Term 6 Week 1

WB: 01.06.26

Staffordshire children will be taking part in Forest School TOMORROW.

Please ensure your child comes to school with their Forest School clothing and wellies. As the weather may be cool and changeable, they will definitely need a coat.

Thank you for your support.

In English this week, we have begun reading our new class text, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. The language and vocabulary in the story are more challenging than texts we have previously studied, so we have spent time discussing and clarifying unfamiliar words and phrases to deepen our understanding. For example, we explored the meanings of vocabulary such as penetrating stare and porcelain/china doll, considering how these words help the reader to build a clear picture in their mind.

As part of our writing, we have been focusing on using expanded noun phrases to create detailed and engaging character descriptions. The children used ambitious vocabulary and descriptive language to bring Edward to life for the reader. For example:

"The elegant, porcelain doll stood still and silent, observing the world go by."

We will continue to explore the text over the coming weeks, developing our reading comprehension skills and using the rich language of the story to inspire our own writing.

In Maths, we have continued our learning on money, focusing on subtracting amounts and finding change. The children have worked hard to apply their understanding of pounds and pence to solve a range of real-life money problems. While many children are becoming more confident, this has proved to be a challenging area for some, particularly when exchanging between pounds and pence and calculating change accurately.

To support their understanding, we have used a variety of visual methods and representations. The children have practised using number lines to count on from the cost of an item to the amount paid, helping them to calculate the change given. We have also used bar models to represent the whole amount and the part spent, allowing children to identify the missing part (the change) more clearly.

For example, if an item costs £2.65 and £5.00 is paid, children used a number line to count on from £2.65 to £5.00 in manageable steps. They also represented this problem using a bar model, showing £5.00 as the whole and £2.65 as one part, with the remaining part representing the change.

Any opportunities to practise money skills at home would be extremely beneficial. Activities such as calculating the cost of items while shopping, working out change, or solving simple money problems together can help to build confidence and reinforce this important learning.

We are all looking forward to our trip to Kent Life next Wednesday! 

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. It makes such a positive difference to your child's learning and progress. We are looking forward to our final term together in Year 3—it is going to be a busy and exciting one, with lots of opportunities for learning and memorable experiences. I can't wait to see all that the children achieve over the coming weeks.

Please continue to support your child with regular reading at home and by updating their Boom Reader account whenever possible. Your support makes a real difference to their confidence and progress. Please also ensure your child brings their reading book into school every day. Please also follow this link https://global-zone61.renaissance-go.com/welcomeportal/6704864

 to access quizzes when your child finishes a book. They will know their login details for this. 

We are continuing to learn our times tables with some fun songs! Practising for just 15 minutes a week on the recommended website will make a huge difference in building strong multiplication and division skills, which are essential throughout Key Stage 2 and beyond. We have been practising our 11 times table. This song is a bit fast and has some tricky, tongue-twisting parts, but the children are really enjoying it and having fun while learning - 

3 Times Tables - Have Fun Learning!

4 Times table song (A Whole New World from Disney's Aladdin)

4 Times Table Song (APT be Rosé and Bruno Mars)

Counting By Sixes Song

7 Times Table Song | Skip Counting by 7 Song with Multiplication

Seven Times Table Song (Cups by Anna Kendrick Cover) with Classroom Instruments

Eight Times Table Song (Cover of All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor)

Nine Times Table Song (90's Song Mashup)

9 Times Table Song (cover of Takedown by Huntrix from K Pop Demon Hunters) - YouTube

11 Times Table Song | Skip Counting the Multiples of 11

The 12 Times Table Song | Skip Counting by 12 for Kids

S3 Usual weekly timetable (please note that there may be changes to this at times).

The Year 3 Team