Category: Reception Blog

This week is Mental health week. There will be a variety of activities happening across the school to touch on this important topic. We will be listening to some mindfulness music in Reception and will be talking about our emotions. We will also be thinking about the things that make us happy and will be designing a link to go on a whole school paperchain to raise awareness of mental health across the school.

This week we are having a focus on Fiction and Non-fiction texts. We will be learning the difference between the two types of texts and reading both a non-fiction fact based text as well as the fiction story ‘A Tiger Who Came to Tea’. We are focusing on ‘Tigers’ throughout the week, learning facts, moving like tigers, and discussing if a tiger really would come to tea. Please read this story to your child at home so they can talk to you about it and the activities they have been doing. If you do not have the story then please follow the link below for an online version.

The children are coming towards the end of their 6 week block of Read Write inc and will be assessed again next week to see if they have progressed on to the next colour group. Those children who are practising their reading every night by reading their book bag book as well as their online book ( both do not have to be done each night, this could be alternated) and are going through their letter sounds regularly will be most likely to make the most progress and should be ready for the next colour group. To give your child the best chance of becoming a fluent confident reader, please complete the activities set by your child’s phonics teacher. Once children feel confident with reading, their love of reading also improves as so much of the world becomes more accessible to them. Please spend some time watching the videos below with your child for some extra practise.

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/EDqHOxOp/bXPaQhOb

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/7Yb6UEqP/Yc8CrqDu

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/O82iNaY9/froFAqtn

This week in Maths we are focusing on measure. We are using the language taller, shorter and longer and making play dough snakes that are longer or shorter than each other. We are also using non-standard units to measure how long the snakes are. You could do this at home with pieces of string and measure using pieces of pasta. See which one is longer/ shorter? How many pieces of pasta shorter or longer is it? We are also learning the days of the week and beginning to talk about time learning the o’clock time. This is something your child could do at home. See if they can find the o’clock time on a clock. Do they know the days of the week? What day comes after . . . . . . . . . . ? What day comes before . . . . . . . . . . . . .? What day will it be in 2 days time?

We hope you all have a lovely week. Remember to log on to Oxford owl to do the set reading activities as well as your home reading book.

The Reception Team

Kung Hei Fat Choi – Happy New Year. This week are celebrating the Lunar/Chinese New Year. The children are learning all about the festival and comparing it to the other festivals we have learned about so far this academic year. They are learning about, how people celebrate the festival and are partaking in a variety of activities. We will be tasting some Chinese food, listening to music, hearing stories and acting out the story of how the animals raced. The children will also make some decorations and try to use chopsticks. See if your child can tell you about Lunar/chinese new year.

The children are working hard with their phonics each day and are now trying to use their knowledge of the sounds to write simple sentences. Continue to work on the reading activities sent home and if your child has log in details then please log in each day and do the quiz and reading book set. Remember if you click on Fred the frog you can find all past books set and can read the book again. This is essential for reading fluency – those children reading every night make the most progress. Can we also remind you that reading books and diaries should be returned on a Wednesday so that next weeks book can be sorted. We have added some links below to some of the on line videos that provide extra practise for your child.

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/FF8tpaSM/PXCioLS1

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/hufdsFUw/VLZneYoV

In Maths this week we are moving on to 6, 7, 8. We are looking at how these numbers are made up and the different ways each of these numbers can be made. We would like the children to have a deeper understanding of the make up of each number so they don’t have to rely on counting. The children are confidently working with numbers to 5 and can tell you the different ways to make the numbers to 5. Ask your child to show you 5 on their fingers, then ask them to show you another way. Repeat this for the other numbers to 5. We will be doing the same with 6, 7, and 8 so the children know what makes up each amount and the different ways these numbers can be made up. This could be 3 and 3 or 2, 2 and 2, or 5 and 1 etc. See if your child can tell you different ways to make each number. If they find this difficult, use practical aids such as cars, bricks or pieces of pasta and get them to do it physically.

The weather has been very cold so far this week. Please ensure your child brings a hat and gloves to school each day and a warm waterproof coat. Please NAME all items as they easily get lost. If you would like to provide a pair of wellington boots for your child for wet weather then please send these in with their names clearly visible.

