Category: Reception Blog

This week we will be focusing on the book ‘Aliens Love Underpants’. The children will be hearing the story, will be talking about the plot and will do a series of activities across the week linked to the text. Talk to your child about the story and see if they can retell it to you and talk about their favourite part. If they are enjoying the story, there is a wide variety of ‘Aliens love . . . . ‘ books. Maybe you could visit the library and look for the books to enjoy together or you could find copies of the stories online to enjoy with your child. We have attached a few links for other Aliens love stories.

The children have been working in their phonics groups now for several weeks. Next week they will be having their next assessment to see if they are ready to move into the next colour group. They will be assessed on the sounds they have been taught as well as segmenting words to read. Continue to hear your child read every night and go through the letter flashcards that have been sent home with your child since they started in Reception. Don’t forget to log in to Oxford Owl and do the reading activities set by your child’s reading teacher. All groups except Mrs Alfords group should now be bringing home Ditty sheets or a book bag book to read and will have work set on line. Try to do one of these activities with your child each night and sign the diary to let us know how they got on. There are some additional links below to videos that you could watch with your child at home to reinforce the work being done in school.

http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/resources/vc-pathways/339718/QiFvHCa3OXl3NW6z

This week, the children will continue to engage with activities that develop their understanding of composition, or the numbers within numbers.​ A key focus will be on exploring ways to represent numbers using the Hungarian number pattern (die pattern). These key representations will help to underline the ‘5-ness’ of 5, and provide structures that will support exploration of its composition and its relationships with other numbers. The children will secure their understanding of the pairs of numbers that make 5, and then use double dice frames to begin to explore 6 and 7 as numbers that are composed of ‘5 and a bit’. ​The children have been working hard on their number bonds to 5 which is essential knowledge they need to help them understand how numbers are made up and will help them with future subitising. Below is the number bond song that the children have been learning in school. Play this for your child and see if they know their number bonds and can tell you the different ways to make 5.

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We have had very mixed weather recently with lots of rain, snow and frost. The children in Reception access the outside area in all weathers and we go outside every day no matter what the weather is. Please provide your child with a pair of wellington boots to stay at school so that they can go outside and play with their friends. Some children are getting wet feet especially as they have to walk over to the canteen at lunch time each day. If they have boots in school we can make sure they change into these when the weather is wet

We hope you have a lovely week

The Reception Team

In Maths, the children will consolidate their understanding of the composition of 5. Composing and decomposing numbers involves the children investigating part–part–whole relations, e.g. seeing that 5 can be made of 3 and 2. The children will deepen their understanding of a ‘whole’ being made up of smaller parts through practical experience, in this case moving frogs from a log to a pool in a nursery rhyme. The children will also revisit the concept of cardinality – the idea that the last number in the count tells us how many things there are altogether. They will continue to be provided with opportunities to hear, join in with and develop their knowledge of the counting sequence and to become secure enough with their counting skills to be able to count out a set of objects from a larger set, remembering the ‘stopping number’ and knowing that this means they have selected the correct number. The children will also be given opportunities to practise counting beyond 20.

The children are working hard to plug any gaps in their sound knowledge and are learning new sounds. When working with your child at home continue to go through the sound cards and if you notice they are stuck on a particular sound then please spend some time going over this. Continue to read the ditty sheets or book in your child’s bag and don’t forget to go on line to do the work on Oxford Owl that has been set by your child’s Phonics teacher. All groups except Mrs Alford’s should now have online work set. Mrs Alford’s group will have QR codes in their diary for videos that they need to watch to help with their blending.

In topic this week, we will be reading the story of the Billy Goat’s Gruff. We will retell the story using sequencing cards, make a story map, discuss the character’s feelings at different points of the story. We will be also be making bridges out of different construction and acting out the story.

Friday the 30th January is a Teacher training day and school will be closed for pupils that day.

Have a great week.

The Reception Team

This week we will be completing our topic on ‘Winter’. We will be looking at the story ‘The Snow Queen’ and will be using this to help us plan and write our own story set in the Winter. We will also be concluding the topic with a winter themed ‘Frozen’ day on Friday 23rd January. A separate letter has been sent out explaining this so please make sure you check your emails. We will have a frozen themed day with different activities and the children can come in dressed in Frozen colours.

