A Busy Third Week

Third week - 1 day in 1D, 2 days in 1J!
Monday 7th October 2013

The children came into the classroom and had about fifteen minutes with their parents practicing their cursive writing as usual. I helped some children get a new reading book appropriate to their reading stage i.e. pink book stage 2.

Next was phonics and I helped a boy practice his phonics, sounding out 'ng' 'ai' 'ee' 'ar' 'oo' 'igh' and so on.  I encouraged the child to write words with some of these sounds in them too.

The children have been looking at sources of light and most children could identify the sun as a source of light. some children talked about electricity being a source of light and comparing this to natural sources of light such as the sun, fire i.e. candles, and the fact that the moon reflects the light but is not a source of light!

I helped a group of children with an art and science combined project which was all about shading, so starting with a colour such as red and using white to make each shading box a little bit light than the last shade of red. Nearly all of the children grasped the idea of shading and they had a lot of fun doing so!

In numeracy I helped one child with number sentences e.g. 8+2=10 and the child has to solve, write, understand the sentences. Some children were working on how many numbers up to 100 they could recognise in five minutes.

I heard some children read, there was some excellent reading going on! Most children can sound out a word to help them understand it, using what they have learned from the sounds of grouped letters from phonics.

Working with a group of children we played a letter game on the carpet, the children had to throw a dice and when they land on a particular letter they had to say a word beginning with that letter. The first child to the end of the board wins. Most children enjoyed this, one or two I helped get back on track when their concentration was drifting a little, by asking them if they could also name some words beginning with the letter that the last child had landed on, obviously I did this after the first child had said their word.

I had to quickly go into the class next door to help with a child that had collided with another child and had bumped their head, due to that teacher needing to watch the class - while I dealt with the child who needed first aid. With the teachers permission I went to the first aid area in the nurses office and got a cool pack out of the fridge and placed it by the eye of the child who had a little bruising. Another member of staff wrote out a report note for the child's parent/carers. The child was fine and remained in school.

Tuesday 8th October - Class 1J

Today we carried on with looking at sources of light - both classes are doing the same topics.
 I helped a different child in phonics with the same letter sounds as yesterday and helped some children in art with shading who enjoyed mixing the paints, this time being able to choose between blue or red paint, we ended up with a mix of purple shades which wasn't supposed to happen!
 I also heard a number of children read as well as helping some children with letter practice e.g. working on the letter 'g' on a whiteboard first then the child does this independently on  their letter sheet within their workbook.

Wednesday 9th October in 1J again

Today I worked with the children doing creations with building blocks making symmetrical shapes. I also helped the children with their cursive letter practice of certain words such as 'and' 'there' 'go' 'we' 'I' 'then' 'they' etc.

I helped some children with one-to-one writing practice of their name, they would trace the letters of their name and then write it out independently. This was working with the children in a lower ability set. 

In afternoon I took some children out into the corridor to practice some letter practice working on 'q' and 'f' or whatever letter the child was having difficulty with.

I heard some children read and helped two children put out the reading books and letters on the reading bags before the children headed off home. I also fetched the lunch bags for both classes so the children can pack these away at home time, this is to help another TA whose job it is, but is in the junior section so it is hard for her to come across to year 1 and do this so it is now my job which I don't mind.