Category: Reception Blog

This week our topic is

We will be learning what is special about superheroes. We will be reading a variety of books about superheroes and creating and describing our own superheroes. Ask your child about their favourite superhero. Can your child draw a picture of their own superhero and write or label its special powers?

This week the children will be moving to their new phonics groups. The children will be either recapping sounds or moving on to new sounds and books, Continue to practise the letter sounds daily before your child reads and encourage them to use the SF, FT, RTW strategies to work out unfamiliar words. The online book should be read quite fluently without the need to work out every word as they will have read this book several times in school. We have attached some links to home learning videos for your child to watch at home.

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/umYynzbs/NR8cRQVG

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/qAIKCOjU/gqlo4k5R

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/ho6KTQZu/pbOx50KR

This week in Maths we will be learning more about numbers to 20. We are focusing on how to order numbers to 20 and identifying missing numbers up to 20. We are looking at different representations of the amounts using numerals, numicon, cubes and tens frames. We will be making amounts up to 20 using tens frames recognising that we need one full tens frame and then so many on the next tens frame. We will be playing bingo with numerals and representations of numbers to 20. Can your child collect objects to make different amounts to 20? Can they match numbers to the correct group of objects? Can they order numbers to 20 and work out where a number is missing?

Next week we will be completing our topic on Superheroes by having a dress up day. We are not expecting parents to buy super hero costumes. We would like the children to think of the type of superhero they would like to be and come dressed according to this quality e.g. they may dress in sparkles and what to spread happiness, or be cheerful and come dressed in yellow. Obviously children can come in dressed in a superhero costume that they already have but we do not want to cause you any extra expense. A letter will come out explaining all about the day.

Please remember to contribute to our 50p fund each week if you can. This helps us purchase different resources to help enhance the curriculum and make it more exciting for your child so is very much appreciated.

Have a great week

The Reception Team

This week we are continuing with our Topic of Spring and are focusing on ‘New Life and the life cycles of animals. We are learning about the life cycles of frogs, butterflies and chicks. The children will be learning what we mean by a life cycle and will be looking at the changes that take place through the course of a life cycle. Can your child tell you the different stages of one of the life cycles? Maybe you could talk about your child’s life cycle and how they have changed since they were a baby and how they will change as they get older.

This week we will be assessing the children on their sounds and word blending to see if they are ready to move on to the next phonics groups. The children will be saying the sounds they have been taught and will be using ‘special friends, Fred talk, read the word (sf, Ft, RtW) to read a range of decodable words using these sounds. They will also be tested on reading some simple words speedily to assess their reading speed and fluency. Continue to practise the letter sounds daily before your child reads and encourage them to use the SF, FT, RtW strategies to work out unfamiliar words. The online book should be read quite fluently without the need to work out every word as they will have read this book several times in school. We have attached some links to home learning videos for your child to watch at home.

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/umYynzbs/NR8cRQVG

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/qAIKCOjU/gqlo4k5R

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/ho6KTQZu/pbOx50KR

This week in Maths we are beginning to look at numbers to 20. We are focusing on how the numbers are 10 plus . . . . . more e.g. 14 is 10 and 4 more. We are looking at different representations of the amounts using numerals, numicon, cubes and tens frames. We will be making amounts up to 20 using tens frames recognising that we need one full tens frame and then so many on the next tens frame. Can your child use their number bonds to 10 to help them work out how many they would need to get to 20? e.g. if I have 14 that’s a 10 and a 4. I know 4 and 6 make 10 so I will need 6 more to get to 20. try this for all the numbers from 10 to 20.

As the weather warms up it is tempting to send the children to school in lighter clothes. Please remember that the Reception children spend a large portion of the day outside in all weather! Your child will need to bring in a waterproof coat with a hood so they have the correct clothing should the weather change. If you would like to send in a pair of wellington boots for your child to change into on wet days then please send them in clearly named. As the weather gets warmer please be reminded that the staff are unable to apply sun cream to any child. Please apply sun cream in the morning before your child comes to school – there are a variety of 8 hr creams available to buy that will mean the cream should last for their time in school. If you wish your child’s sun cream to be reapplied during the day then they will need to be able to apply it themselves.

We are looking forward to a busy term and are planning lots of lovely activities. A special thank you to those parents that contribute to our 50p fund each week. This helps us purchase different resources to help enhance the curriculum and make it more exciting for your child so is very much appreciated.

