Key Stage 1 support

What is Key Stage 1?

Key Stage 1 classes are for children in years 1 and 2 of their primary school education. Most children in Key Stage 1 are aged between five and seven years and most will have moved into Year 1 from a Foundation Stage or Reception class.

Usually children start Key Stage 1 having followed the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. This will have helped them to develop a variety of skills, preparing them for the transition to Key Stage 1.

Most children will already be able to read and write simple sentences and decode words. They will form most of their letters correctly. They will have begun to write, order and count numbers to 20 and to add and subtract one-digit numbers.

Main aims

One of the main aims of Key Stage 1 is to ensure a smooth transition from the EYFS curriculum: this will ensure that children feel safe in their new learning environment. Key Stage 1 timetables are more structured than in the EYFS. Learning through play is replaced with a more formal routine - both in specific lessons and in the school day more generally.

There is more whole-class teaching, where children are involved by answering questions and sharing their thoughts and opinions. Children are expected to sit at their desks for longer periods of time when completing their work and other activities.

During years 1 and 2, children are expected to become more independent, both socially and academically. They are expected to dress themselves for PE sessions and to look after their belongings in and around school. They are taught to develop a 'have a go' attitude and are expected to work independently during some activities. This enables them to take ownership of their learning and pride in their accomplishments.

In Key Stage 1, children are taught a variety of subjects, as set out in the National Curriculum. Your child will be taught a range of skills, which will be linked to different subject areas. These skills may be taught through your child's class or school topics. Information and communication technology (ICT) is a core subject and is used in a variety of ways throughout the curriculum, often being used as a tool to develop two subject skills at the same time: for example, researching famous people in history whilst also learning to use online resources.

Throughout Key Stage 1, children are learning the basic skills they need in order to become good learners. These include organisational skills, independence, cooperation and many others - all of which they will continue to build on throughout their education. They are also given opportunities to develop their own interests.

Starting Key Stage 1

During years 1 and 2, your child will develop confidence in a range of subjects. There are many simple ways in which you can provide support - both at the start of Key Stage 1 and throughout both years.

Reading

• Listen to your child read as often as possible.
• Read a range of texts - stories, poems, information books, magazines, posters and comics.
• Listen to story CDs on car journeys.
• Ask your child questions about books: for example, 'Who are the main characters?', 'What do you think will happen next?' This encourages and develops the child's understanding of the text. Discuss illustrations as well, as these too develop comprehension skills.
• Take your child to the library or bookshop to choose new books.
• Make simple puppets for your child to use in retelling a favourite story.

Spelling and handwriting

• Ask your child to write shopping lists, birthday cards and thank-you notes.
• Encourage your child to write out the recipe for a dish you have made together or instructions for looking after a family pet.
• Play word games. For example: write a list of letters and use scrabble pieces to make as many words as possible from those letters only; or find the word within a word (such as the word 'hop' in 'shop').
• Practise spelling rules set as homework - again, through word games. For example: write a spelling word but miss out some letters, then ask your child to fill in the blanks.

Mathematics

• Encourage your child to count: pennies, buttons, pasta shapes, trees, cars, building bricks, sweets and apples, for example.
• Set mini-tasks at the supermarket (for example, 'Put six carrots in a bag').
• Play board games (for example, Snakes and Ladders), which develop counting skills.
• Practise odds and evens by guessing next-door numbers on your street.
• Give your child a jar of coins to sort according to their value.
• Use 2p, 5p and 10p coins to support learning the times tables.
• Practise fractions by cutting pizzas, cakes or sandwiches into halves and quarters.
• Practise telling the time.
• When you are cooking, ask your child help to measure the ingredients. Practise doubling and halving the quantities.

Topics

• Visit a local attraction that links to what your child is learning in school.
• Encourage your child to use books and the internet to research topics for school. Help the child to create a poster, picture or booklet with the findings.

What your child will be learning

Mathematics

In maths, your child will take part in practical tasks and discussions about mathematical problems. He or she will be taught to use reasoning skills to consider and solve these problems. Your child will be encouraged to communicate his or her thinking and results using objects, pictures, diagrams, words, numbers and symbols. He or she will begin to do mental arithmetic, by imagining numbers and the relationships between them.

In Key Stage 1 children learn to read, write and count numbers beyond 100, recognise number sequences and patterns and become familiar with multiples of 2, 5 and 10. They identify tens and units and know their number bonds to 10 and 20. They learn how to double and halve numbers and understand odd and even numbers.

Children are taught all four number operations: addition as 'adding'; subtraction as 'taking away' or 'finding the difference'; multiplication as repeated addition; division as grouping or repeated subtraction. Children then use these skills to solve number problems, which often involve money or units of measurement.

Children learn the names, features and properties of common 2-D and 3-D shapes. They recognise lines of symmetry in familiar 2-D shapes and identify right angles. They recognise positions, directions and movements and combine them in simple ways, such as giving instructions to get to the playground.

Children are taught to estimate size, length and width of objects and will become familiar with both non-standard and standard units of length (cm, m), weight (g, kg) and capacity (ml, L). They also become familiar with standard units of time.

They collect, sort and present data in a range of simple charts and graphs, and explain their results.

English

During Key Stage 1, children develop skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. English lessons encourage them to express themselves clearly and creatively, through written work and verbally.

Your child will be taught a range of strategies that help with reading. At this stage, children learn to use their understanding of the alphabet and letter sounds to decipher unfamiliar or tricky words. They learn to read a range of high-frequency words and develop fluency and expression when reading aloud. They identify rhymes, patterns and sounds in poems and stories. Children develop comprehension skills when identifying characters, events and settings. They decipher unfamiliar words, confirming or checking their meaning. They begin to develop their understanding of fiction, including poetry and playscripts. They learn to use contents pages, glossaries and captions in non-fiction texts.

Your child will learn to recognise and use simple spelling patterns, write common letter strings and spell common words. The child's knowledge of phonics and word families will help him or her to spell unfamiliar words. Your child will also learn to check spellings using word banks and dictionaries.

Children develop their writing skills by writing for different purposes. They learn how to structure their writing, putting their ideas into sentences. They use a range of vocabulary and learn to plan and review their work. Children learn that punctuation is an aid to understanding. They use capital letters, full stops and question marks and begin to use commas. They know how to hold writing tools and form letters of regular size and shape. They learn how to join letters correctly and understand the importance of clear handwriting.

Science

Every child has natural curiosity. In science lessons, children work together to answer scientific questions - using tests and comparisons, for example. They learn the importance of collecting evidence and making observations and they recognise unfair tests. They find out more about scientific ideas through research.

Children learn about life processes and understand differences between living things and things that have never been alive. They learn that animals, including humans, move, grow, feed, use their senses and reproduce. They recognise and compare the main external body parts, both human and animal. They understand why exercise and healthy eating are important. They learn about the best conditions for the growth of plants and can name the parts of a flowering plant. They compare local environments and observe the different types of plants and animals living in different habitats.

They sort, name and investigate the properties of different materials (wood, paper, rock, plastic, glass and wool). They explore the ways in which some everyday materials change when heated or cooled.

They make simple circuits and recognise appliances that use electricity. They identify different light sources and understand that darkness is an absence of light. Children learn that sound travels away from a source, getting quieter the further away it gets. They understand that sounds are heard when they reach the ear.

Homework

Children are given homework to reinforce learning. Encourage and support your child with his or her homework and provide any resources needed. Listen to your child reading, and regularly test your child's spelling. A clear routine when your child arrives home from school will enable him or her to complete any homework easily. Most children need a snack after school: if homework is done immediately following this, children then have time to relax and play.