Category: Reception Blog

We are all very excited to open our new outdoor area to the children! The children have observed the progress of the new playground and have been waiting patiently to finally be able to explore and learn using the new facilities. We will be discussing how the children need to use the equipment safely, sensibly and to wait their turn.

In phonics this week, we will be continuing our learning in our different phonics groups. Some of the children will be recapping the sounds they have already learned and ensuring they are secure with the sounds, before moving on to any new sounds. Other phonics groups will be finishing the single letter sounds ‘z’ and ‘x’. We will also be introducing some of the children to ‘special friends’. Special friends are sounds which have 2 or 3 letters representing them e.g. ch, sh, th.

In maths this week, we are introducing shapes and their properties. We will be starting this topic, identifying circles and triangles. We will be discussing what a triangle and circle need to have and how we can turn the shape in different ways, but it will always stay the same shape. We will also be identifying shapes the environment. We will be hunting for shapes inside and outside of the classroom and creating a chart to see how many triangles and circles we can find!

In the wider curriculum, we will be discussing how we can be a good friend. We will be looking at different stories based around friendships and how the characters behave friendly/unfriendly. We will be asking the children how they think they can be a good friend?

Reminder, that the children can come to school on Friday 19th in non-uniform, in support of Children in Need. If all children that take part could bring in £1 donation, it will be a huge help for the charity and the amazing work they do for children that are in need.

Have a fabulous week!

The Reception team

In phonics this week, the children will be continuing their set group objectives. Some of the phonics groups will be focusing on recapping the sounds they have already learned and using Fred-Talk to blend sounds together to make the word. The children will need to be secure in their sounds before moving on. Other phonics groups will be learning the sounds ‘j’, ‘r’, ‘v’, ‘y’ and ‘w’. The children will be learning how to say the new sound and how to write it down using the correct letter formation. The children will also be using the sounds they have learned to create simple CVC words. In our daily handwriting, the children will start to write simple captions such as, ‘a cat sat’. We will be introducing fingers spaces and why they are important when we write.

In maths this week, we will be continuing our learning of 1, 2 and 3. This week, we will be focusing on more and less than, matching the numeral to the amount of objects and adding 1 more. The children will be playing the ‘more than card game’ and ‘splat the match’. We will also be playing the bean bag game, where the children will be throwing 3 beanbags into the hoop and adding up how many they managed to get in. They will then be comparing their scores with their partner – who got the most points?

In the wider curriculum this week, we will be talking about how we are all different. We will also be discussing the different celebrations we have been learning about and how some of us celebrate them and others do not. The children will be given the opportunity to discuss what they are good at and how we can all be good at different things.

On Thursday, we will be learning about Remembrance Day and the importance of why we remember all the brave men and women that gave their lives, so we could live the life we do today. We will also be discussing the significance of the poppy and why people wear them in honour of Remembrance Day.

Have a fabulous week!

The Reception team

We hope that everyone has had a fabulous half term and the children are ready to get back into their school routines and learning. It has been lovely to hear all of their news about what they have been up to in their half term break, from carving pumpkins to trick or treating in their Halloween outfits!

In phonics this week, the children will be placed in their new phonics groups and will be meeting their new phonics teacher. The week will consist of getting to know the children in their new groups and allowing their phonics teacher to get a good understanding of where they are and what they need to work on. The children will be recapping the sounds they have been learning and using them to help spell words and practising writing them down, using the correct letter formation. At home, continue to use the letter cards that were sent home. Ask your child to create simple CVC words using the letters. If they are confident with this, ask them to try and write the word down on paper.

In maths this week, the children are learning the numbers 1, 2 and 3. They will be learning the different ways we can make 1, 2 and 3 and how we can represent them in different ways. We will also be looking at ‘Anno’s Counting Book’, which is a great way for the children to recognise how we can show numbers differently.

In the wider curriculum, we will be learning all about Bonfire Night and why we celebrate it. We will be singing songs and creating pictures using paints and chalks. The children will be discussing the their own personal experiences and if they will be celebrating Bonfire Night, this week. The children will also be learning about how we stay safe on Bonfire Night and the potential dangers if we are careless around fire and sparklers.

Have a great week!

The Reception team

In phonics this week, we are learning the sounds b, f, e, l and n. We will be introducing how we say the sounds, what it looks like and how we write it down. Then, the children will be asked to spell simple CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) words using the sounds they have already learned. We will also be using Fred-talk with the children, to help them with their blending. Fred can only segment words, so the children are asked to help Fred blend the sounds together to make the word. Children will be given a phonics reading book in the next few weeks, once they have learned all of the sounds and are confidently segmenting and blending. In the mean time, continue to work on Fred-talk at home and practising the sound cards that have been sent home.

In maths this week, we are continuing our learning on patterns. The children will be creating their own movement pattern with their friends and performing it to the rest of the class. We will be looking at the story ‘We are Going on a Bear Hunt’ and discussing how the author uses patterns in the text. We will be assessing the children’s learning on pattern making by asking them to create a 3 colour repeating pattern using finger painting.

In the wider curriculum this week, we are learning all about Diwali. We will be discussing the reasons why some people celebrate Diwali and the different ways in which people celebrate. The children will be using clay to create their own Diya lamp, which they will decorate after the half-term break. We will also be talking about the story of Rama and Sita and asking the children to act out the story from what they have learned.

As the weather is getting wetter and colder, we would like to remind all parents that the children need a water-proof coat with a hood, in school. For the rest of the week and during the half-term break, the children’s homework is to practise putting their coats on and off independently and zipping them up!

Can we also remind parents to return their parents evening slips in, if you haven’t already done so.

Have a fabulous week and half-term break!

The Reception team

This week, continuing our Autumn theme, we are introducing the story ‘Don’t Hog the Hedge’. We will be focusing on the different parts of the story, such as the blurb, title page, setting and characters. We will be delving deeper into the character’s thoughts and feelings throughout the week, by asking the children to fill in speech and thought bubbles of the characters. We will also be comparing our story with ‘Little Acorns’. We will be discussing how the stories are similar and different to each other.

In phonics this week, we will be learning the sounds ‘o’, ‘c’, ‘k’, ‘u’ and ‘b’. We will be introducing the sound to the children, then we will be learning how to write them down. The children will also be practising writing the sounds they have already learned. We will also be asking the children to make simple words using the sounds they have learned, such as, ‘map’, ‘sad’, ‘mat’, ‘at’. Use the packs that have been sent home to recap the sounds to your children and ask them to create words using the letter cards.

In maths this week, we are introducing patterns. We will be learning about how we can make patterns in different ways. We will be creating patterns using the autumn objects we have found around the school grounds. We will also be creating a potato-printing pattern, using different colours. See if you can find objects around the home and make a pattern with them.

Please remember to send the children in with a waterproof coat, now the weather is getting cooler. Also, please check that coats, bags and uniforms are named clearly, as it makes it easier to find if anything may go missing.

Have a fab week everybody!

The Reception team