Getting Ready

Life at the moment is about getting ready

Getting ready to leave my job

Getting ready to hand over my class

Getting ready to go to Spain

Getting ready to extend and renovate our house

Getting ready to turn 40!

Getting ready for Tilda’s birthday

Life is about getting ready

As I get myself ready for all that my future holds

I am also thinking about my children

And the children I teach

And thinking about how they can get ready

Ready for what comes next in their lives

I teach a mixed Year 1 and 2 class

They all have assessments coming up

For which they, their parents and the school

Need to get ready

Children, schools and parents up and down the country

Face the same assessment season

My advice?

Be prepared!

For parents

The School Run is a great website that gives lots of information

And links to resources

Sign up to Twinkl

This resource website provides information, practice tests

Fun activities that encourage learning through play

Worksheets mapped to learning objectives

And so much more

The subscription is not cheap

But it gives fantastic value for money

How to help children

Reading

Read with your child everyday

Read to them from a wide range of books as well as hearing them read to you

Read fiction, non fiction and poetry

Read recipes, road signs and cereal boxes

Read everything you see and talk about what you read

Ask questions with yes / no answers

Ask questions with definite answers

Ask for opinions and thoughts

reading

Writing

The writing tests focus on spelling, punctuation and grammar

In line with requirements at KS2, all children in KS1 will be required to take a Grammar and Punctuation test, as well as a Spelling test. The Grammar and Punctuation assessment will consist of two parts. The first will be a short writing task based on a prompt, which can be assessed for various features including handwriting. This task is expected to take around 20 minutes.

The second will be a test requiring short answers, focussing on grammar, punctuation and vocabulary. This test will be taken in two parts, lasting approximately 10 minutes each with an optional break between. Finally, there will be a Spelling test of 20 words, which will take approximately 15 minutes.

More detail on the test frameworks is available from the DfE website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-curriculum-assessments-test-frameworks

sound buttons

The expected standard is going to be a challenge for a great many children

But there are ways that parents can gently help

Reading, reading and more reading

Practising any spelling lists sent home from school

There are lots of fun ways to make spelling practice fun

Revise high frequency and common exception words

Read them and write them

Have fun with words

Get practical and physically explore punctuation and grammar

Write letters and postcards to family and friends

Write a weekend diary

Write captions for a photograph album

Shopping lists

Write in sand, with sparkly pens on pretty paper

Blackboards, whiteboards, garden paths

writing

If you want help for your child

But do not think you can provide the resources and ideas for yourself

You could consider employing a short term tutor

Companies such as Fleet Tutors

Have qualified, experienced, caring teachers

Waiting to help families just like yours

Who want to give their child a little extra help

But do not know how

I tutored Year 2 children for several years

When I first started teaching

And it was a job that I loved

It was this that started my love of learning through play

initial sounds

If you want to help yourself

Then this is how you can

Maths

Play board games

Go on number hunts when you are out about

Spot odd and even

Pairs that make 10

Multiples

Times tables

Practise sharing with sweets and cakes

When setting tables and serving tea

Teach your child to tell the time

All of these concepts and skills

Will help

Getting ready does not have to be sitting down

Writing down

It does not have to be hard or boring

You can help your child get ready

And at the same time have lots of fun

pattern play

I am not really an advocate of homework for little people

In the form of sheets sent from school

But exploratory learning through play

With guidance from a tutor or school

I think that is an important part of getting ready

in play

This is a collaborative post

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