A morning in Reception…
Welcome back Reception!
It was so lovely to see your happy faces arrive at school this morning. We are looking forward to another great term ahead.
A HUGE thank you to everyone who has sent in photos of their half-term activities and adventures. We saw lots of great costumes, pumpkin picking, visits to the circus, welly walks and more. We will enjoy sharing these pictures in talk-time this week.
As part of our ongoing efforts to keep you all involved in classroom life, whilst restrictions continue to be in place, this morning we filmed a little snapshot of the classroom buzz and activity. You will see that as soon as the children walk through the door, they are ready to learn!
Click here to watch a short video of our busy morning
Keeping safe
This morning, we revisited how we are keeping safe, our hygiene routines and why it is important to follow them.
We had a swift mention of the fact that the leaders of our country have put in some ‘new rules’ to continue keeping us all safe. Well done to Gracie who told us that Boris Johnson “is the Prime Minister” when he was mentioned!
We spoke about how great we already are in our school, at making sure we are safe. We wash our hands carefully and use the ‘vampire arm’ to catch any sneezes or coughs. We practised this again.
Well done to Lewis, who gave a very detailed description of how we wash our hands:
“with soap, front to back, through our fingers, all over them, wash it off with water”
Thank you to our parents and carers, who have obviously done an amazing job at sharing these messages at home too.
Lunches
From next week, children will be having a different school dinner menu to choose from. There is more variety in the new menu. We wonder whether this might encourage some of our packed lunch children to try a school dinner?
You are of course welcome to continue sending a packed lunch, if this is your child’s preference. You may also choose a mixture of school dinners and packed lunch throughout the week.
Self Isolating at Home?
Here is some home learning for when you can’t be with us at school.
Maths
This week’s maths learning is all about the number three.
- Lesson 1 – Count one, two and three objects.
- Lesson 2 – Count one, two and three abstract materials.
- Lesson 3 – Estimating and checking.
- Lesson 4 – Representing number three.
- Lesson 5 – Pattern and numbers to three.
Your child’s learning will be most effective if you sit with them to pause the clip and check / praise / support your child as the clip moves on.
Phonics
This week we will be recapping the sounds we have learnt so far and some new ones too.
Watch and join in the Jolly Phonics songs.
(This is a YouTube link. Top tip for watching YouTube with your child: go to the settings cog along the play bar and turn off autoplay – this avoids an inappropriate clip coming up automatically, and helps to discourage your child from passively watching clip after clip.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VknD1I0Zc4
- Lesson 1: Screencast new sound o
- Lesson 2: Screencast new sound c
- Lesson 3: Screencast new sound k
Literacy
This week we are reading the story – The Three Little Pigs.
- Lesson 1: Read or watch the story. Recap the main events. What characters are in the story?
Draw a picture of your favourite character.
Challenge: Write a label or sentence to match your picture.
- Lesson 2: Read or listen to the story. What words could you use to describe each character? Create your own posters and add words to match each character. You can use the cards or posters below to support this activity too.
- Lesson 3: Read or listen to the story. Use this story map or create your own story map to retell the story.
- Lesson 4: Create your own story by changing the setting or characters in the story. Add your new characters/setting to the story map.
Topic
Choose some of these activities to complete throughout the week. They may spark other interests and ideas that result in other learning opportunities. Let your child lead the learning!
| Draw a pig.
Use your own imagination or this drawing tutorial. |
| Go on a shape hunt around your house. Name and discuss the different shapes you find.
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| Create your own three little pigs picture or model.
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| Scrunch foil, paper or any other items you can find around the house.
Can you use your scrunched items to make a number, letter or pattern?
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| Learn a song or rhyme.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-songs-medleys/zf2792p
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| Move like a firework. Here are some ideas.
Firework action cards |
Professor Myers
We had an exciting visitor in Reception-Professor Myers! We made predictions and observed two science experiments. We made a volcano using an apple, bicarbonate of soda, washing up liquid and vinegar. We also blew up a balloon by allowing sugar to react with yeast over time. Professor Myers was so impressed with our thinking skills that she will visit again soon.
Lost property
We have these items left over. (The cardigans are currently nameless). If they belong to you then please claim them during the first week back.
Golden Stars
Every half term, each class in the school can award one pupil with a Golden Star. The stars are awarded to those children who stand out for being exceptional in many ways. The star can be worn in school daily. It is an award to aspire to and pupils throughout the school wear them with great pride. Congratulations to our Golden Star pupils!
Half-term fun!
Well done Reception, a fantastic first half-term of school life. You have all been fantastic.
We want you to enjoy your time with family over the break, to relax and have fun.
You might already have lots of plans but here are a few suggestions of things to keep you busy (only if you want to be busy of course!)
Funny-Bones-Addition-SheetFunny-Bones-Addition-Sheet
funny-bones-pencil-control-path-activity-sheets
Halloween
Wow! There has been lots of Halloween fun in reception this week!
