Reception update - week ending 6.3.15
Phonics-
In Phonics next week we are learning the new sounds ‘ar’, as in car, or as in fork, and ‘ur’ as in burn. Please continue to practise the sounds we are learning. Please also help your child to practise making words using these sounds. You can help your child by building simple words using magnetic letters or letter cards. Some of the children are beginning to write simple sentences. If your child is ready for sentence writing you could help them practise by writing about things that they are interested in such as Transformers or Frozen. It is also very important that your child begins to recognise their tricky words. Please practise these at home.
Maths-
In Maths next week our focus is halving and doubling. You can help your child by doing some simple problem solving at home. For example, cutting a cake or piece of fruit in halves or quarters. Make a butterfly or ladybird, can you make sure it has the same number of spots on each wing. Add the spots on his wings together
Phonics-
In Phonics next week we are learning the new sounds ‘ar’, as in car, or as in fork, and ‘ur’ as in burn. Please continue to practise the sounds we are learning. Please also help your child to practise making words using these sounds. You can help your child by building simple words using magnetic letters or letter cards. Some of the children are beginning to write simple sentences. If your child is ready for sentence writing you could help them practise by writing about things that they are interested in such as Transformers or Frozen. It is also very important that your child begins to recognise their tricky words. Please practise these at home.
Maths-
In Maths next week our focus is halving and doubling. You can help your child by doing some simple problem solving at home. For example, cutting a cake or piece of fruit in halves or quarters. Make a butterfly or ladybird, can you make sure it has the same number of spots on each wing. Add the spots on his wings together
Reception Update 13.2.15
We hope to have an exciting start to our half-term by looking at imaginary creatures. We will be learning the story of the Zagaro with some help from our friends at ZooLab! The children will be using their imaginations to create their own imaginary creatures and stories. We will be looking at stories about fairies, dragons and other imaginary creatures.
In mathematics we will be learning about ordinal numbers, for example first, second, third. You can help your child by playing racing games or making your own medals.
Our phonics sounds this week will be ee, ai and igh. For example seed, train, high. Please help your child to practise these sounds at home.
Over half term please share your child’s reading book with them. When sharing a reading book with your child please:
We hope to have an exciting start to our half-term by looking at imaginary creatures. We will be learning the story of the Zagaro with some help from our friends at ZooLab! The children will be using their imaginations to create their own imaginary creatures and stories. We will be looking at stories about fairies, dragons and other imaginary creatures.
In mathematics we will be learning about ordinal numbers, for example first, second, third. You can help your child by playing racing games or making your own medals.
Our phonics sounds this week will be ee, ai and igh. For example seed, train, high. Please help your child to practise these sounds at home.
Over half term please share your child’s reading book with them. When sharing a reading book with your child please:
- Help them to sound out the words.
- Spot tricky words. (For example, the, I, like) You could select one tricky word a week to focus on.
- Talk to your child about the story. What has happened? What part of the story did you like? Why did they do that? What might happen next?
- Showing them how to zip their coat.
- Letting them dress themselves in the morning/evening.
- Showing them how to open and close their bag.
- Showing them how to take off their own coat and hang it on a peg.
Reception Update 24.11.2014
Phonics
In phonics next week we will be revising ‘m’ ‘n’ ‘d.’ Please practise these at home. To help your child distinguish between ‘m’ and ‘n’ please encourage your child to look in a mirror when they make these sounds so they can see how their faces look different when they say them.
Literacy
We will be acting out the story of the Nativity and making our own Christmas books. Please share the story of the Nativity with your child and talk about how Christmas is a time when we celebrate Jesus’ birthday.
Maths
We will be continuing our learning of ‘one more’ and ‘one less.’ Please practise songs at home such as ‘5 speckled frogs’ or ‘5 little monkeys.’ Please encourage your child to use their fingers to represent the frogs or monkeys and to put down one finger each time.
5 little speckled frogs, sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious grubs, yum yum!
One jumped into the pool, where it was nice and cool,
Then there were 4 little speckled frogs, glug glug,
Some fun games to play:
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/Flash.aspx?f=TakeAway
Big Talk
This week we will be thinking about how we celebrate our birthday. What is a birthday? Why do we celebrate it? What happens when it is your birthday? How do we celebrate it? What do your family and friends do? What happens when it is another person’s birthday? What do you do? What do we eat? What do we wear?
Phonics
In phonics next week we will be revising ‘m’ ‘n’ ‘d.’ Please practise these at home. To help your child distinguish between ‘m’ and ‘n’ please encourage your child to look in a mirror when they make these sounds so they can see how their faces look different when they say them.
Literacy
We will be acting out the story of the Nativity and making our own Christmas books. Please share the story of the Nativity with your child and talk about how Christmas is a time when we celebrate Jesus’ birthday.
Maths
We will be continuing our learning of ‘one more’ and ‘one less.’ Please practise songs at home such as ‘5 speckled frogs’ or ‘5 little monkeys.’ Please encourage your child to use their fingers to represent the frogs or monkeys and to put down one finger each time.
5 little speckled frogs, sat on a speckled log
Eating some most delicious grubs, yum yum!
One jumped into the pool, where it was nice and cool,
Then there were 4 little speckled frogs, glug glug,
Some fun games to play:
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/Flash.aspx?f=TakeAway
Big Talk
This week we will be thinking about how we celebrate our birthday. What is a birthday? Why do we celebrate it? What happens when it is your birthday? How do we celebrate it? What do your family and friends do? What happens when it is another person’s birthday? What do you do? What do we eat? What do we wear?
Reception Update 20.10.14
Phonics and Literacy
This week in phonics we will be learning ‘m’ and ‘d’ ( mat, den) Please continue to practise these sounds at home.
In Literacy we will be re-visiting The Enormous Turnip. We will be making turnip soup and will begin to write our instructions for making the soup.
Maths
This week we will be continuing our learning about height and length. You could take a walk outside and look at buildings and their different heights. Look at your toys/teddies at home and put them in height order. Which is the tallest? Can you find the shortest toy? Can you find objects around the home or outside on a walk. Are they long or short?
RE
In RE we are learning about baptism. Please send in a photo of your child’s baptism to share. If you are not Catholic or Christian please let us know how your child is welcomed into the community.
Phonics and Literacy
This week in phonics we will be learning ‘m’ and ‘d’ ( mat, den) Please continue to practise these sounds at home.
In Literacy we will be re-visiting The Enormous Turnip. We will be making turnip soup and will begin to write our instructions for making the soup.
Maths
This week we will be continuing our learning about height and length. You could take a walk outside and look at buildings and their different heights. Look at your toys/teddies at home and put them in height order. Which is the tallest? Can you find the shortest toy? Can you find objects around the home or outside on a walk. Are they long or short?
RE
In RE we are learning about baptism. Please send in a photo of your child’s baptism to share. If you are not Catholic or Christian please let us know how your child is welcomed into the community.
Big Talk
What can you see in the picture? Do you think it is a hot or cold day? How can you tell? What do you like to do at the beach? