Category: Reception Blog

This week we have continued on with our work on Autumn. We have been looking at the story ‘Don’t Hog the Hedge’ and have been focusing on hibernation and what this means. We have also had a focus on sharing as part of the story, We are learning what ‘sharing’ means and how to be a good friend in Reception just like Hattie the hedgehog was in the story. We have been sorting our Autumn collections and have made patterns, transient art and different types of pictures with all of the foliage collected.

This week we are learning the sounds o, c, k,u. Add the flashcards sent home on Friday to your collection and continue to practise going through the sounds every night. Remember to put 2 or 3 of the sounds together to make words and use your FRED talk to read them e.g. c-a-t, c-u-p. Can a grown up say a word and you have a go at writing it? The children will be assessed on their sounds next week and will be placed into Phonics groups to continue with the Read Write Inc programme. Once your child knows their sounds and can segment to read they will start on a reading book. Please also read the library book brought home with you child on Friday. Reading to children is one of the most important ways to instil a love of reading in your child. Please return all library books on Friday so they can choose a new book.

In Maths this week we have continued with comparing. We have looked at length by comparing string of different lengths using the language shortest and longest. Size using the language bigger and smaller and will be looking at repeating patterns.

As the weather is getting colder please ensure your child comes into school in a warm waterproof coat as they spend a good portion of the day outside. If your child is bringing in a hat or gloves then please make sure these are named. Can we also remind parents that children should only bring water in their water bottles each day please.

Have a lovely week

The Reception Team

This week we have started to learn all about Autumn. We have been talking about the things we already know and finding out some new facts. We are going on an Autumn walk looking for signs of Autumn and are trying to collect some Autumn foliage. If you spot any Autumn foliage such as coloured leaves, conkers, acorns or pine cones then please collect them and bring them in to add to our collection in school.

This week in Phonics we have been introduced to the phonemes p and g. We now know the sounds m,a,s,d,t,i,n, p and g. Please go through the flashcards sent home on Friday. One side should have the picture and rhyme and the other side should just show the phoneme. Practise these so that you know them all. You could then start putting the sounds together to read simple words such as mat, sit, pan etc. This is the first stage of your child’s reading journey. Once they know all of their set 1 sounds correctly and can blend them together to read words they will begin on reading books. Try to get into the habit of doing your reading activities every night.

This week in Maths we have been sorting and comparing. We have been looking at different ways to sort objects looking for similarities and differences. We have also been comparing amounts, size and height and length. Can you find a way to sort some items at home? How did you sort them?

We will be having photos on Wednesday this week. There is an opportunity for family photos at the end of the day. Please see your Friday focus for details. Continue to help support your child’s independent skills by letting them dress and undress themselves and put on their own shoes and coats.

The children enjoyed learning about dinosaurs last week and are continuing to develop some key role play skills. We have had some very loud and noisy dinosaurs outside!

Have a lovely week

The Reception Team

This week we have started to look at the topic of Dinosaurs. Many of the children have enjoyed playing with dinosaurs over the last few weeks so we wanted to enhance their learning. You may have noticed our lovely dinosaur den outside where the children can explore the different dinosaurs and act like dinosaurs. This week we will be reading stories, singing songs and learn some facts about dinosaurs.

We have started the Read Write Inc Phonics program in Reception. We are starting to learn the set 1 sounds and how to write these letters. We have also started to blend the letters together to make simple words. Shortly your child will come home with some of the letters they have learned. Try to get into the habit of going over these every night with your child. They could also practise writing the letters and have a go at reading simple words by putting some of the letters together e.g. m-a-t. Once the children have been introduced to all of the set 1 sounds and can blend the words confidently to read they will bring home a reading book.

This week we are completing our baseline assessments and will be beginning our White Rose Maths scheme. We are starting on the topic ‘Just Like Me’ and will be focusing on sorting. We will be looking for similarities and differences and identifying different ways to sort. This could be by colour, size, shape or item. Have a go at sorting some items at home – how have you sorted them?

The children have settled very well into Reception and are working hard at learning the routines and rules of the settling. They are being encouraged to be much more independent. Please support this at home by getting your child to do some things by themselves such as dressing themselves, going to the toilet and wiping themselves. Getting their own shoes and coats on and carrying their own belongings. This will all help with them becoming more independent in school.

