First day of supply teaching - year 1

Hi there,

Am new to this site. Am an NQT and finally have my first day of supply teaching this thurs (19th Jan) with a year 1 class. Never taught year 1 before. Does anyone have any good activites I can do with them or suggestions for time fillers?

HELP!
Emma.

[NuttySupplier]

Hi Emma... do you know if there will be plans left for you for the actual lessons?

Try stuff you're comfortable with, like from your training, no point trying new stuff out on your first day!

I've only done a little supply in KS1, but I know for a fact I didn't have time to stand still, let alone need to come up with time fillers!

I think in the section 'Fail Safes and Fillers' (or something to that effect), Clarabelle has suggested songs... that's what I did too once, only I got them to sing to me, songs that they already knew, coz I didn't know any!

Also, read them a story, a traditional one, get yourself a good old-fashioned book of tales. They have all the hallmarks of good stories that the Gvt look for in their SATs, beginning, middle, end sort of stuff!

I'm sure you won't need to worry though! Just have fun!

[jogr8]

Year one are lovely. I did the majority of my training with year 1 but unfortunately don't get much supply work with that year.
Just remember they are still fairly 'new' year ones (ie more like reception!)



Try to keep any activities you do quite practical.

Try to minimise the amount of writing involved - maybe simple sequencing of events, poorer ability can always cut and stick pics and sentences in correct order
(I did a day of supply in year 1 on Friday, the teacher left the plans for me which was good but the children had a piece of writing to do, I worked with the low ability group and had to write down the sentences that they suggested and they
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ied them down - just
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ying writing was difficult for them. The others worked independently and at the end of the day I had to mark their work - I'd say about 90% of the work was illegible - its so funny when you ask them to read what they have written too. There will be about 2 illegible words on the page and the child will tell you it says " once upon a time red riding hood went to her grans, the wolf ......)

If you do write instructions/make worksheets, remember that some of the children will not be able to understand what is written on the sheet.

It is nearly always impossible to just work with one group of children. They tend to keep coming to ask you how to spell words or ask what they are supposed to be doing. I put a whiteboard on each table for them to bring to me if they are really stuck on spelling a word but try and encourage them to sound the word out and use independent strategies.
If you do work with one particular group make sure the task the others are working on is something straight forward that they can work on independently.

They can't sit still for very long - Don't spend ages with them sat listening to you on the carpet. If they are on the carpet for a while try brain
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/practical activities that allow them to move/talk (e.g talking partners)

They seem to have the memory of a gold
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- any insructions you give them for work are usually forgotten by the time they return to their seats. Maybe try and get them to tell their partner what they are doing today and then choose a child to tell the class, then you can explain to them again once they have returned to their seats.

Maybe find or make some simple board games for numeracy or even
cards for pairs - I did this for most units e.g matching time to the correct clock, matching the sum to the correct answer, matching tens and units to the correct two digit number

You could perhaps find interactive games on the computer in case the classroom has some pc's.

They love listening to stories - I always save it as a treat at the end of the day.
For literacy I always try to find a nice big book that you can relate all sorts of activities too
I am the bear series - I think they are by Shirley Hughes (This is the bear, This is the bear and the picnic lunch ....) - I have got the children to make a lost poster - they draw and describe their favourite teddy. We also designed a picnic menu. The books have lots of rhyming words so I covered words up in the book for the children to work out. There were speech bubbles in the books too so children thought of their own
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s for what the characters were saying and wrote their own speech bubbles.
Jill Murphy books are nice too - Peace at last is great - I used this in music and children created the sound effects for the story using different instruments. Also useful for sequencing events in a story.
Whatever next is a nice fantasy world story - I got the children to design a postcard from teddy with a picture of what it was like on the mood and some simple sentences to describe what he had done on the moon.

They are really helpful children and will go out of their way to help you and love doing jobs for you. I find thet there are lots of petty arguements amongst them though and you hear alot of "I'm going to tell Miss"

Sorry babbled on for ages but hope it has helped.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll love it. Let us know how you get on x

[jogr8]

Year one are lovely. I did the majority of my training with year 1 but unfortunately don't get much supply work with that year.
Just remember they are still fairly 'new' year ones (ie more like reception!)



Try to keep any activities you do quite practical.

