Junior 1 Yearly Curriculum Overview

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Learning Circle

Body: 

Contemplative Movement: Eurythmy, Bothmar Gymnastic, Charya dance (mudra dance)

Bean bags exercises

Rod exercises

Clapping games

Rhythm games - body percussion

 

Speech:

Speech exercises and recitation: metres and rhythmic poetry, poetry, verses recitation 

Singing and Music: Recorder and lyre (string instrument)

Poetry recitation 

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Mind: 

Mental Maths: fractions and four processes; multiplication table; 

Spelling and grammar

Review and recall

Sharing and news

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During this time and throughout the day the children are nurtured to develop in speaking and listening: the ability to express needs and explain actions.This also includes the ability to obtain information from what is said by adults and peers; Declamation: The ability to recite in company or unsupported. The emphasis is on poems, plays and reciting verses is a daily activity. There is a continuum from "speech" into "singing". 

 

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The Contemplative Circle

The content in our mindfulness (Mind in Body) and contemplative (Abide) curriculum is divided into three areas: 

• awareness and mindfulness, 

• loving kindness and compassion

• developing heart understanding or wisdom with a focus on loving kindness and compassion. 

 

Mind in Body:

A moment of offerings and wonder;

Mindfulness and awareness games 

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Abide:

Focusing on loving kindness and compassion contemplations.

The contemplative circles artistically and through expressive arts explore themes, such as,

loving kindness, compassion, everything in change, interdependence, and awareness. This include opportunities to nurture awe and wonder, and practice appreciation and gratitude to nature and the great mystery. 

 

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Art and Craft

Arts and Crafts Activities

Handwork 

Painting/Drawing 

Clay Modelling

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Main Lesson Learning Themes​​

Harvest Block Themes

Week 1-3:

Geometry/Form Drawing and Cultural Studies through Stories 

 

Introduction to straight and curved lines. Practising forms that will become the capital letters, moving from left to right across the page. ​

Cultural Studies and Literacy: Introduction to 13 consonants using a multi-sensory approach together with stories from around the world.  M..B..P..D..T..L..N..F..H..G..S..R..C.

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Week 4-6:

Numeracy and Nature Studies 

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Exploration of quality of numbers (1-10) through number stories and nature stories

Introducing thethe times tables experientially 

Introduce the roman numerals 1-12.

Begin number journeys with manipulatives. 

 

Autumn Block Theme​

Week 7-8:

Cultural Studies and Literacy

Introducing vowels and writing sentences

Practice spacing, letter size and formation. 

Consonants are like the physical structure of a house while vowels are like the mood or feelings that live within the house. Thus, the vowels are brought from a particular mood (and are often called singing sister sounds) evident in a story. For example, O - has a warm, embracing mood, I - is upright, straight, and strong. Vowels are introduced with their magical ability to change sound depending on their mood, thus bringing the gentler (short) vowel sounds. It is from here that some phonics are touched upon and "sandwich" words or CVC words (consonant, vowel, and consonant sound) are brought, for example, cup and cat.

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Week 9-10:

Just Being and Heritage 

Literacy: Complete introducing the alphabet, and begin writing words along with each letter and short sentences. J..K..Q..V..W..X..Y..Z..

Introduce lowercase letters.  

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Week 11-13:

Maths and Numeracy: The Four Processes and Nature Stories

Introduce the four processes.

Continue work with times tables and manipulatives.

Work with sensory mathematics. 

Develop an understanding of the equal sign. 

Story problems to build sequencing skills to foster independent thought. 

Introduce written horizontal equations. 

Count reliably at least 24 objects, recognising that when rearranged the number of objects stays the same, estimate a number of objects that can be checked by counting;

Compare and order numbers, using the related vocabulary; use the equals (=) sign;

Read and write numerals from 0 to 24 then beyond; use knowledge of place value to position these numbers on a number line;

Say the number that is 1 more or less than any given number, and 10 more or less for multiples of 10;

Use the vocabulary of halves in context

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Winter Block Theme

Week 14-16: 

Cultural Studies and Literacy

Introduce lowercase letters.

Writing sentences. 

Sound Digraphs th, ch, sh, ph, wh, qu

 

Week 17-19:

Jataka tales - Nature Studies and Literacy

Introduce letter blends:

bl, br, cl, cr, dr, dw, fl, fr, gl, gr, pl, pr, sc, scr, sk, sl, sm, sn, sp, spl, spr, squ, st, str, sw, tr, tw, the, shr

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Spring Block Theme

Week 20:

Contemplative Education:

Mind in Body: Awareness and mindfulness games

Abide: wisdom and compassion

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Week 21-23:

Nature Studies, Contemplative Ecology and Sustainability Studies with Literacy

Introduction to common end clusters: id, nd, lk, nk, sk, lp, mp, sp, ct, ft, nt, pt, st, xt, lf, nch, lth

Letter blends continue, writing sentences continues. 

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Spring Block Theme Cont.​

Week 24-26:

Maths: The Four Processes and Goodness

Introducing the four rules/processes using numbers up to 12: addition first, subtraction, multiplication and division. This study is done through imaginative pictures and stories. 

 

Introduce odd and even numbers;

Counting forward and backwards;

Problem solving exercises with the four processes. 

Derive and recall all pairs of numbers with a total of 10 and addition facts for total to at least 5 and work out the corresponding subtraction facts;

Count on or back in ones, twos, fives, and ten and use this knowledge to derive the multiples of 2, 5 and 10 to the tenth multiple;

Recall the doubles of all numbers to at least 10;

Relate addition to counting on;

Recognise that addition can be done in any order;

Use practical and informal written methods to support the addition of a one digit number or a multiple of 10 to a one digit or two digit numbers;

Solve practical problems that involve combining groups of 2, 5 or 10, or sharing into equal groups;

Counting to 110, develop familiarity counting backwards. 

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Week 27-28:

Heritage Learning  and Literacy

Discriminate, spell, write and read the common spelling patterns for the  vowels digraphs (part o long vowel: ee, ea, oo,ou, oa,

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Summer Block Theme

Week 29:

Just Being Compassionate week (Contemplative education and universal ethics) 

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Week 30-31:

Maths and innate-goodness

Mental maths with the four processes. 

Solve problems involving counting, adding, subtracting, doubling, halving in the context of numbers working with number 12.

Count up to 110 objects by grouping them and counting in tens, fives and twos; explain what each digit in a two digit number represents including numbers where 0 is a placeholder; partition two-digit numbers in different ways, including into multiples of 10 and 1. 

Order two-digit numbers and position them on a number line; use the greater that and less than signs. 

 

Week 32:

Heritage Learning linked with Nature studies and Contemplative Ecology (Sustainability Studies) and literacy - writing practice continues​​​​​​​​

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