Dear parents,

You will receive an email from your class teacher today with suggested activities and opportunities for learning while the school is closed.

As a green school we are not sending home worksheets however children will bring home a copy and can engage with the suggested learning opportunities using what they have at home.  We are aware that not every parent will not be in a position to work one to one with their child therefore the learning we are suggesting can be done independently in many cases or is a suggestion of activities and games that the whole family can get involved with, if you’re in a position to do so. There is no pressure for this work/these activities to be completed.  We are aware that this is a very unusual event and it is important that we all follow the guidelines related to social distancing outline in the Departments statement to best protect those most vulnerable in our society.  We will update you as we are given more guidance. We hope that you all remain healthy and well,

Le meas,

Sorcha (Deputy Principal)

Here are some of the ideas we are suggesting. Please feel free to pick and choose from the list, we hope that it is helpful. I’ve laid it out by class grouping but you might like to look at some of the other age groups if it suits your child better.

Junior Infants

Literacy:

Listen to an audio book

Read a book/story with a grown up:

  • Talk about what happened first/next/last
  • Draw a picture of what happened first/next/last
  • Draw a picture of your favourite character in the story
  • Draw a picture a different ending to the story

Free Writing:

  • Write/draw about your day
  • Write/draw a story of your own
  • Write/draw about your favourite film
  • Write/draw a list
  • Write/draw a postcard
  • Write/draw about Spring time
  • Write/draw about your friends, your family, your home, your school

Oral Language:

  • Play I spy
  • Play Simon Says 
  • Play Name 3 things (ie name 3 things you could find in the fridge, in the car, in a playground etc)
  • Play out one out – say three words, two rhyme and one doesn’t, the child must identify the non rhyming word
  • Say nursery rhymes together, then try changing a word, child claps when they hear the wrong word.
  • Retell a favourite story
  • Find three objects in the house and use them as props to tell a story

Maths:

  • Go on a shape treasure hunt
  • Measure objects in your house using available non standard units (you could use coins/clothes pegs/paper clips etc). Estimate how many long it is first (a good guess) then check.
  • Sort collections of things (for example sort out the cutlery drawer)
  • Make a colour book – on each page paste in or draw items for each colour (could be cut from magazines/newspaper or drawn using crayons)
  • Practise writing your numbers 1 -5. Ask a grown up to write them first you can do it the correct way.
  • Make up a number story (I went to the shop and I bought 2 pears and 3 apples, how many pieces of fruit did I buy?)
  • Use a weighing scales and have fun weighing different objects. See what’s heavier/lighter.
  • Make a play shop and buy things using real coins or make paper coins and use them. Write prices and give change (at this age children could use 1c, 2c and 5c coins)
  • Play with lego, blocks or other construction toys. Draw a picture (model) of what you make. 
  • Make jigsaws.
  • Play snakes and ladders or other counting games.

Arts:

  • Draw a portrait of a member of your family
  • Draw the view from one of your windows
  • Design a new mode of transport
  • Design a new home
  • Draw a picture of your favourite fairy tale
  • Make a poster for a film you love
  • Try to find some found objects and do some printing
  • Make a card (birthday card, thank you card)
  • Listen to your favourite band/artist
  • Listen to your parent’s favourite band/artist
  • Listen to music by an Irish band/artist
  • Sing your favourite songs and nursery rhymes
  • Draw a picture of your favourite song
  • Use “junk materials” to construct something
  • Draw a map

 

 Senior Infants – 1st Class

Literacy:

Listen to an audio book

Read a book/story:

  • Write a book/story review
  • Write about the main character
  • Think of three words to describe the main character
  • Draw a picture of your favourite part
  • Write an alternative ending
  • Make a comic of the story/book
  • Design a cover
  • Make a mask of your favourite character
  • Make puppets to help retell the story.