The children have now settled in to their new phonics groups and are working hard to plug any gaps in their sound knowledge and are learning new sounds. When working with your child at home continue to go through the sound cards and if you notice they are stuck on a particular sound then please spend some time going over this. Continue to read the ditty sheets or book in your child’s bag and don’t forget to go on line to do the work on Oxford Owl that has been set by your child’s Phonics teacher. All groups except Mrs Alford’s should now have online work set. Mrs Alford’s group will have QR codes in their diary for videos that they need to watch to help with their blending.

This week, the children will continue to engage with activities that draw attention to the purpose of counting – to find out ‘how many’ objects there are. Adults will continue to name the objects being counted to emphasise the numerosity of the set, e.g. Would you please collect 6 crayons and bring them to me? The children will also revisit the concept of cardinality – that the last number in the count tells us how many things there are ALTOGETHER. They will continue to be provided with opportunities to hear, join in with and develop their knowledge of the counting sequence. A key focus this week will be the stable order principle – rehearsing the order of the first 5 numbers and understanding that the position each number holds in our number sequence does not change. While continuing to work with numbers to 5, the children will develop their understanding of the ordinal aspect by investigating the difference in value of consecutive whole numbers. They will spend time discovering that each number has a value of 1 more than the previous number. Using blocks and squares to order quantities from 1 to 5 will help to embed this key understanding.

Reception have their PE session on Monday’s. Your child should come in to school on this day in a red Coundon Primary T-shirt and hoodie and black bottoms suitable for PE lessons. They should also wear suitable footwear such as trainers. We ask that children are able to do their trainers up and would recommend if possible that Velcro shoes be worn. The laces on some of the children’s shoes are often coming undone and staff are spending a lot of time doing up shoelaces multiple times throughout the day.

Thank you for bringing your child into school when we had the snowy weather it was lovely to see them enjoy playing in the snow. We noticed that there were a number of children that still do not have a pair of wellington boots in school. This meant that they could not join their friends having fun in the snow outside as their shoes and socks would have become wet and cold. Please provide a pair of cheap wellies for your child to be left in school so that they can change into them when the weather warrants it.

Have a wonderful week

The Reception Team

This week we will continue our topic of Winter. We will be comparing the different seasons, discussing the changes in weather, clothes and changes in our environment. We will be exploring ice and seeing what happens when we use paint, water and salt on it. We will use our senses to write a class poem together about Winter.

This week in maths, the children will use their perceptual subitising skills (seeing the quantity without counting) in increasingly complex arrangements, moving from dots in a line and arrangements of 2, to a focus on standard dice arrangements. For larger quantities, the children will begin to use skills of conceptual subitising, beginning to quickly see the sub-groups within these larger numbers. A key focus will be on developing skills of visualising; the children will be encouraged to look carefully at arrangements of dots and then to close their eyes and explain what they saw. Using spatial language to describe sub-groups within these arrangements will deepen the children’s understanding of part–whole relations and allow them to further consider composition (the numbers within numbers).
This week, the children will be encouraged to continue representing quantities in different ways, including by showing amounts on 1 hand ‘all at once’. There will also be a new focus on the symbolic representation of number and the children will work on their recognition of numerals to 5, matching numerals to correct quantities in various games.
Towards the end of the week, the children will use a number track (with numbers placed in equal spaces in ascending order) to play dice-based games. Playing games with dice will consolidate the children’s understanding of the stable order of numbers and allow them to link the numbers on a track to the quantities on a die.

The children are working hard in their new phonics groups. Please check your child’s homework as they will bring home either a reading book, Ditty sheets or will have a QR code with videos to watch. Please continue to do this work each night and sign the diary to say you have heard your child read. More children will now also have reading work set on line on Oxford Owl for you to do together. The reading teacher for your child will let you know in the diary if this applies to your child. If your child has already been accessing Oxford Owl then they will continue to do so.

Have a great week.

The Reception Team

The children are back to school on Tuesday 6th January. We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and managed to spend time with family and loved ones. We hope the children are well rested and ready for the busy term ahead where they will continue to develop their independence and apply their learning across the curriculum. Please continue to encourage your child to develop their independence at home by dressing and feeding themselves and helping with small tasks around the house especially tidying up after themselves.

This week we begin our topic on winter. We will find out what the children already know and will extend their knowledge with stories and songs and going outside to look for signs of winter. If the weather is particularly wintery talk about this with your child and see what they can tell you about the wintertime. You will be amazed at how much they are learning! Continue to send your child into school in a waterproof coat with gloves and a hat. The children are now used to keeping their gloves in their pockets when they come inside and their hat in the sleeve of their coat.

