Year Three Curriculum

YEAR 3: WHOLE CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

SUBJECT

AUTUMN

SPRING

SUMMER

SPOKEN LANGUAGE

At Park Hill, particularly because many of our pupils begin their school life without the oracy skills appropriate for their age, we recognise the importance of spoken language in the development of reading and writing and, indeed, of the whole individual. The skills of speaking and listening are explicitly taught and children are given a wide range of opportunities to practise these skills and develop confidence and competence.

Throughout the School, children talk about their learning, developing ideas and understanding through discussion, asking questions, being able to listen carefully to others’ views and giving them time to respond, sometimes challenging others’ viewpoints, negotiating with others in group work and considering a range of viewpoints. Talk partners are often used as a strategy to encourage discussion in lessons. Relevant vocabulary is explicitly taught in lessons across the curriculum so that our children’s knowledge and understanding of vocabulary increases. Talk for Writing, which is used throughout the school in order to embed key vocabulary in children’s minds, is one such method that is employed on a regular basis.

For younger pupils, opportunities to develop their spoken language include role play within the indoor and outdoor learning environments where children can explore language in contexts such as a garage or a hairdresser’s or a café, for example.  As the children become older, opportunities are extended with the children preparing to speak to an audience using ICT presentations or posters as prompts. Children in Year 6 learn to use spoken language in a formal debate.

Spoken language is also developed through drama activities as children improvise, refine and rehearse scripts and learn to present these to an audience – for example – in their class assemblies.  Rehearsing ideas through role play and spoken language enables children to explore different genres, identify with characters and develop vocabulary: teachers often use this approach as preparation to improve the quality of written work.

During the year we run poetry performance competitions where children of all ages can showcase their ability to learn off texts by heart and perform poems of their choice with expression and actions.

Every week a talk homework topic is sent home for the children to talk about with their families and then come back into school to discuss with their teachers and peers.

We promote respect towards all languages and dialects that children may bring into school with them. We value all languages and recognise home languages as a stepping-stone to progress in the use of English.

READING

At Park Hill, reading is taught as a separate lesson from writing. However, we very much try to link reading and writing activities so that often the same genre is being taught in both lessons. The children are taught reading skills, which are based around progression statements connected with:

  • decoding and blending (for Year 1)
  • recognition of ‘tricky’ words on sight (for Years 1 and 2)
  • retrieval of information from a text
  • interpretation of information
  • prediction of what might happen next
  • commenting on the writer’s use of language, structure and presentation
  • performance of a text
  • discussing what is read and justifying their views
  • identifying the writer’s purpose and viewpoint (for Years 3 upwards)

In Years 1 to 4, reading is taught in five 30 minute sessions, separate from the writing lesson, every week. We use a wide selection of differentiated guided reading books, the class libraries and the two school libraries as a source of books. In Years 3 and 4, some children on the Special Needs Register use the Rapid Reading Scheme.

In the reading lessons, our learning is based around the following cycle:

  • The teaching assistant reads a text with a group.
  • The teacher works with the group on the same text the teaching assistant has prepared with them the day before and the major part of the lesson involves interrogation of a text that the children have been reading. Questioning will relate to a particular progression statement pertinent to that year group and their ability. The teacher sets a follow-up activity for the group on the text they have worked on.
  • The other two days are used for independent reading, including using the Reading Eggs computer program (which is also available to use at home), and reading comprehensions. KS1 pupils (and all those KS2 pupils working on the Special Needs Register) also complete extra phonics and word recognition activities.
  • Every two weeks there is an unseen reading comprehension, which is usually differentiated two ways.

We have close links with our local library, Balsall Heath, and are often involved in projects with them. We make regular visits to the library and the librarians frequently come into school to speak not only to the children but also to their parents to help promote a love of reading and make them aware of the library’s facilities.

WRITING 

In writing, we base our learning around the Writing Cycle which takes the following format:

  • Immersion in a genre incorporating: Talk for Writing, role play, book talk, class discussion, paired discussion, sentence construction, punctuation and grammar work related to the end piece of writing to be written, modelling of the writing by the teacher, text marking of modelled texts in the same genre as the one to be written and short pieces of writing.
  • Planning for ‘The Big Write’ – this is very much a supported activity involving writing frames and differentiated success criteria.
  • Writing the ‘Big Write’ with the aid of success criteria provided by the teacher. Again, this is a supported activity.
  • Proof reading and evaluating own work. Sometimes, the children proof read together with a partner and evaluate it together.
  • ‘Close the Gap’ lesson – general learning point which the teacher has picked up from marking the books will be taught to the whole class. This is followed by the children working on their own ‘close the gap’ comments which have been highlighted by the teacher in their books.
  • ‘Cold Write’ – the children plan and write an unseen piece in the same genre. Children also write their own success criteria.
  • Again the children spend some time proof reading their own work and then evaluating it.
  • Peer marking – this piece is marked by another child against the success criteria. The marker should state what they have particularly liked about the piece of writing and what they feel could be developed further. Both comments must relate to the success criteria. Sometimes, the children work in pairs whereby they look with a partner at their own piece of writing and then at their partner’s.
  • Performance of their writing might take place at any of these stages listed above. We try hard to make sure there is a real purpose and audience for the children’s writing.

