Meerkat Mail - Learning Objectives

The learning objectives for Year 1 during Spring Term 1 revolve around the core text 'Meerkat Mail' by Emily Gravett, which also serves as a gateway to exploring geography. The curriculum integrates learning about seasonal and daily weather patterns in the UK, as well as the locations of hot and cold regions of the world in relation to the Equator, and the North and South Poles. Pupils are expected to produce written outcomes such as a fact file, a postcard, and a retell of the story, offering ample sentence writing opportunities.

In terms of reading, the focus is on comprehension and engagement with the core text and related non-fiction books about Africa, the Kalahari Desert, and meerkats. Objectives include using prior knowledge, interpreting picture clues, identifying key events and characters in a story, and discussing vocabulary. For writing and composition, objectives guide students to articulate and write coherent sentences, understand sentence structure, and use appropriate punctuation. Grammar and vocabulary goals aim to familiarize students with sentence types, capitalization rules, and the use of conjunctions like 'and' to join words or sentences. Through these objectives, children will develop foundational literacy skills and an appreciation for different types of literature.