Welcome to Reception Class!
Summer Term News!
We are excited to begin our Summer term in Reception Class! We love playing outside and can't wait to spend more time in our outdoor area. We are also starting our forest school sessions each Thursday, which will be led by a specialist teacher and develop lots of new skills linked to our EYFS curriculum!
We are focussing on Science this half term, learning about caterpillars, lifecycles and plants. Learning in other areas, such as sculpture using clay, will also link to these topics. Our focus texts which link to our literacy work will be 'The Hungry Caterpillar' and 'The Extraordinary Gardener.' We will be using these as a basis for writing our own instructions and stories.
We will be continuing to practice our number bonds to ten in maths, before moving on to numbers to 20. We will also be looking at patterns.
Our RE topic will be 'New Life'. We will be thinking about Easter and the joy this brings, as well as how we can share that joy with others.
Please check your child's Seesaw account for updates on their individual learning and photos and videos of all the excting things they have been doing in school
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If you have any concerns or questions then please speak to us at the beginning or end of the day, email the school office or telephone Mrs Marnell to make an appointment.
Mrs Totterdale
Changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
In 2021 some changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage, the curriculum we follow in the Reception year, became statutory. These changes affect what the children are taught and how we assess in Reception.
Below are some documents that you may find informative this year.
How we Learn
In Reception we learn through a mixture of adult led carpet sessions, adult initiated play based activities and child initiated independent learning. Sometimes children will be sat on the carpet, at other times they will complete a piece of work with an adult at a table, but for most of the day we plan a range of activities for children to interact with and learn through their play.
The Way, The Truth, The Life
At St Clement's we follow 'The Way the Truth, The Life' scheme in RE. The children cover a different topic each half term as shown below. Please see our newsletters at the bottom of the page for more information on each topic.
Fantastic Phonics
In Reception class we teach phonics daily. We follow the 'Ready, Steady, Phonics' scheme. After an introduction to phonics through phase1, children will then move on to matching sounds to letters in phases 2 and 3 over the year. As we learn new sounds we will practice putting these together to read words, and sounding them out to write words. More information about phonics and reading will be given once the children have settled in but if you have any questions please come and see me. Below are some videos you may find helpful.
Reading
Children will read twice a week to an adult in Reception class. We ask for reading books to be brought into school every day as children do not always have set reading days and may have extra opportunities to read during the week.
When reading the school reading book we will focus on using phonic skills to read words as well as comprehension skills to talk about the story and characters. Reading books will be linked to the children's developing phonic knowledge. We ask that if possible parents spend at least 5 to 10 minutes a night reading, either using the school reading book, sound mat or common exception word mat.
Later on in the year children will also take part in shared reading sessions, sharing and discussing a book as a group.
More information about how to support your child with reading will be sent home with their first reading book.
Children also have the opportunity to choose from a selection of books from our school library each week. Children will choose a library book to take home to share with their family. This is to encourage 'reading for pleasure' together and is not linked to phonics like the school reading book.
As well as school reading books, any extra reading at home is beneficial. The website phonicsplay.co.uk has free phonics games linked to the differnt phases the children will cover. Oxford Owl have put together a wonderful electronic reading library, using phonically decodable books.
https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/login?active-tab=students
Power Maths
'Power Maths' happens throughout the week in Reception. This includes several short practical sessions, as well as a recorded piece of work completed with an adult. Children can practise and consolidate their skills through child-led continuous provision activities throughout the week.
You can help your child at home with their maths with simple practical activities throughout the day, that involve counting, recognising numbers or shapes and problem solving. This could include things such as counting steps, recognising numbers or shapes when at home or outside, setting the table with the correct number of items or sharing out toys or food fairly.
Homework
Children will recieve homework on a Friday through the Seesaw app. Homework will be linked to either literacy, maths or a topic being covered. The task will always be accompanied by an explanation of how you can support your child with their homework. Homework will be due in by the following Thursday.
In addition to the set homework task we encourage children to read for 5 to 10 minutes each night and to practise common exception words and counting where possible through the week.
Newsletters!
Useful Links:
http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk - Electronic Reading books.
http://www.twinkl.co.uk - Free resources available.
http://classroomsecrets.co.uk/home-online-learning - Free maths resources.
http://www.youtube.com/user/cosmickidsyoga - Yoga videos designed for children.
http://www.phonicsplay.co.uk - Offering free resources.
http://www.ncetm.org.uk/resources/52060 - Work linked to CBeebies number blocks.
https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/early-years/ - White Rose Maths activities