The Learning Curve

In Winter the weather is cold and in Spring the swallows return from Africa.  This is obvious for adults, but how do children grasp this idea of time passing and the cycle of Seasons ? They recognise from an early age the change of the Seasons, but the notion of the cycle of the Seasons, months, weeks and days is acquired little by little. It is important that children develop their understanding of this cycle in their daily life and at school, through games, songs, stories and craft activities. Year 1 assembly (assisted by some students from Year 3) showed their work in English and French.

The purpose of teaching the notions of time and seasons in a foreign language is to develop students' linguistic skills in a concrete and relevant communication situation, which enhances their motivation to learn the language in a pragmatic and fun way. It is also an opportunity to discover the culture and traditions of a country, for example by taking an interest in the celebrations associated with each season, such as Carnival, Easter, etc…

Over the next few weeks in their science lessons, the children are looking in more detail at the weather and keeping a daily record of weather patterns and temperatures.  We took advantage of the very windy day we had last week, and took this opportunity to make kites and fly them outside!  They have made rainfall gauges and are checking every day to see how much rainfall we have had. The children are keen to learn about extreme weather conditions and how weather affects humans and animals.

Lara Scott, French teacher
Florence Paris, French teacher
Carys Coverdale, Year 1 teacher and Key Stage Lead 1+