Check it! - Seasonal Change - Year 1

Understanding the changing seasons is a key part of the Year 1 curriculum, and it is important to ensure that children have regular opportunities to review what they have learned about this topic. To aid in the retention and reinforcement of knowledge, several strategies can be employed. These might include a 'Brain dump', where children spill all they know onto paper, or the 'Give me FIVE!' technique, which prompts them to list five related points. Other methods such as adding to a mind map, expanding on what they know, and using retrieval pyramids can also be effective in helping children to consolidate their understanding of how seasons change throughout the year.

When checking understanding about each season, children could be asked to list five things associated with autumn, or to come up with five facts about winter. This exercise encourages them to recall specific characteristics and details about these seasons. Additionally, expanding and elaborating on simple statements can deepen their comprehension. For example, they might take the statement "It's very cold in winter" and elaborate on what that means in terms of daily life, clothing, and activities. Similarly, they could expand on the idea that "We usually have many hours of sunshine in the summer" by discussing how this influences the environment and their own experiences during the summer months.