Reading/Phonics/Spellings:

  • Write down the alphabet (in cursive) and try to find an object in the house to match each letter (ie A apron, B box etc)
  • Write down the alphabet (in cursive) and draw a picture for each letter
  • Write down the alphabet (in cursive) and write a word to go with each letter
  • Retell nursery rhymes and identify rhyming words, think of additional rhyming words to match the rhymes

Free Writing:

  • Write/draw about your day
  • Write/draw a story of your own
  • Write/draw about your favourite film
  • Write/draw a list
  • Write/draw a postcard
  • Write/draw about Spring time
  • Write/draw about your friends, your family, your home, your school
  • Write a letter to your favourite book character. 
  • Write a letter to a family member.

Oral Language:

  • Play I spy
  • Play Simon Says 
  • Play Name 3 things (ie name 3 things you could find in the fridge, in the car, in a playground etc)
  • Play out one out – say three words, two rhyme and one doesn’t, the child must identify the non rhyming word
  • Say nursery rhymes together, then try changing a word, child claps when they hear the wrong word.
  • Retell a favourite story
  • Find three objects in the house and use them as props to tell a story

 

Gaeilge

  • AGAM – As gaeilge ar maidin – try speaking in Irish only at breakfast time
  • RAAG – Random Acts as gaeilge – compliment someone as gaeilge
  • Read a book as gaeilge
  • Watch some cartoons as gaeilge, and discuss afterwards

  

Maths

  • Go on a shape treasure hunt. What 2D or 3D shapes can you find. Can you draw and label them? 
  • Play with lego, blocks or other construction toys. Draw a picture (model) of what you make. 
  • Measure objects in your house using available non standard units (you could use coins/clothes pegs/paper clips etc). Estimate how many long it is first (a good guess) then check.
  • Make a colour book – on each page paste in or draw items for each colour (could be cut from magazines/newspaper or drawn using crayons) Write the names of the colours.
  • Practise writing your numbers. Ask a grown up to write them first you can do it the correct way.
  • Make up a number story and write it down.
  • Use a weighing scales and have fun weighing different objects. See what’s heavier/lighter.
  • Make a play shop and buy things using real coins or make paper coins and use them. Write prices and give change. Write a list and calculate how much everything will cost.
  • Make patterns using found objects in the house. Record your pattern on paper afterwards.
  • Do a survey – find out what everyone’s favourite colour is/favourite animal/favourite food. Draw a graph or record the results as best you can. (A pictogram or a bar graph is an easy one to do)
  • Play snakes and ladders or other counting games. If you don’t have a snakes and ladders board at home can you design one? Can you construct a dice?  What other counting games could you make/design? 

 

Arts:

  • Draw a portrait of a member of your family
  • Draw the view from one of your windows
  • Design a new mode of transport
  • Design a new home
  • Make a poster for a film you love
  • Try to find some found objects and do some printing
  • Design a repeat pattern and make wrapping paper
  • Make a card (birthday card, thank you card)
  • Create a drawing without taking your hand off the page (one single line)
  • Listen to your favourite band/artist
  • Listen to your parent’s favourite band/artist
  • Listen to music by an Irish band/artist
  • Sing your favourite songs
  • Write out the lyrics of your favourite song and illustrate it.
  • Use “junk materials” to construct something
  • Design a stained glass window
  • Try out some calligraphy writing
  • Do a pen drawing
  • Use light and dark shading to draw an object from observation
  • Copy a photograph
  • Make a comic characters of your family.
  • Draw a detailed map

 

2nd Class to 6th Class

Literacy:

Read a book/story:

  • Write a book/story review
  • Write a character sketch
  • Write an alternative ending
  • Make a comic of the story/book
  • Design a cover
  • Write a blurb for the book
  • Write a sequel to the story
  • Draw your favourite scene/part of the story
  • Draw a map based on the story
  • Write a diary extract by one of the characters
  • Find any tricky spellings in the book/story and write them in a sentence
  • Look up any words you don’t know and put them in your personal dictionary
  • Write a play/drama of the story
  • Listen to an audio book.