 

  Year 3 – Year Group Author – Dick King-Smith

 

Autumn Term Spring Term Summer Term

 

 Roald Dahl: The Magic Finger E-safety poster Non-chronological report: How the Skelton works. (Link to science

 

 Narrative: The Story of Rama and Sita (Link to topic work) Non-Chronological Report: Stone age (Link to topic work) Narrative/Traditional Tales: Dick Whittington

 

 Black History Week: Poetry Purple Attendance Diary: Pompeii (Link to topic work)

 

 Poetry (Shape  Poems and Calliagrams) Narrative: Stone Age Boy (Link to topic work) Narrative: Marshmellow (Narrative/Visual Literacy)

 

 Narrative:Fishing with Sam (Visual Literacy/Link topic work) Instructions: Making Crazy Cress Heads (Link to topic work) Poetry

 

 Poetry: Dancing with Hippopotami Letter: How to keep healthy (Link to topic work) Non-Chronological report: How the Skelton works. (Link to science)

 

 Roald Dahl: The Magic Finger E Safety poster

GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION 

Grammar and punctuation points are taught at the beginning of English lessons, where they are relevant to the genre being worked on. There are also discrete lessons in grammar and punctuation from Year 2 upwards. 

 PHONICS AND SPELLING

 We use the Letters and Sounds programme for the teaching of phonics.

Letters and Sounds is a focused teaching strategy that teaches children how the alphabet works for reading and spelling and is taught through 6 phases:

Phase 1 supports the development of spoken language.

Phase 2-5 is a systematic approach to phonics teaching and word recognition skills

Phase 6- focuses on word-specific spellings and the rules for spelling alternatives.

Phonics is taught as a discrete session every day in Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Each lesson is taught by the teacher to the whole class, although the learning is differentiated according to ability within the lesson. Phonics is still taught to those children in Key Stage 2 who do not have a secure phonic knowledge.

Spelling, appropriate to ability and age expectation, is taught for short periods of time on a daily basis in Key Stage 2 in line with statutory guidance. The children are then encouraged to apply the rules they have learned to their independent writing.

 HANDWRITING AND PRESENTATION

 At Park Hill we aim to equip children with the skills to write in a handwriting style that is fluent, joined and legible. Children throughout the school use a cursive script where all letters start with a lead-in from the line and have a tiny hook on the end of them, which makes it easier to join them. Lower case g, y and j are not joined and neither are capital letters. Some children begin to join their letters in Year 2 but it is expected that all children will be joining their letters by Year 4 when every child is must use a pen for all their writing.

MATHS

(Hamilton Scheme Overview)

  • Place value/money
  • Addition & subtraction
  • Addition & subtraction
  • Geometry: Shape & symmetry
  • Multiplication & division
  • Addition & subtraction
  • Addition & subtraction
  • Addition & subtraction
  • Measures: Time/statistics
  • Multiplication & division
  • Fractions
  • Place value
  • Addition & subtraction
  • Addition & subtraction
  • Measures/statistics
  • Fractions
  • Place value/division
  • Addition & subtraction
  • Addition & subtraction
  • Measures: Time/Geometry: position & direction
  • Multiplication & division
  • Multiplication & division/fractions
  • Place value/money
  • Addition & subtraction
  • Multiplication & division
  • Measurement/statistics
  • Addition & subtraction/money
  • Place value/sequences
  • Multiplication & division
  • Geometry, statistics & measures
  • Fractions
  • Addition & subtraction
  • Addition & subtraction, multiplication & division

SCIENCE

Light & Shadows

Identifying Plants, water transportation & seed dispersal

Rocks, soils & fossils

Growing Plants

&

HEALTHY ME TOPIC

Eat up!

