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Hello Visitor,
The children have had a good start to the term and have settled in well. They are making new friends and becoming familiar with rules and routines.
This letter aims to give you a brief overview of the topics we will be covering between now and Christmas and the skills we will be learning along the way. Some of the topic titles are chosen by the teachers and some of them are determined by the children themselves.
Ways in which you can support your child at home:
Talking
Talk to your child. We realise that this seems like a strange request, but as you will appreciate, with Play Stations, X Boxes, PCs and the average household having a television in nearly every room, talk seems to have become a thing of the past. Recent research has proven that, “within 7 seconds of sitting in front of a television screen a child will be in a trance.” A very scary fact! Having a conversation with your child really helps them to learn how ‘talk’ is organised. Whilst the conversation goes on, you, as the adult, will be modelling how to speak in sentences, how to use a range of creative vocabulary such as describing words, or naturally introducing new and interesting language that relates to familiar objects or themes.
Phonics
Your child is being taught phonics daily. You have received the first two sets of sounds in your child’s book bag along with sets of the letters for you to play games with. Please can you help us by encouraging your child to pronounce their sounds correctly, adding an ‘uh’ sound onto the end is very unhelpful and may cause confusion when your child begins to blend (stick sounds together to make a word.) The alphablocks series on cbeebies uses the correct pronunciation. It is available to watch on line if you want to use it with your child or as a reference for yourself. If you have any questions please ask.
Reading
The children have now been provided with reading books. Reading books will be changed in school each week. Please take the time to hear your child read every day. This will have a huge impact on your child’s learning ability throughout the year. Repetition is a key element of developing reading.
Mark Making and Writing
Always encourage your child to make marks. This is an early form of writing and is to be celebrated. Ask your child what their ‘writing’ says, so that they are beginning to give their marks some meaning. When you write a shopping list, see if your child can write one at the same time, in their own way, so that you are modelling how to write. If you can, have lots of different kinds of pens or pencils for them to use. If your child wants to write their name, or other words, please see attached our Kinetic Letters crib sheet for our schools letter formation scheme. This will help your child to write letters using the correct formation. Please feel free to bring anything you try at home into school so that we can celebrate your child’s efforts together!
Counting
Count anything that moves! Counting forwards and backwards (call 0- zero). At this time of year of course, there are plenty of conkers, seeds, and fruits and vegetables to count on the way to school or simply while you are out and about. Counting rhymes or songs are also a natural way to enjoy learning numbers.
The World Around Us
Whenever possible, go outside! There is much to learn from our immediate environment. Encourage your child to tell you what they see around them. Children are naturally inquisitive, more so than ever at this age, so visiting parks, walking around the town or nearby places will really get them thinking.
Curriculum Information Autumn Term
Early Years education is known as the ‘Foundation Stage’, which runs from Nursery or playgroup through to the end of the Reception year. This statutory stage places much more emphasis on delivering the curriculum through play based and practical activities, and developing the social skills necessary for later education. Our work this term will include:
Communication, Language and Literacy
- Introduce characters and stories from our core reading scheme, Floppy’s Phonics.
- Gradually introduce Literacy activities involving whole class ‘shared reading’ and writing, as well as individual reading.
- Develop phonemes (letter sounds) awareness in games, stories and whole class shared activities.
- Work on individual letter sounds.
- Introduce correct handwriting orientation with sand, paint, tracing and letter patterns.
- Encourage speaking and listening as part of a group. Predict and comment on stories and recount events.
- To recognise and write own name with correct letter formation.
- Story telling.
Mathematics
- Match and sort by various criteria, giving reasons for their chosen criteria.
- Make sets of objects and count accurately to 20 (and beyond).
- Recognise and write numbers to 20 and beyond.
- Develop math vocabulary of size and shape.
- Recognise and know some of the properties of basic 2D shapes, and 3D shapes.
- Be able to repeat a sequential pattern.
- Be able to explain what they have done.
Understanding the World
- Recognise similarities and differences between themselves and others.
- Talk about families.
- Name parts of the body.
- Be aware of the senses.
- Become familiar with their school environment.
- Assemble models and discuss them.
- Develop computer skills using programs linked to the curriculum.
- Mix primary colours.
- Sort materials – textures.
- Go on seasonal walks both in our school and in our community.
- Be aware of the people who help us.
- Be able to verbalise likes and dislikes about things they see in local environment.
Physical Development
- Develop an awareness of space and body parts.
- Listen and respond to instructions.
- Develop skills using small apparatus.
- Handle tools and materials for cutting and fixing with increasing control.
- Respond with movements and voices to music.
- Begin to develop confidence and control using large apparatus.
Expressive Arts and Design
- Paint, draw, and make collages – small and large scale.
- Sing songs as a group related to Harvest and Christmas.
- Sing number rhymes and songs.
- Become familiar with percussion instruments and accompany class singing as a ‘band’.
- Printing with artefacts.
- Create cards for Christmas.
- Create collages, pictures, painting to reinforce the sound of the week.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- To follow the school rules.
- Introduce lunchtime routines.
- Celebrate our own achievements.
- Focus on looking after personal belongings and getting dressed mostly independently.
- Understand the needs of a baby.
- Talk about the significance of Harvest festival.
- Be polite and take turns as snack helpers.
- Talk about their immediate families.
- Learn the story of the Nativity.
- Begin to develop independent learning through the introduction of classroom based ‘Busy Time’.
Music
- Through all the Early Learning Goals children will experience activities which will develop their understanding and skills in the following elements of music:
Beat/tempo, high and low.
Challenge For Home
This term we have been talking about home and our families. We have been getting to know each other. As a project to work on at home we would like the children to make a model of their house out of junk modelling materials. The model should be no larger than a cereal or shoe box. We would like the children to focus on the outside features of your house only. Alternatively pictures of homes your children have drawn are welcome. The houses will be discussed with the children and displayed in our shared Reception area. Please bring your child’s project into school by Friday 11th October.
General Information
Toys
We ask that children do not bring toys into school.
Useful links to use with your children at home:
The Alphablocks guide to phonics - CBeebies - BBC
All subjects - Reception - Oak National Academy (thenational.academy)
Thank you for your support,
Yours Sincerely
The Reception Team
Mrs Miller
Mrs Smith
Mrs Betts
Mrs Campbell
Miss Tayabji
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