We have enjoyed hammering golf tees into pumpkins; dressing up in different outfits; spider handprints; pumpkin printing and creating our own pumpkins using our cutting skills. 
Phonics apps and websites…
Thank you to all of our parents who joined us for our Parent Evenings this week. We’ve really enjoyed catching up with you all and sharing your child’s learning. We are so proud of them all!
We received some questions about useful websites and apps that help with phonics and letter formation. Here are some suggestions:
Apps and websites to support phonics and letter formation
Some online apps and games to support phonics and letter formation at home…
Free website– www.phonicsplay.co.uk –> click ‘free play’ –> choose phase 2 –> select a game (select options up to where your child is in their phonics learning.
(‘Dragon’s Den’, ‘Buried Treasure’ and ‘Pick a Picture’ are free without subscription)
2.99– ‘Hairy Letters’ app (available on Apple Store or Google Play)- supports sound recognition, letter formation and blending.
Free CBeebies game– ‘Get Squiggling’–> https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/games/get-squiggling-letters-mobile -supports letter formation.
Free website- www.phonicsbloom.com –> choose the phase suitable for your child and select a game – supports sound recognition, segmenting/ blending and tricky word recognition.
Free to register- https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk –> wide selection of free e-books, including Oxford Reading Tree (Biff, Chip and Kipper) stories- supports all aspects of phonics through reading.
A game to play to support blending
In addition to word boxes for segmenting and blending, ‘Toy Talk’ is a great listening game to play to support blending.
Use a toy or teddy to segment the sounds of a picture or object. For example, if you had a picture of a cat, the toy would say ‘c-a-t’ and your child blends the sounds the toy has made together, to say the word ‘cat’
Sounds so far
These are the phonemes we have covered so far, sounded out by our super helpers in Sunshine and Rainbow class…
click here
Enjoy!
Self Isolating at Home?
Here is some home learning for when you can’t be with us at school with a welcome message from Miss Parling.
Maths
This week’s maths learning is linked to patterns and shapes.
This link will have all the sessions on for the week.
https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/early-years/week-3/
- Lesson 1 – Session 1 and challenge.
- Lesson 2 – Session 2 and challenge.
- Lesson 3 – Session 3 and challenge.
- Lesson 4 – Session 4 and challenge.
- Lesson 5 – Session 5 and challenge.
Your child’s learning will be most effective if you sit with them to pause the clip and check / praise / support your child as the clip moves on.
Phonics
This week we will be recapping the sounds we have learnt so far and some new ones too.
Watch and join in the Jolly Phonics songs. Listens to s,a,t,p,i,n,m,d,g.
(This is a YouTube link. Top tip for watching YouTube with your child: go to the settings cog along the play bar and turn off autoplay – this avoids an inappropriate clip coming up automatically, and helps to discourage your child from passively watching clip after clip.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VknD1I0Zc4
- Lesson 1: Screencast recapping satpin
- Lesson 2: Screencast new sound m
- Lesson 3: Screencast new sound d
- Lesson 4: Screencast new sound g
Literacy
This week we are reading the story – Room on the Broom.
- Lesson 1: Read or watch the story. Recap the main events. Discuss the order the characters appear.
Use the sheet or draw your own broomstick and characters. Put them in the same order as in the book.
- Lesson 2: Read or listen to the story again. Stop/Pause throughout the story to find rhyming words.
- Lesson 3: Match and find rhyming words.
- Lesson 4: Look at the picture strips. Spot the odd one out.
Challenge make your own.
Topic
Choose some of these activities to complete throughout the week. They may spark other interests and ideas that result in other learning opportunities. Let your child lead the learning!
| Draw or decorate a pumpkin.
Using your own imagination or this drawing tutorial.
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| Collect toys, teddies or any objects around the house and order by size.
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| Make your own mini broom.
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| Draw around your hand or a toy and cut it out.
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| Sing the alphabet.
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| Draw your favourite part of the story or use this colouring sheet.
Room on the Broom colouring sheet
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Phonics Fun
We have been working hard to learn our sounds, correct letter formations and corresponding ‘alphabet’ names for s,a,t,p,i and n. As we are currently unable to sing indoors, we have been listening and moving to the following alphabet song.
(This is a YouTube link. Top tip for watching YouTube with your child: go to the settings cog along the play bar and turn off autoplay – this avoids an inappropriate clip coming up automatically, and helps to discourage your child from passively watching clip after clip.)
Using our new phonemes, we have been segmenting, blending and writing a mixture of CVC (consonant, vowel,consonant) words. Using the sounds we know, we have written: tap, pin, pat, pit, sat and sit on our phoneme framed whiteboards.
Our tricky word is ‘I’ so we have been finding it in books and rehearsing sentences with it in them. When talking to your child please encourage sentences that include this word.