Please can we remind you that children should not be bringing in toys from home. I’m sure you can imagine how distracting this can be and children can get very upset if another child takes it or it gets lost or broken. The children have plenty to play with in the setting so do not need their own distracting resources. Please also bare this in mind with things like hair accessories as children tend to mess with these when they should be focusing on learning. Try to make sure hair bands/ bows/ headbands are appropriate for school and offer as little distraction as possible. Keep the pretty decorative items for home where they can be kept safe. Can we also remind you that children should not be wearing jewellery to school. If wearing earrings these should be plain small studs.

We have had a number of parents come to us about missing items of uniform. Please check that all of your children’s uniform is clearly named. If written on in pen, this will most likely have washed off by now and it makes it very difficult to return items to the correct owner. If you find your child has accidently taken someone else’s item of uniform home then please return it to school.

Have a lovely week

The Reception Team

This week we are continuing with our topic of ‘Winter’. We are discussing Fairy tales and are focusing on the story ‘The Snow Queen’. The children will be listening to the story, retelling the story and sequencing the story. They will also be helping to write a story mountain for our own winter story. We will be concluding our winter topic on Friday with a ‘Frozen’ day. The children can come in dressed in cloths that represent the word ‘Frozen’. Please do not go out and buy anything for this, wearing winter colours will be fine. If your child is wearing dress up such as an Elsa dress, please bare in mind they will be outside for a large portion of the day so ensure they have warm clothing and sensible shoes.

The children have settled back into their phonics groups very well and it is lovely to see them using their phonics in their play – we have a number of budding teachers on our hands playing schools! Please try to do the online activities each night and continue to go through the letter sounds. The children are making great progress with their writing and need a good knowledge of the sounds to help them write. Please remember to return reading books and diaries on a Wednesday so that the books can be sorted and changed ready for Friday.

This week in Maths the children are learning about weight and capacity. They are focusing on the language of heavier, lighter, full, empty, half full, nearly full, nearly empty. See if your child can use these words around the house. Can they find something that is heavier than a . . . . . or lighter than a . .. . . . . . . ? Can they describe how full the cup of water is? Can they show half full with a cup of water etc.

As the weather as got colder this week, children should come into school with a warm waterproof coat, a hat and gloves – please make sure these are named. We are looking forward to a fun end to the week with our Frozen day and have some lovely activities planned.

Keep warm,

The Reception Team

This week we are on the final countdown to Christmas. We have finished our Read Write Inc phonics for the term so will be doing some class based revision games to practise the sounds and words we have been taught. Please continue to read your on line books and remember to click on Fred the Frog to go back and read any books you may have already read. Keep going over your phonic sounds and see if you can read words quickly. Follow the links below for some videos that you can practise with.

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/aa7wPjs5/Sfre26dm

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/0W5jH3SF/bbOzYX2D

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/XxfrfW9M/erZriSes

The children will be having their party day on Wednesday 13th December. Children can come in wearing their Christmas Jumper or party wear ( please be mindful of the weather as they will be spending a large portion of time outside and it is very cold). The children will be getting the opportunity to see Father Christmas during the party. Please send in your £1 towards the cost of a gift in a named envelope.

The temperature has dropped massively over the last few weeks. Please ensure your child comes to school in a warm waterproof coat and a hat and gloves. These should all be named and children should be encouraged to put their gloves in their coat pocket and their hat in the sleeve of their coat when not wearing them. The children have 3 sessions outside during the day so need to be warm.

We are looking forward to a lovely last few days before the Christmas break. Thank you all for working with your children on their phonic sounds and reading as it is having a positive effect. We hope you all have a healthy and safe Christmas and look forward to seeing you all in the New Year.

The Reception Team

This week we are getting ready for our Christmas Nativity play. We are rehearsing our songs and words so that we are ready to perform to you all. If your child brought words home on Friday please practise these every night so that your child is confident saying their lines. If they are struggling don’t worry as the staff will help. We also tried our costumes this week and are looking forward to showing you how great we look. Our performances are on Wednesday 7th at 2.15 and Thursday 8th at 9.15. This is a ticketed event so please make sure you have your tickets as we would hate for you to miss out.