Please be aware that as the week goes on the children do become very tired. It is absolutely normal for them to struggle a little so don’t be alarmed if they say they don’t want to come to school, its just their way of dealing with their emotions. Try and keep to regular bedtimes or even get them into bed a little earlier. They are all doing brilliantly and are using lots of energy learning and playing.

Have a good week

The Reception Team

As we are coming to the last full week of the academic year, the children will be assessed on their phonics progress and this will be used to group them for the September start. For the rest of the week, the children will be doing whole class phonics lessons, which will consist of reading, writing and phonics games. All reading records and any phonics materials need to be returned this week, so the staff can audit and sort resources over the holidays, for the next academic year. Online work will still be assigned to the children over the holidays, which will be a fantastic start for them when they return to school in September.

In maths this week, we will be learning about maps and how we can instruct directions. The children will be creating their own maps based on stories, their route to school and a treasure map! At the end of the week, the children will be completing different maze activities and using their direction skills, that they have learned throughout the week. There will be no set maths homework over the holidays, however, implementing maths in your day-to-day activities can be a great way to enhance learning. Simply counting objects, using maths vocabulary or playing maths games, for their screen time, are great ways to do this, over the summer break.

This week’s theme is all about transition. We will be reading ‘Jake’s First Day’ and discussing the emotions and feelings Jake has before he starts his new class. We will talk about how his feelings change throughout the story and that the worries he had before starting, turned out ok in the end. We will be sharing the children’s own worries and feelings about going up to year 1 and answering any questions they may have. The children will be painting self-portraits to coincide with our transition theme and we will discuss how they have changed since starting reception.

As the weather is getting warmer and warmer, a reminder that children should be coming to school with a sun hat, full water bottle and sun cream applied. The children can bring in their sun cream, but will need to apply it themselves for the afternoon busy time.

Have a fabulous week,

The reception team

The children will be in their final week of Read Write Inc phonics, this week, until they return in September. They will be continuing with their structured lessons of reading and writing and will be sent home with their phonics book, on Friday. All of the phonics books, library books and any other school resources need to be returned next week, ready for the fresh year, in September. We will be adding Oxford Owl and Reading Wise resources online, throughout the holidays, so please continue to access these and enable the children to read as much as they can.

In maths this week, the children will be learning about different lengths and how we can measure objects using different resources. The children will be given a chart of classroom objects and they will be comparing measurements, using pencils. They will be using their prediction skills to guess how many pencils will be needed for each object and then testing their predictions. The children will also be exploring different objects to make their own boat and what they can use to make it float successfully. We will then be adding cubes to see which boat holds the most, before sinking.

In the wider curriculum this week, we will be looking at rhyming stories and exploring rhyming words. We will be reading different stories and creating our own rhyming strings. The children will also be creating their musical instruments throughout the week, which they had planned at home. They will be reflecting on what went well and what could be improved on, when making their instrument. All of the children will then have the opportunity to play their instruments, at the end of the week.

Have a great week!

The reception team

In phonics this week, the children will be continuing their learning in their new phonics groups. The children will be focusing on reading and writing, using the new sounds they have learned, throughout the week. Encourage your child to keep reading at home and accessing their online homework. The more they are exposed to stories and regular reading, the better they will progress and become a confident reader, going forward.

In maths this week, the children will be learning about odd and even. They will be exploring the different ways we can differentiate between even and odd numbers. We will be taking our learning outside this week, by playing the odd and even game. The children will run around on the playground and when they hear ‘stop’, they find a partner. Does everyone have a partner? Is their someone who is the odd one out? The children will also be listening to the story ‘One Odd Day’ and creating their own ‘Odd Day’ picture.

In the wider curriculum this week, we will be learning about different habitats and what animals might live there. The children will be discussing how different animals are adapted to their habitats and how this might have changed throughout time. By the end of the week, we will be focusing on mini-beasts and exploring the school environment to hunt for them and their habitats.

A reminder that Reception’s Sports Day is on Thursday 7th July at 9am. If all of the children can come into school wearing their P.E kits and ensure they have a full bottle of water.

Have a fantastic week!

