTRockstars or Hit the Button

This is the order: 10x   2x   5x   3x    

(If you are already confident try 4x or 11x or even 9s!))

Art

Children can explore bold patterns inspired by African textiles like Kente cloth.

  • Use sponges, potatoes, or stamps
  • Repeat shapes (lines, zig-zags, dots)

Look at traditional masks from cultures like the Yoruba people.

  • Make a mask using paper plates or cardboard
  • Add patterns, shapes, and colours
  • Optional: use recycled materials (feathers, paper, foil)

Inspired by beadwork from groups like the Maasai people:

  • Draw or use real beads to create repeating patterns
  • Focus on colour sequences (red-blue-red-blue etc.)

Music

Make your own drum

  • Use a container (tin, tub, box) and decorate it with patterns inspired by African designs
  • Tap different rhythms and show them in class
  • You could mention how drums like the Djembe are used in West Africa
  • Watch a simple African dance video
  • Learn 2–3 moves and perform them
  • Talk about how music and dance go together
  • Create a simple poster with 3 facts about African music:
    • It uses lots of drums
    • It often includes dancing
    • It uses call-and-response

 
     

 

Our PE day will be Wednesday this half-term - please ensure your child brings their PE kits daily or leaves them at school for the half-term as PE days can be subject to change or for additional PE days.

Children will receive new spellings each Friday which will be stuck in their planners - spelling tests will be on a Friday.

It is expected that children will read 4 times a week, practice spellings and times tables and bring a piece of homework on a Friday - either relating to the topic or of their own interests. 

 

English

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Text: The Tales of Jemima Puddle duck - Beatrix Potter

We will develop our understanding of characters, using our inference skills to discuss the feelings and actions of characters, explore new words and meanings and share ideas, opinions and predictions.

Writing:📘

Text: The Tales of Jemima Puddle Duck - Beatrix Potter

Genres:

 

Instructions                                 

Diary

Fact File                                        

  Script

Advert 

Description

Story

 

Maths

In maths, we will be focusing on

 Fractions and Measurement – Length and Height

🟦 Year 2 Maths: Learning About Fractions

Maths

In maths, we will be focusing on

 Fractions and Measurement – Length and Height

🎯 What your child will learn

In Year 2, fractions are introduced in a simple, visual way. Children will learn to:

  • Recognise ½ (one half), ¼ (one quarter), and ⅓ (one third)
  • Find fractions of shapes and small quantities
  • Understand that fractions are equal parts of a whole

🍕 What is a fraction?

A fraction means splitting something into equal parts.

  • A whole = 1 complete object
  • Half = 1 of 2 equal parts
  • Quarter = 1 of 4 equal parts

👉 Example:
Cut a pizza into 2 equal slices → each slice is a half

✋ Key idea: Equal parts

Children often think any split is a fraction — but the parts must be equal.

✔ Correct: equal slices of cake
❌ Incorrect: uneven pieces

🏠 Easy ways to practise at home

1. Food fractions (best method!)

Use everyday food:

  • Cut toast into halves or quarters
  • Share grapes between 2 or 4 people
  • Slice apples into equal parts

Ask:

  • “Is this a half or a quarter?”
  • “Are these pieces equal?”

2. Sharing games

Give your child objects (toys, sweets, coins):

  • “Share these between 2 people” (halves)
  • “Share between 4” (quarters)

3. Drawing shapes

Draw simple shapes and divide them:

  • Circles (pizza style 🍕)
  • Squares

Ask them to:

  • Colour half
  • Colour one quarter

4. Fraction spotting

Point out fractions in real life:

  • Clock (half past 🕒)
  • Chocolate bars
  • Sandwiches

⚠️ Common mistakes to watch for

  • ❌ Counting pieces instead of checking equality
  • ❌ Thinking bigger number = bigger fraction (¼ is smaller than ½)
  • ❌ Not recognising the whole first

💬 Questions to ask your child

  • “How do you know these parts are equal?”
  • “What fraction is this?”
  • “What is one whole?”

⭐ Quick activity

Try this together:

👉 Draw a circle
👉 Ask your child to split it into 2 equal parts
👉 Then into 4 equal parts

Talk about:

  • Which pieces are bigger?
  • Why?