Before the break the children were assessed to see if they were ready to move on in our phonics scheme Read, Write inc. This week the children will move into their new groups and will be working on any gaps identified in their assessments. On Friday your child will bring home either a reading book, Ditty sheets or will have a QR code with videos for your child to watch. Please continue to do this work each night and sign the diary to say you have heard your child read. More children will now also have reading work set on line on Oxford Owl for you to do together. The reading teacher for your child will let you know in the diary if this applies to your child. If your child has already been accessing Oxford Owl then they will continue to do so.

This week, the children will continue to develop the skill of perceptual subitising. This form of subitising refers to instantly recognising the number of objects in a group without needing to count them. In this step, the concept of subitising zero objects is introduced, as well as the instant recognition of up to five objects. You could encourage your child to represent their subitising by showing the numeral ‘0’, showing no fingers or pointing out the difference between zero items and not zero.

The staff would like to say a huge ‘Thank You’, for all the very kind gifts and cards so kindly given to us before the Christmas break, they were very much appreciated by us all.

Have a wonderful week,

The Reception Team

One more week to go!

We have a busy week this week full of Christmas activities and fun!

On Wednesday, it’s our Christmas party. Please provide your child with a small plate of snacks which is just for them. They will have their lunch as usual. Please label it with their name. We will also be having a visit from Father Christmas where the children will be receiving a gift.

Please continue to practise phonics sounds over the holidays. See QR code for some word time fun and see the links to practise some number songs.

http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/M98BmbqO/NLkOot2H

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=d638ad346cf968d15d996c84bdcddf4fc69ef3b5c7bf22e5059c16149e8a8062JmltdHM9MTc2NTMyNDgwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=0f318a2a-2da8-6da0-24ec-9c9a2ce66c54&u=a1L3ZpZGVvcy9yaXZlcnZpZXcvcmVsYXRlZHZpZGVvP3E9amFjaytoYXJ0bWFubitjb3VudCt0bysyMCYmbWlkPUFFRkQ4MkVEMTc1Nzk2RTM1RTdCQUVGRDgyRUQxNzU3OTZFMzVFN0ImRk9STT1WQU1HWkM

Friday 19th is the last day of term. We return to school on Tuesday 6th January.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Reception Team

This week, the children will be fully embracing Christmas. We will be writing cards, making Christmas lists, making Christmas crafts and reading Christmas stories.

We will be continuing to practise their Nativity play. If your child comes home with some words to learn for the Nativity in their reading diary then please practise these regularly so your child knows them and can read them from memory. We will not require you to provide a costume for the Nativity. We have all of the costumes in school so please do not go out and buy any costumes. Details on how to purchase tickets will be sent out to you nearer the time.

The children are all making great progress with their phonics. Thank you to all those parents who are hearing their child read or accessing the online videos. Remember to sign the diary every time your child reads and add a little comment to say how they are getting on or what you have done together. Please find some additional blending videos that you can watch together to help support the learning at home.

http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/resources/vc-pathways/295778/jGWalzfZ4fRKxtNQ

In Maths this week, the children will begin to explore composition by focusing on the preliminary skills: the concept of ‘wholes’ and ‘parts’. By investigating their own bodies and familiar toys they will begin to understand that whole things are often made up of smaller parts and that a whole is, therefore, bigger than its parts.

The children will then build on their understanding of the composition of numbers by investigating the composition of 3, 4 and 5. Composing and de-composing numbers involves the children investigating part–part–whole relations, e.g. seeing that 3 can be composed of 1 and 2. Through practical experience, they will consolidate their understanding of a whole being made up of smaller parts. They will begin to recognise that numbers can be made by combining parts in different ways. A key focus will be the spatial arrangements that can be made with different combinations of the same number of objects.

With the weather so cold now please remember to send the children with named hats and gloves. We are encouraging the children to put the gloves in their pockets and hats in their sleeves to avoid these items becoming lost.

This week the children will be continuing to practise their Nativity play. They will get to choose what sort of part they would like to have in the play and will get the opportunity to practise a run through of the play in the hall with the stage. If your child comes home with some words to learn for the Nativity in their reading diary then please practice these regularly so your child knows them and can read them from memory. We will not require you to provide a costume for the Nativity. We have all of the costumes in school so please do not go out and buy any costumes. Details on how to purchase tickets will be sent out to you nearer the time.