A study of healthy diet

Skeletons & muscles

Magnets

HISTORY

Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age

A study of: late Neolithic hunter-gatherers and early farmers, Bronze Age technology and travel, Stonehenge; Iron Age hill forts: tribal kingdoms, farming, art and culture

The Roman Empire and its Impact on

Britain

A study of: successful invasion by Claudius and conquest, Hadrian’s Wall; British resistance, Boudicca; ‘Romanisation’ of Britain& the impact of technology, culture & beliefs, including early Christianity

GEOGRAPHY

Geography links to topic

Identifying the continent of Asia and the country of India on a world map, in proximity to Great Britain

Places & their WEATHER

around the world

Describing & understanding key aspects of: human & physical geography, including: climate zones

Geography links to topic

Identifying & locating places of known interest in Britain & abroad where stone age artefacts have been found.

Identifying & locating Australia(links to art).

The U.K & Europe

Locating the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and

understanding some key geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography

Geography links to topic

Identifying Great Britain, Italy & Rome & the reach of the Roman Empire into Europe and beyond

COMPUTING

(Rising Stars: Switched On scheme)

We are Presenters

Videoing Performance

(Shadow puppet show/Bollywood dance)

Creativity

We are meteorologists

(*from year 4)

Presenting the weather Productivity

We are bug fixers

Finding & correcting bugs in programs

Computational Thinking

We are programmers

Programming an animation

Programming

We are network engineers

Exploring computer networks, including the internet

Computer networks

We are communicators

Communicating safely on the internet

Communication/collaboration

MUSIC

(Music Express scheme)

Animal Magic

Exploring descriptive sounds

Play it again

Exploring rhythmic patterns

The class orchestra

Exploring arrangements

Dragon scales

Exploring pentatonic scales

Painting with sound

Exploring sound colours

Salt pepper vinegar mustard

Exploring singing games

P.E.

Dance–Bollywood – links to India

Matalan Cards

Invasion Games

Football

Dance

Outdoor Ad. Activities

Gymnastics

Invasion Games

Netball

Gymnastics

O.A.A

Net/wall Games

Mini Tennis

Striking & Fielding Games

Cricket

Net/wall Games

Badminton

Athletics

PATHS

Establishing a Positive Classroom Environment &

Basic Emotions

Basic Emotions

Improving Self-control, Self-Awareness & Anger Management

Using Our Thinking Skills

Friendship & Getting Along with Others 1

Feelings in Relationships 1

Getting Along with Others 2

Feelings & Expectations

Feelings about School

Feelings in Relationships 2

Endings & Transitions

F.L: SPANISH

(First year of implementation)

All about me & establishing phrases & vocabulary for

classroom routines &objects

Understand and say numbers 0-10.

Meet and establish common letter strings.

Participate in a short exchange greeting someone- asking and saying how you are.

Identify rhyming words in a poem.

Follow simple classroom instructions.

Explore auditory differences between un/una.

Ask for and give name.

Recognise a question form.

Christmas lesson- Nativity play/Letter to the three Kings.

Revision of numbers.

Ask for and state age.

Recognise how accents alter pronunciation.

Colours.

Perform actions to Spanish Song.

Experiment with writing by producing short sentences using verb, adjective and connective.

Names of fruit.

Recognise singular and plural items and how they affect the verb.

Reflect on healthy eating habits.

Easter lesson- Spring time/Weather conditions.

Understand Spanish traditions and customs across the various regions of Spain.

Days of the week.

Join in reading a story.

Match sounds to the written word.

Re-arrange familiar sentences into the correct word order.

Months of the year.

Focus on specific key sounds and letter strings.

Identify social conventions at home and in other cultures.

ART & DESIGN

Art skills linked to D.T. topic

improving mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing

Art from early civilizations

Paint: Cave Painting & Aboriginal art (painting techniques – historical art)

Historical Art

Mosaics: A Study of modern ceramics/ceramicists & Roman mosaics; designing & creating mosaics

DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY

Making Shadow Puppets

Making puppets and a theatre for a Diwali puppet show

Making a Weather Station

Use of recyclable modelling materials to create rain gauges, anemometers and weather vanes

Food Technology

Making Yoghurt &

preparing food we grow

R.E

(Birmingham Agreed Syllabus)

Use of Light symbolism in faith celebrations – culminating in Diwali

Community – Creating Unity & Harmony

Community – Participating & Willing to Lead

Choice – Being Fair & Just

Choice – Being Accountable & Living with Integrity

Commitment – Remembering Roots

Commitment – Being Loyal & Steadfast

Contemplation – Being Open, Honest & Truthful

 

Contemplation – Being Open, Honest & Truthful

Contemplation – Being Silent & Attentive, Cultivating a sense for the Sacred & Transcendence

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