📌 Top tip for parents

Keep it practical and visual. At this age, children understand fractions best through:

  • real objects
  • cutting
  • sharing

📏 Year 2 Maths: Learning About Length and Height

🧠 What children will learn

In Year 2, children learn to:

  • Understand and use the words long, short, tall, high, low
  • Compare lengths and heights using everyday objects
  • Measure using standard units such as centimetres (cm) and metres (m)
  • Estimate and check measurements
  • Record and explain their measurements

📚 Key vocabulary

  • Long / Short
  • Tall / Short (height)
  • Longer than / Shorter than
  • Equal / the same length
  • Centimetre (cm)
  • Metre (m)
  • Measure / ruler / tape measure

🏠 How you can help at home

1. Compare everyday objects

Ask your child:

  • Which pencil is longer?
  • Is the table taller than the chair?
  • Which shoe is bigger?

2. Measure together

Use a ruler or tape measure to measure:

  • Toys
  • Books
  • Furniture
  • Your child’s height

3. Use real-life activities

  • Measure ingredients in cooking
  • Compare heights of family members
  • Measure distances when walking (e.g. “How many steps to the door?”)

4. Encourage estimation

Before measuring, ask:

  • “How long do you think this is?”

🎯 Important skills for Year 2

By the end of Year 2, children should be able to:

  • Choose the correct tool to measure length or height
  • Use cm and m correctly
  • Compare and order objects by size
  • Explain their thinking using simple sentences

💡 Top tips for parents

  • Use real objects instead of worksheets when possible
  • Encourage “hands-on” measuring
  • Praise effort, not just accuracy
  • Make it fun and practical!

Times Tables Expectations

In Year 2, children should:

  • Count in 2s, 5s and 10s

  • Begin to recall multiplication and division facts for these tables

This includes facts such as:

  • 2 × 5 = 10 and 10 ÷ 5 = 2

How you can help at home

You don’t need worksheets to help! Everyday activities are very effective.

Practical ideas

  • Count pairs of socks (2s)

  • Count fingers (5s)

  • Count coins or groups of 10

  • Share snacks equally and talk about how many each person gets

Questions to ask

  • “How many groups are there?”

  • “How many in each group?”

  • “What happens if we add one more group?”

Games and activities

  • Times table songs and rhymes

  • Board games involving counting in steps

  • Making arrays with toys or Lego

Key things to remember

  • Understanding is more important than speed

  • Children should explain their thinking

  • Mistakes help learning

  • Using real objects makes maths meaningful

If you have any questions or would like further support ideas, please speak to your child’s teacher.

Science - Life - Cycles

Life Cycles

Children will notice that animals. Including humans have offspring which grow into adults – focusing on families, dietary needs, different forms of offspring, new plants growing from seeds. Life cycles and germinating seeds.

Year 2 Religious Education (RE) – Muslims

RE: ⛪

Topic: Who is a Muslim and how do they live?

Children will find out about Islam, key beliefs and ways of living for Muslims .Muslim beliefs about God found in the Shahada and learn about the 99 names of Allah and the five pillars of Islam

Geography - Kenya

children will learn:

  • Where Kenya is
  • What is the weather and climate like
  • Physical features
  • Human features
  • Similarities and differences between England and Kenya

PE -: Team Games & Simple Tactics Basketball

Children will learn::

  Dribbling (keeping control of the ball while moving)

  Passing (chest pass, bounce pass)

  Catching (hands ready, soft catch)

  Shooting (basic aim at a target or hoop)

Music -  Kenya

Focus - Sing and play

Kenyan folk song

Soundscape 

Instruments 

Listening and appraising 

Musical vocabulary

Inter-related dimensions of music

Computing

 Making music

In this unit, learners will be using a computer to create music. They will listen to a variety of pieces of music and consider how music can make them think and feel. Learners will compare creating music digitally and non-digitally. Learners will look at patterns and purposefully create music.

 

Art: 📌

Focus – Martin Bulinya

Media  -  Paint

Children will create African landscapes and Massai people and animals in different situations and posing.

RSHE

Relationships, Sex and Health Education - children will learn:

  • That their body belongs to them and they have a right to feel safe. The importance of personal space and respecting the boundaries of others. How to recognise situations where they may feel uncomfortable .How to say “no” confidently and appropriately. The importance of talking to a trusted adult if they are worried or unsure about something.

Useful websites

•Daily 10 - https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/daily10

•Top marks clock - https://www.topmarks.co.uk/time/teaching-clock

•Spelling shed - https://www.spellingshed.com/en-gb/

•Google Earth - https://earth.google.com/web/

•Reach out reporter (science news) - https://www.twigsciencereporter.com/

 

 

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