Have a great week

The Reception Team

This week we are continuing with our topic of Spring and are looking at the Christian celebration of Easter. We are learning about the different ways that Christian’s celebrate Easter and are learning about the significance of items linked to Easter such as chocolate eggs, hot cross buns and Easter gardens. We will be learning about the Easter story and why Christians celebrate this time of year. Throughout the week we will be doing a range of Easter activities such as making Easter crowns and cards, tasting hot cross buns, singing Easter songs, making chocolate nests and will be finishing the week with an Easter egg hunt.

Please continue to read every night at home. This gives your child the best support in helping them to move forward with their phonics. The continuous practise allows your child to reinforce the learning done at school by applying what they have learned to their reading. By re-reading the same text it allows your child to build both pace and fluency which will help them become a confident fluent reader. Please also remember to do your ‘Reading wise’ activities as extra phonic practise. Below are some videos to practise some of the set 2 sounds.

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/58lPXQJC/jyNUEhOQ

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/CvqsEwmC/9cExkO7r

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/uR6AxjnP/SQnHGFr2

This week in Maths we have been consolidating this terms learning. We have been focusing on our number bonds to 10, playing different games to practise using our number bond facts. Keep learning the number bonds at home. Can your child tell you all the different ways that make 10? If confident with their number bonds see if they can tell you the corresponding subtraction fact e.g. 7 +3= 10 so 10-7=3. We have also been recapping our 3D shapes as the children are finding this difficult. Can your child name the 3D shape and tell you some properties such as shape of the faces, number of vertices, does it roll?

School finishes on Friday for the Easter holidays. Your child will bring home their bean stalk plant this week. Please replant at home and look after it. As it grows please take a photo and email it in to us so we can show the class and see how they are getting on.

Have a wonderful Easter break. We are looking forward to a busy summer term once we are back and seeing even more progress with your children’s learning and development,

The Reception Team

This week we have been learning about spring. We are learning about the signs of Spring and will be going on a spring walk looking for the signs of spring. We will be doing lots of Spring crafts and learning spring songs. Look for signs of spring on the way home and in you garden. What can you see?

Please practice your set 1 and set 2 sounds. We added a link to amazon for the sound cards for those that were asking at parents evening

https://amzn.eu/d/5Dzfoo1

Please watch the videos below to support learning in school.

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/XyhvkuqN/6xhXuTg2

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/uXYpUcID/o4MBaVIt

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/zeHduuw6/8apJoQ66

In maths this week we have been consolidating our number bonds to 10. We have been recapping the number bonds and playing a range of games to identify how many are needed to make 10. Follow the number bond song below.

For an extra challenge can you say the corresponding subtraction fact e.g. 7+3=10 so 10-7=3

Have a lovely week,

The Reception Team

Here is a link Read Write Inc phonic cards for set 2 and 3 sounds that the majority of children are now moving on to. These cards will help your child to practise the sounds covered in school and will help them to become a fluent reader.

https://amzn.eu/d/5IGL5a5

This week is Science week. We will be looking at the story of Jack and the Beanstalk and will be using it as a focus for plants and growing. The children will learn about the story and will have a range of activities linked to the text. They will also plant their own bean in their own individual greenhouse so that they can watch it grow. The children will take their plant home at Easter to replant at home. Take photos and send them in to us as your child’s plant progresses.

Most of the children are now working on set 2 sounds. Continue to read every night and go through the sound cards at home. When children come across words they do not know in their reading books, encourage them to ‘special friends, Fred talk, read the word’. This is the strategy their use in school to help them decode words. Below are some videos to watch with your child to practise some of the sounds.

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/GcoaukXl/Sy050xTp

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/hPKcGuYy/khcf5BYg

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/kNuAlMyX/keMg7Xn9

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/sucQ31TX/NEnxAell

This week in Maths we are consolidating our number bonds to 5 and learning the corresponding subtraction facts. Children need to be able to say the number bond to 5 and then the subtraction fact. Work with amounts to 5. Can your child tell you all the ways to make 5? If confident, use this knowledge to then say what the subtraction fact is e.g. 3+2= 5, 5-2 =3

The weather is ever changing at the moment. Please ensure your child is dressed correctly for the weather i.e. when raining heavily or snowing ensure your child wears a warm water proof coat and wellies if possible. Unfortunately we could not let some children out in the snow last week as they were not wearing appropriate footwear and would have been in wet shoes for the rest of the day. If you would like to leave a pair of wellington boots in Reception then please sent them in to school clearly named and they can access them in the poor weather.