This week our Read Write Inc teachers will be assessing us to see if we have retained the sounds we have learned so and are able to blend the sounds into words. These assessments will then be used to set our phonics groups for after Christmas. Please make sure you go on line every day so your child can read their book and do the quiz as well as reading any of the activities sent home in their reading diary. Please sign the diary every time your child reads or does one of the activities. Watch these videos and have a go to help reinforce the learning done in school.

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/8a9ZHJ8G/zvK3tdRp

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/zqP0CCgu/BRZosMxZ

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/4MW6hZDD/aACLNWgG

We have been focusing on shapes with 4 sides and 4 corners this week. We have been using the shapes in different ways and talking about their properties. We are also looking at sequencing and beginning to talk about time.

While getting ready for the Christmas performance this week, we have noticed that there are still a large number of children who struggle with getting themselves dressed and undressed. This is a developmental milestone that children of Reception age should be able to achieve. Please encourage your child to get themselves dressed and undressed as often as possible please. Can we also ask that you help your child to learn how to pull their sleeves out the correct way and how to turn clothing the right way if inside out. If you are always doing it for them they will rely on staff to always do it for them in school also and then get upset when we ask them to try.

Next week we will be carrying out a wide range of different Christmas activities ( please see the email sent on Friday 2nd Dec). We will be having our Christmas party on Wednesday 14th December. Your child can come into school in their Christmas jumper or party wear ( please remember the children will be outside for large periods of the day so will need warm clothing and sensible footwear). They should also bring in a named paper plate of party snacks to enjoy in the afternoon ( they will have lunch as normal so do not need sandwiches and large amounts of food). We will play a range of games and the children will get the opportunity to meet Father Christmas. We are asking for a £1 donation towards the cost of providing presents for all of the children. Please send your £1 into school in an envelope.

On Monday and Tuesday next week we will be walking to the post-box on Southbank road to post our letters to Father Christmas. If you do not want your child to go on the walk, please let a member of staff know. We are looking forward to having lots of fun over the next couple of weeks and look forward to seeing you all at our Christmas Nativity.

The Reception Team

This week we have continued our work on celebrations, this time we focussed on Advent. We had a look at traditional ways people may celebrate advent in the UK. We found out that advent starts on the nearest Sunday to November 30th and lasts for four weeks leading up to Christmas. Some people use Advent calendars to help count this down, and much to our surprise, not all of them contain chocolate! We also looked at how other countries celebrate advent. Germany was our favourite as we found out that sweets get hidden insider your shoes!

The children are continuing to progress well with their sounds and are now starting to blend these sounds together to make words. This week they have been reviewing the sounds taught and will be continuing learning their ‘special friends’ (two letters that make one sound). Please watch the videos below with your child to review some of these sounds and support the work in class. Just like last week, please follow the log in instructions for Oxford owl to read the online book and quiz as well as reading the book bag book or ditty sheets that your child brings home in their diary. Those children with QR codes should have a go at the activities in the video. Remember to sign your child’s diary every time they read with you (this includes the online videos). We are very impressed with how well the children are doing with their phonics! Well done!

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/ICPXGgdf/RcEjAg2V

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/jvVLl9g4/IBzCZE6i

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/2VelQRXn/WY15D2zg

In maths this week we have been continuing our work on the numbers 4 and 5. We have been experimenting with showing these numbers in lots of different ways, as well as being introduced to five frames to help us see how many of an object we have. We have looked at one more and one less nursery rhymes, exploring how the number increases or decreases by one each time. We used this knowledge to come up with our very own one more and one less nursery rhyme. We have also explored four sided shapes and have had lot’s of fun spotting these in our learning environment.

Miss Masterson will continue the after school library session on Monday 5th December This week it is RKM’s turn. Please come to the main school Reception once you have picked up your child and you will be invited in once the session begins. Your child can then choose a book and listen to a story telling session. Bring your book back to school on your next library session (every two weeks).

It’s showtime! Reception are very excited to be performing our Nativity play ‘The very first Christmas’ on the 7th and 8th of December. Just a reminder that this is ticket only so if you do want to come and watch, please purchase these from the school office. We are also providing children with a costume to wear so please do not worry about this.

