Term 3 Week 2
Reading in Owls Class – National Year of Reading 2026
This year -2026- marks the National Year of Reading, and in Owls Class, reading fluency is a regular and important part of our week.
Every Monday, we focus on a reading fluency lesson using our class novel 'Felicity Fireand The Fovever Key'. During these sessions, I read aloud first, modelling expression, intonation and prosody, and the children then echo and repeat the text back. This approach, known as echo reading, helps children develop confidence, accuracy and a strong sense of what fluent reading sounds like.
The children use reading sticks to track the text carefully as they read. This supports focus and ensures that all pupils stay engaged with the text. These sessions are calm, purposeful and highly focused, with children listening attentively and supporting one another as readers.
This is what reading fluency looks like in Owls Class.
Maths – Factors and Arrays
In maths, the children have been learning about factors and factor pairs, which is a new concept for our Year 3 and 4 learners.
We used a practical, hands-on approach, allowing pupils to explore numbers using arrays and counters. This helped them see how numbers can be arranged in different ways and supported them in identifying factor pairs more confidently.
A key focus was understanding and using the correct mathematical vocabulary:
Factors are numbers that multiply to make another number
Factor pairs are two numbers that multiply together
The product is the answer to a multiplication
This visual and practical approach supported understanding, encouraged discussion and helped the children explain their thinking clearly.
In addition to this, we have been focusing on NRICH maths investigations, and this week teh children engaged in the Let Us Divide! activity. These investigations encouraged pupils to reason, problem-solve and represent their thinking in different ways using objects, pictures, numbers and words. Children worked collaboratively, discussed strategies and explained their thinking clearly. Maths investigations are an important part of our curriculum as they help pupils deepen understanding, make connections and see maths as something to explore, not just calculate
Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check
The Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check will be taking place later this year. Pupils’ login details for Times Tables Rock Stars (TTRS) have already been set up and shared.
In school, children are given daily time to practise their times tables using TTRS, helping to build speed, accuracy and confidence. In addition to this, pupils will complete a short times tables check every Friday.
We would also encourage regular practice at home to further support progress.
English – Character Description Writing
In English, the children began writing a character description of Thomas Snoop, using the inferences they had drawn in the previous lesson. They focused on selecting accurate and ambitious vocabulary to describe his appearance, personality and behaviour, making sure their ideas were supported by evidence from the text. The children planned carefully, discussed word choices and began shaping their writing with a clear focus on precision and detail. We look forward to sharing some examples of their writing with parents in next week’s class blog.
PE – Cricket Coaching
We were very fortunate to take part in a cricket coaching session with Owls Class, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The children worked on key cricket skills such as throwing, catching, bowling and coordination, taking part in a range of structured activities and games. They showed great enthusiasm, teamwork and resilience throughout the session and represented the class brilliantly.