 

Writing ideas:

  • Write a poem
  • Write a joke and illustrate it
  • Write instructions 
    • How to make a sandwich
    • How to brush your teeth
    • How to make a pancake
    • How to send an email
  • Write a letter to a friend
  • Write a postcard from a hot and sunny holiday destination, design the postcard
  • Write a diary 
  • Write a fictional story
  • Write about yourself
  • Write about your favourite animal/food/country/season.
  • Write about your favourite holiday/film/sport
  • Write your full name and use the letters to make/spell as many words as you can

 

Oral Language:

  • Play Simon Says or Deir Ó Grádaigh (Simon says in Irish)
  • Play battle ship
  • Talk about a film/programme you saw together
  • Have a debate (
  • Explain why you would recommend a book/film/piece of music
  • Play games like Headbanz, guess who, charades, categories, pictionary etc
  • Tell stories, collaborate on a story
  • Mystery character. Find some objects in the house and create a character based on them.
  • Do any of the above As Gaeilge!

 

Arts:

  • Draw a portrait of a member of your family
  • Draw the view from one of your windows
  • Design a new mode of transport
  • Design a new home
  • Make a poster for a film you love
  • Try to find some found objects and do some printing
  • Design a repeat pattern and make wrapping paper
  • Make a card (birthday card, thank you card)
  • Create a drawing without taking your hand off the page (one single line)
  • Listen to your favourite band/artist
  • Listen to your parent’s favourite band/artist
  • Listen to music by an Irish band/artist
  • Sing your favourite songs
  • Write out the lyrics of your favourite song and illustrate it.
  • Use “junk materials” to construct something
  • Design a stained glass window
  • Try out some calligraphy writing
  • Do a pen drawing
  • Use light and dark shading to draw an object from observation
  • Copy a photograph
  • Make a comic characters of your family.
  • Draw a detailed map

 

Project work (across the curriculum):

  • Do a project on a family member: write a list of questions to ask them, conduct an interview (in person or on the phone) use drawings/photos, write facts about the person.
  • Do a project on your favourite animal.
  • Do a project about your local area – draw a map, draw or find photos of interesting buildings/public spaces, famous people from the area, animal and plant habitats, local names in Irish and what they mean etc
  • Do a project about your favourite visual artist  or author.
  • Do a simple science experiment and write about it/record your findings.
  • Create an advertising campaign to sell a product.  The product can be real or imaginary.
  • Autobiographies: write the story of your life.
  • Biographies: write the life story of someone else.  It could be a friend, family member, historical figure, or a fictional character.
  • Brochures: brochures can be made as either tri-fold or bi-folds. Students can create informational brochure’s about geographic locations, a story’s setting, or a natural event such as how a volcano erupting or how the food chain works
  • Casting Calls: select people (fictional, famous, or otherwise) to play the role in a movie version of story or historic event.  Explain which character traits were considered in each selection.
  • Coat of Arms: create a family coat of arms for a character from a novel or a person from history.
  • Crossword Puzzles: create a crossword puzzle to review definitions of challenging vocabulary words.  Great for science, social studies, reading, and even math terms.
  • Fables: create fables that teach a lesson.  Students may create illustrated story boards of their original fables or even dramatic adaptations which they then perform.  A good character building activity.
  • Flags: create a flag representing either an actual county (like Libya)  or fictitious place (like Narnia). This project should be accompanied by a brief report explaining what ideas the colors and images on the flags represent.
  • Hieroglyphics: create pictures that represent vocabulary words.  Alternately, students could retell the events of a story or historical episode in simple pictures.
  • ID Badges: create identification cards for characters from a work of literature or for people involved in an historical event.  Include relevant details on the badges.
  • Illustrated Quotes: Have students choose a meaningful quote from a text that they are reading.  They should explain why the quote interests them and then write the quote on a blank sheet of paper and draw related images.
  • Movie Adaptations: plan a movie version of a novel, scientific discovery, or historical event.  Pick who will play what role, plan scenes, write dialog, even create a soundtrack.