Another lovely week in Reception, we are very much looking forward to seeing what next week has in store! Have a great week, from all of us in the Reception team.

This week we have continued our work on celebrations, this week focussing on The Christmas Story. We have used this story to create our Nativity performance and we now have roles to play. We are still practising our songs, getting our voices pitch perfect for our performance to our grown ups in the next couple of weeks. Just a reminder not to worry about costumes as we try very hard to use what we currently already have in reception.

The children are continuing to progress well with their sounds and are now starting to blend these sounds together to make words. This week they have been reviewing the sounds taught and will be continuing learning their ‘special friends’ (two letters that make one sound). Please watch the videos below with your child to review some of these sounds and support the work in class. Just like last week, please follow the log in instructions for Oxford owl to read the online book and quiz as well as reading the book bag book or ditty sheets that your child brings home in their diary. Those children with QR codes should have a go at the activities in the video. Remember to sign your child’s diary every time they read with you (this includes the online videos). We are very impressed with how well the children are doing with their phonics! Well done!

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/knn7t8oz/mUlg4zyu

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/DwnizN1I/Re8smhpQ

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/qr9lZ9cI/HOXSJaey

In maths this week we haver been focussing on the numbers 4 and 5. We have been experimenting with showing these numbers in lots of different ways, as well as being introduced to five frames to help us see how many of an object we have. We have also had as go at estimating this week. We are really enjoying our maths lessons, and each week we are getting stronger with our counting.

Miss Masterson will continue the after school library session on Monday 29th November. This week it is RMT’s turn. Please come to the main school Reception once you have picked up your child and you will be invited in once the session begins. Your child can then choose a book and listen to a story telling session. Bring your book back to school on your next library session (every two weeks).

Now the weather is getting colder and wetter, please feel free to send your child in with a named hat, scarf and pair of gloves for them to wear outside. Make sure to remind the children to pop their things in their bags/pockets to keep them safe when they are not using them. If you notice its raining outside your child cab also bring in a pair of named wellies to stop the from getting soggy socks.

Thanks again for all of your support, have a lovely week!

This week we are continuing to work on celebrations. We are looking at our school value of ‘Kindness’ and how we celebrate this. We are learning how to be a kind friend and are celebrating the ways in which people demonstrate kindness. We are also starting to think about the celebration of Christmas. The children are being introduced to the Nativity and we are stating to learn the songs. Next week the children will be learning more about the Nativity and will be given a role for the performance in December (more details to follow in the Friday Focus). Please do not worry about costumes we will let you know if we need anything but we do try to use the costumes we have in school.

The children are progressing well with their sounds and working hard to blend sounds together. This week they have been reviewing the sounds taught and will be beginning their ‘special friends’ (two letters that make one sound). Please watch the videos below with your child to review some of these sounds and support the work in class. From Friday, your child will come home with a reading diary, please follow the log in instructions for Oxford owl to read the online book and quiz as well as reading the book bag book or ditty sheets that your child brings home in their diary. Those children with QR codes should have a go at the activities in the video. Remember to sign your child’s diary every time they read with you (this includes the online videos).

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/aI0n0swy/9pNyOKvh

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/fvZ4SJlr/QoKIUujv

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/training/view/SFYzbNoB/3j6qVGgg

This week in |Maths we are consolidating our understanding of 1,2,3. We have been looking at shapes – triangles and circles and recognising the number of properties in these shapes e.g. a triangle has 3 vertices and 3 straight sides, a circle has one continuous curved edge. We have been making shape pictures using these shapes and have looked at orientating the shapes in different ways and have looked for shapes in the environment. We are also looking at positional language with a focus on ‘on top, in front, behind, to the side and under.

Miss Masterson will start the after school library session on Monday 21st November. She will begin with RKM. Please come to the main school Reception once you have picked up your child and you will be invited in once the session begins. Your child can then choose a book and listen to a story telling session. Bring your book back to school on your next library session (every two weeks). RMT’s library session will begin on Monday 28th November and carry on every two weeks after.

Don’t forget that Friday is ‘Children in Need’. Children can come to school in their pyjamas or in something spotty for a donation of £1.

Have a lovely week

The Reception Team