Have a lovely week,

The Reception Team

As we continue on with our topic of ‘People who help us’, we are moving on to look at the important job of the dentist and oral hygiene. As part of the Early Years curriculum it is now a requirement to teach children about oral hygiene and how to keep their teeth healthy. This week the children will be learning about the role of the dentist and will be learning about the different ways to keep their teeth healthy. One of the easiest ways to keep your child’s teeth healthy is to limit sugary food and to limit drinks such as juice and squash to meal times. We will be talking about having only water in our water bottles and would appreciate your support with this. This would be a great time to make the change as the children should be able to tell you why they should have water in their bottle. The children will also be learning how to brush their teeth and will be given their own toothbrush and tooth paste. This would also be the ideal time to book a dentist appointment for your child especially if they have never been to the dentist before. We are sure you understand the importance of keeping teeth healthy and hope you support this work at home by encouraging good oral hygiene as well as encouraging healthy foods and snacks.

Most of the children are now working on set 2 sounds. They are being introduced to 3 new sounds a week and are practising reading the sounds within both real and nonsense words. Remember when reading a word your child should use the strategy ‘special friends, Fred talk, read the word’. We then want to get the children to read speedily, words with phonemes they know. The online book set for your child is a book that they will have read 3 times in school. The text should be familiar to them and they should be able to read the book without having to do much word blending. If your child is still Fred talking every word, make sure you spend time on the red and green words at the front and back of each book. We have added some videos with some of the set 2 sounds for your child to watch and join in with at home.

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/apPGpl79/IESmaAe9

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/rrnad3R3/XFDiuXOn

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/SSrAN3ed/Lc3UGJ8k

This week in maths we are focusing on 3D shapes. We are looking at 3D shapes that we use everyday and are learning about the different properties of the shapes. We will be sorting cubes, cuboids, spheres, cones, triangular prisms, cylinders and pyramids. Can your child identify any of these shapes at home? Can they tell you anything about the shapes? Look at the faces on the shapes and talk about the difference of 2D (flat) shapes and 3D (solid) shapes.

The weather is due to turn a little colder this week. Please ensure your child wears a warm waterproof coat with a hood and brings a hat and gloves on colder days. Check that all property is named. We encourage the children to keep their gloves in their pockets and to put their hat in the sleeve of their coat when they take it off so that they can grab their coat and go without fussing trying to find gloves and hats that could be put anywhere.

The Reception Team

This week we have started a topic on people who help us. We have been thinking about all of the different people who help us and have been thinking about the different ways they help us. We have been dressing up as different people who help us such as police officer, fire fighters, doctors and nurses. We even have our own role-play fire station outside. Can your child tell you about the different people that help us and explain how they help?

This week we started in our new phonic groups. We have been reading our new text and have done a range of activities linked to the book. You child will come home with their new book on Friday and their new online book will be set. Please make sure your child reads every night so they can practise the skills they have been learning in school. Your child also has their Reading wise log in now, so please try to go online each day for 5 minutes to support your child’s phonic skills.

In Maths this week we are focusing on more and fewer. We are identifying numbers that are more than a given number and fewer than a given number. We have also been practising our number bonds to 10. Please continue to practise the number bonds to 10. If they are confident with these then can they tell you the corresponding subtraction fact?

Thursday is World Book Day. Remember the children can come in wearing their pyjamas and bring in a soft toy for a story time session. If your child wants to wear a book character costume that is fine but please don’t go to a lot of trouble or expense. We will also be having our brunch time session so your child bring a healthy snack and drink to enjoy if they wish. Fruit and milk will be available as normal.

Have a lovely week,

The Reception Team

This week we have been focusing on the Fiction text ‘Alien’s Love Underpants’. The children have listened to the story, sequenced the story, sang alien songs, moved like aliens and done a wide variety of alien and space related crafts. The children also designed some underpants that the aliens came and stole! We wrote a letter back to the aliens and they came and hid our pants around the classroom for us to find! The children also had a pants session on staying safe and understanding that our pants cover our private areas and we talked about who we could trust to speak to if anyone was asking to see our pants.

This week the children were assessed on the story level they are currently on. The children will move into their new groups after the half term break. The children will not have a book bag book this week but will have work set on line, so please complete these activities. We have also sent out your child’s log in details for ‘Readingwise’ a phonics programme that will help the children improve on their phonics and reading skills. This login will remain with them as they go through school so please store it somewhere safe.

In Maths this week we have continued learning about numbers to 10. We have been focusing on the order of the numbers and the numbers that make up 10. The children have been learning their number bonds to 10 and have been set the challenge of learning them over the half term break. You can find the song here

It is world book day on the 2nd March. Please do not feel you have to go out and buy an outfit. The children are welcome to come into school in their pyjamas and bring in a soft toy and their favourite bedtime story for a story session we will have at the end of the day. We will be snuggling down with stories and hot chocolate.

Have a lovely and restful half term,

The Reception Team