On Thursday we will be going on our trip to Ash End Children’s farm. We are looking forward to an exciting day. You will have received an email regarding arrangements for the day. Please read carefully and ensure your child is dressed appropriately and has a packed lunch that can be thrown away afterwards not requiring boxes or bottles that need to be returned. Please only pack the usual amount of food that your child will eat as we will only be stopping for food once in the day. Children do not require any spending money. We will take lots of photos and these will be shared in next weeks Friday Focus.

The children are all making great progress with their phonics. Thank you to all those parents who are hearing their child read or accessing the online videos. This is the best way to help your child make progress with their reading. Remember to sign the diary every time your child reads and add a little comment to say how they are getting on or what you have done together. A message such as ” . . . . . . . went through all her sound letter cards and we made words that she was able to read such as sat, pin, tap.” Please find some additional blending videos that you can watch together to help support the learning at home.

http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/resources/vc-pathways/289160/OxMMrd8mXJwAzIFQ

This week the children will be encouraged to compare the number of objects in 2 sets by matching them 1:1. Seeing that objects in some sets can be matched without any being left over will draw the children’s attention to instances when the quantities of objects are equal.​

Language is the key focus and we will reinforce the language of ‘more than’, ‘fewer than’ and ‘an equal number’ to describe how many objects there are in each set. As the focus this week is on countable things, ‘fewer than’ is used rather than ‘less than’ and ‘more than’ is used rather than ‘greater than’.

We would like to Welcome Mrs Beynon who will be working Monday’s and Mrs Frost-Townsend who will be working Tuesday – Friday in RKB. Both are experienced members of staff who have previously worked at Coundon Primary. We look forward to them joining the team and know they will fit in perfectly. Please pop along to say hello to both of them so that they can get to know you all.

The weather has got noticeably colder over the last week. Please make sure your child has a warm waterproof coat with a hood and help them to practice doing up their own zip so that they can do this in school for themselves. Your child will also need a hat and gloves (we don’t recommend scarfs as these can be dangerous on the equipment and usually spend more time on the floor than around children’s necks). All gloves and hats should be clearly named. We encourage the children to put their gloves in their coat pockets (not bags) and hats into their coat sleeve once they have taken it off. This prevents them from getting lost.

Have a wonderful week

The Reception Team

This week we are continuing with our work on celebrations. We will begin the week looking at Remembrance day. We will be talking about the significance of the day and why it is celebrated and the way that it is celebrated. The children will join in with a minutes silence to remember those that fought in the war. We will also talk about the war and when it happened in relation to our history. This would be a good opportunity to talk to your children about the poppy and why they are worn. We will also be talking about celebrating in other ways. We will have a focus on celebrating our differences and how we are all unique.

Last week the children were put into their new phonics group from the results of our assessment before the half term break. Your child will have brought home their reading diary on Friday containing the reading practice work your child’s phonics teacher would like them to do. We ask that you try to do these activities for a few minutes each day to get your child used to the routine of daily reading. Please sign the reading diary with a comment on how your child managed each time so we can see what practice your child is having at home so that we can support it in school. If your child has log in details at the front of their diary then please log in to see what work has been set for your child online to support the book/ditty sheet in their book bag. There are some more blending videos below for extra practice.

http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/resources/vc-pathways/276313/ZQgdOxrjRhhPUKqK

This week in Maths , the children will build on their subitising skills. They will be encouraged to look closely at small quantities and observe whether the quantity has changed or only the arrangement. ​When investigating the shapes made by Numberblock Four and making similar arrangements, children may also begin to develop their skills of ‘conceptual’ subitising. They will begin to notice the sub-groups that can be perceived within a larger set, and recognise the whole at the same time. For example, they will see that Numberblock Four can be arranged with 2 blocks on top of another 2 blocks or as a line of 3 with 1 on top, and connect both to 4. This will further develop their understanding of part–whole relations and the composition of number from previous weeks. ​The children will also be encouraged to represent quantities in different ways by using a number of fingers on one hand. Some children will be able to show an amount ‘all at once’ while others will need a lot more practice to be able to do this. Build confidence by allowing the children to ‘grow their fingers’ – putting up one finger at a time – before showing them, and gradually introduce the idea of making an amount ‘all at once’ when they become more familiar with finger patterns. ​

This week we will be celebrating Children in Need by raising money in a variety of ways. All details of the different activities can be found in this weeks Friday focus. On Friday we would like you to send in some cakes for a cake sale and the children can come dressed in their pyjamas for a donation of £1. Please remember children will need to wear sensible shoes as they will still be spending a portion of the day outside.

Have a wonderful week,

The Reception Team