The Reception team

This week we have followed on from last weeks work on growing and changing and where in the world we come from. We have looked at some of the different countries where our families came from and this week we are looking at different types of houses around the world. We are looking to see how they are different and similar to our homes, as well as the different climates. Talk about the type of house you live in and why we need homes to help support the work in class. If you have family members that live in different parts of the world then you could show this on a map. The children have loved looking at google earth and looking at the different places around the world https://earth.google.com/web/

In Phonics this week the children are continuing in their new groups. The children are being introduced to new phonemes and are working at reading and writing these phonemes in words using ‘special friends, Fred talk, read the word’. Continue to encourage this process when your child is reading to you. Remember to read every night and throughout the week – read their bookbag book and the online book and quiz. Those children making the most progress with their phonics are the ones reading regularly at home. Please also log in to Reading wise for the children to practise their phonic skills. They should aim to do this for 5 minutes each day ( log ins are your child’s reading diary) https://app.readingwise.com/

This week in Maths we have started to look at simple division and multiplication. The children will be sharing amounts equally between different numbers of groups as well as sorting amounts into equal groups. This could be reinforced at home by getting your child to sort items between 2 plates and asking them to get groups of – e.g. 3 groups of 3 sweets.

As the weather is warming up, can we remind all parents that children should have sun cream applied before your child comes into school in the morning. They can bring in cream to put on later in the day, but must be able to apply this themselves as staff are not permitted to apply sun cream. Children should also have a hat and a refillable bottle of water (no juice please as this is unhealthy for young children’s teeth)

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In phonics this week, the children will be starting in their new phonics groups. We would like to say a big well done to the children, who are all making progress in their learning. They have been working so hard and it shows in their reading and writing. Many of the children will be learning new sounds in the coming weeks and writing longer pieces of work. Although it is coming to the end of the year, we would still urge all the children to keep up with their reading at home, as it gives them a great start to the new year, in September.

In maths this week, we will be introducing the children to doubling. The children will be playing various games such as, doubling dominoes and the doubling barrier game to hook their learning. We will also be getting creative with our maths learning this week, by painting their own doubled butterflies. They will paint a number of spots on one side of their butterfly and then fold it in half to print the doubled amount on the other side.

In the wider curriculum this week, we will be learning about changes and the human life-cycle, which will link onto our transition work for the next coming weeks. The children will be discussing each stage of their lives and the changes they go through. We will be looking at their baby photos and talking about the things they can do now, as a child, to when they were a baby. We will also be discussing where the children and their families came from around the world. Thank you to all of you who have sent in the photos already! We will be sharing the photos tomorrow, so if they could be sent by the end of today, would be great!

As the weather is getting warmer this week, can we remind all parents that children should be coming into school with appropriate summer clothing, sun hats and full bottles of water. The reception staff are not permitted to apply sun cream to the children, so they will need to come into school with it already applied. If you would like to send sun cream into school with your child, they must be able to apply it themselves.

Have a fabulous week!

The reception team

We would like to welcome the children back from their half term break! We hope you have all had a lovely time celebrating the Jubilee and the children have had a well deserved rest, before the final stretch of the year!

In phonics this week, the children will be assessed on the progress they have made throughout the last 6 weeks. Their phonics teacher will be carrying out the assessments to determine whether they will be moving up a group, or staying where they are. For the rest of the week, the children will be continuing their usual phonics lessons and will be placed in their new phonics groups, next week. We continue to ask you all to keep supporting your children’s reading at home, as this makes a huge difference on their progression.

In maths this week, we will also be assessing the children’s learning and how far they have progressed throughout our scheme of work. This will help with our end of year assessments and any gaps that need to be filled, going forward.

In the wider curriculum this week, we will be learning all about summer. The children will be recapping on their previous learning and the different changes we have seen throughout the seasons. We will be discussing what we notice in the summer time and the fun activities we can enjoy during this season, such as, barbeques, picnics and trips to the beach. The children will be walking around the school grounds and finding the different signs of summer. We will be comparing what we notice, from when we had our spring walk. At the end of the week, we will be learning about we can keep safe in summer, by applying sun cream on sunny days and wearing sunhats and glasses.

We hope you have a lovely, summery week!

The Reception team