OAKLEIGH SOUTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

It’s so much fun in Year 1!

With their first year of primary school under their belt, Year 1 is a super exciting year for each student’s academic, social and emotional growth. Our teachers use engaging, hands-on activities to make learning fun and meaningful. Students are exposed to a rich learning environment centred around daily literacy and numeracy exercises.

Reading

Each morning, students are welcomed into the classroom to begin their morning reading routine, followed by scaffolded reading group sessions throughout the week. We celebrate many different genres through whole class, small group and individually read texts. Similar to Prep, we have Year 1 word lists that students work their way through. We are committed to developing students’ comprehension skills, in addition to their reading fluency and decoding strategies, because the most important part of reading is understanding. We use valuable resources such as Reading Eggs (also used at home), Yellow Box and Springboard into Comprehension.

Writing

Throughout the year we explore a range of different text types including recounts, narratives, information reports, procedures and persuasive writing. Students participate in weekly handwriting lessons that focus on developing strong habits, using the Victorian Modern Cursive font. Across all writing sessions we use the VCOP writing approach which aims to develop students’ use of vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation. Each week we have a spelling pattern focus, taken from the ‘SMART Spelling’ approach.

Mathematics

Daily Maths sessions allow students to develop various concepts across the areas of Number, Algebra, Measurement, Space and Statistics. We spend time investigating and manipulating concrete materials, e.g. counters, dice, unifix blocks, MAB (base ten blocks), to help students develop strong understandings. To support their mathematical thinking and reasoning, we hold regular ‘Number Talks’ which encourage students to verbalise their strategies and build on their mathematical vocabulary. Students regularly access computer programs such as Maths Invaders and Mathletics (also used at home) to complement their classroom learning.

Integrated Studies

Year 1 students are involved in a variety of fun and insightful integrated topics spread over the year. These include ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ (rules, values, friendship), ‘Time After Time’ (comparing past and present), ‘Flash, Bang, Fizz’ (chemical/biological/space sciences), ‘Creative Arcade’ (physical sciences, Design Thinking), ‘Around the World’ (the seven continents) and ‘My Island Home’ (Australia/First Nations culture).

Wellbeing

We continue to work through The Resilience Project’s Education Program to support students’ social and emotional development in the classroom, playground and at home. Teachers work closely with students to build strong relationships and model essential skills like empathy, cooperation and resilience. We hold fortnightly year level assemblies to celebrate achievements, hand out special certificates and foster connectedness across our cohort. Our assemblies alternate with our Year 1 Fitness program to develop students’ Fundamental Motor Skills. Across the year, students get the chance to catch up with their senior school buddies who are now in Year 5.

ICT

Students have access to a fully equipped computer lab in the Year 1 wing, to develop their capabilities with Microsoft Office programs such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Students build their ICT skills by using the intranet to access computer programs such as Mathletics, Reading Eggs and Typing Club. They also have access to iPads and computers within the classroom setting. With technology becoming such a pivotal part of our everyday lives, students participate in cyber safety lessons to ensure they can become safe and responsible digital citizens.

Specialist Subjects

Students have weekly Japanese, PE, Music, Art and STEM lessons. Our terrific specialist teachers provide students with specific and engaging activities, often relevant to the integrated studies topics being taught in classrooms.

Special Events and Activities in Year 1

In addition to all of the fun whole-school days we celebrate here at OSPS, in Year 1 we also have Grandparent’s Day, Easter Hat Parade, swimming program, our community partnership with Blue Cross Aged Care, incursions and excursions aligned with our integrated units and transition sessions to Year 2.