School days – Roald Dahl and homework
Well, that’s week 2 of this school year done and it’s whizzing by as usual. It always seems to be the worst week for tiredness as well, not helpful when it comes to doing reading after school. N went to bed one evening at 6.30pm after he refused to do his reading!
School tennis
N has loved being back at tennis club (he’s now doing Friday sessions at the local club as well as the after school club session) and seeing the coach he always raves about. I think they’re lucky with the external coaches they have at school. He’s seemed to have worshipped all of them so far, and enjoyed every sport he’s tried.
The best thing about tennis club for N is that he gets picked up by his dad instead of having to go to after school club. Yes, the OH has finally been to the school. I’m wondering how many Mondays he’ll actually do vs getting Granny to do it, but N was so excited his dad was picking up.
Roald Dahl day
Thankfully N’s school didn’t do a dress up day, instead they celebrated Roald Dahl books by using them for all the work they did this week. So N did maths and literacy based on the books. They drew their own giants and then had to write a description of them. N discovered Dahl books over the summer and we’ve read 3 so far. The timing of Roald Dahl day worked out really well because he keeps relating what he learnt in school to the books we’ve been reading.
Homework
N has had his first homework. Yes, year 1 and the homework has started. I don’t recall having homework other than in juniors getting timetables and spellings to learn. But then I was a bit of a swot and found school work easy so I probably got away with not needing to spend time learning extra in the evenings (although my mum used to set me maths to do to practise because she didn’t think the teaching stretched us!).
N now has literacy work on a Monday and maths on a Tuesday, for the end of the week. Then spellings once a week although we’ve not had those yet. I’m a little worried about those but N said they’d learnt how to do spellings in class, and he didn’t sound too concerned. Fingers crossed it’s a method that will work well for him. He also still has reading to do each day with books coming home 3 days a week.
So this week he had a BFG picture and had to write adjectives about the BFG (affiliate link). I asked N if he’d learnt about adjectives and said no, so I had to dredge up my knowledge. Supporting N through school is certainly going to test me on terminology – when I was at school we never learnt formal grammar the way they do now. He managed to decide on 4 descriptive terms, and write 3 of them. I’m not sure handsome is something I’d class the BFG as, but it fits as an adjective!
He’s also had maths which he was happy to do straight away and did well at. I think it’s a confidence thing – with maths he thinks he’s good at it, so finds it easier. I just need to get his mindset changed about reading now.
Handwriting
N came home one day and told me they’d been learning how to write As and Bs. I was stumped until he drew me a ‘b’. Ah, cursive handwriting. I can’t believe they’re already learning cursive, especially when N doesn’t even correctly form letters at the moment. Although maybe that’s why they do it so early, because to do the cursive writing you need to form them properly.
He seemed quite happy to try some out and practice, especially once I’d showed him how I would write them.
Year 1 and friends
So far, N seems to be enjoying year 1. He likes being in the same class as before and I’m pleased that he’s made good friends with G, a boy who lives on a farm just along from us in year 1. Having a like for farming certainly helps. I was worried that he’d miss out with his old friends going up to the other class, but he says he’s still friends with them, and they still play at playtimes together. I thought N would end up being more friendly with one of his old nursery friends who has come into reception, but he’s sticking with the year ones.
It definitely helps that his year 1 group go up to join the others each afternoon to do work. It means they get to still work with them and maintain their friendships.
Hopefully your children are all settling into school.
#SchoolDays linky
My little man also prefers maths and is far happier doing this than anything else, like you I think it is a confidence thing 🙂
Confidence comes into so much of school I’m finding. We seem to have turned a corner with reading and writing, and he’s finding them a bit easier now he can see he’s achieving something with them.
Thanks for a lovely linky, a good reminder to reflect after a crazy first 2 weeks back. Our school didn’t do anything Dahl related, my son absolutely loves his books so we were a bit disappointed.
Oh that’s a shame. It always amazes me that some schools don’t do anything around world book day either – disappointing when books and literacy are so high up the curriculum. Thanks for stopping by
Yes me too, my son loves to read, and I think it’s a great way to make it special for them. Thankfully they did world book day, I think my little Bilbo Baggins confused the 25 Harry Potters!
I love that they used Roald Dahl for the basis of so much work.
The terminology they use for their grammar (and maths) is confusing to us, but the kids at least understand it most of the time!
It’s good that he still has so much contact with the other year 1s.
I’m very relieved about that. So much fairer for them to still get to work with their peers, but also gives them the chance to be challenged more than if they felt they were getting left behind. They also mix up the seating each time they move up to so get to meet and work with more people.