Try to minimise the amount of writing involved - maybe simple sequencing of events, poorer ability can always cut and stick pics and sentences in correct order
(I did a day of supply in year 1 on Friday, the teacher left the plans for me which was good but the children had a piece of writing to do, I worked with the low ability group and had to write down the sentences that they suggested and they
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
ied them down - just
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
ying writing was difficult for them. The others worked independently and at the end of the day I had to mark their work - I'd say about 90% of the work was illegible - its so funny when you ask them to read what they have written too. There will be about 2 illegible words on the page and the child will tell you it says " once upon a time red riding hood went to her grans, the wolf ......)

If you do write instructions/make worksheets, remember that some of the children will not be able to understand what is written on the sheet.

It is nearly always impossible to just work with one group of children. They tend to keep coming to ask you how to spell words or ask what they are supposed to be doing. I put a whiteboard on each table for them to bring to me if they are really stuck on spelling a word but try and encourage them to sound the word out and use independent strategies.
If you do work with one particular group make sure the task the others are working on is something straight forward that they can work on independently.

They can't sit still for very long - Don't spend ages with them sat listening to you on the carpet. If they are on the carpet for a while try brain
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
/practical activities that allow them to move/talk (e.g talking partners)

They seem to have the memory of a gold
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
- any insructions you give them for work are usually forgotten by the time they return to their seats. Maybe try and get them to tell their partner what they are doing today and then choose a child to tell the class, then you can explain to them again once they have returned to their seats.

Maybe find or make some simple board games for numeracy or even
cards for pairs - I did this for most units e.g matching time to the correct clock, matching the sum to the correct answer, matching tens and units to the correct two digit number

You could perhaps find interactive games on the computer in case the classroom has some pc's.

They love listening to stories - I always save it as a treat at the end of the day.
For literacy I always try to find a nice big book that you can relate all sorts of activities too
I am the bear series - I think they are by Shirley Hughes (This is the bear, This is the bear and the picnic lunch ....) - I have got the children to make a lost poster - they draw and describe their favourite teddy. We also designed a picnic menu. The books have lots of rhyming words so I covered words up in the book for the children to work out. There were speech bubbles in the books too so children thought of their own
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
s for what the characters were saying and wrote their own speech bubbles.
Jill Murphy books are nice too - Peace at last is great - I used this in music and children created the sound effects for the story using different instruments. Also useful for sequencing events in a story.
Whatever next is a nice fantasy world story - I got the children to design a postcard from teddy with a picture of what it was like on the mood and some simple sentences to describe what he had done on the moon.

They are really helpful children and will go out of their way to help you and love doing jobs for you. I find thet there are lots of petty arguements amongst them though and you hear alot of "I'm going to tell Miss"

Sorry babbled on for ages but hope it has helped.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll love it. Let us know how you get on x

[clarabelle]

Wow jogr8! I think you said it all! Very impressed!
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I do one day a week in a small Year 1 class. I have a TA which is great and a student too! Tell them exactly what group you want them to work with and then you reduced the number of "sheep" following you around!

In the morning I do ERR (phonics), Literacy and Numeracy (what ever's planned) and then the afternoon's are pretty much activities (e.g. art - cutting and pasting,
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ing, Topic work - e.g. kids are doing Barbaby Bear so I planned some activities for that). If a child finishes their activity well enough they can have some "choosing time" which is basically construction on the carpet, writing on white boards, home corner etc. If the hall's free I tend to take them in for games (just shoes and socks off) or playing with the parachute (if the school has one - mine has two!). I agree with storytime at the end - love Jill Murphy, Revolting Rhymes (although not all kids get it!), picture big book etc.

Kids love action songs, jumping whilst counting in 2's, number rhymes, simon says, I spy.

[jogr8]

Apologies for the double post - it's happened before too. Think I press the back button too much....

[NuttySupplier]

It's all sounding soo sweet in Y1! Jumping whilst counting in 2s, couldn't see my ASBO-yielding Year 6s falling for that one!

[purple]

i like teaching year 1, the work they do is so simple you can make your own stuff on the spot. only thing is they do seem to whinge and sulk a lot.

[clarabelle]

I can put up with whinging and
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ing in year 1 definitely. It's rude kids in year 6 I can't be dealing with!

[Footiegirl]

Yes, much prefer year 1 over year 6! Give me key stage one any day!

Hope your day goes well, let us know how you get on.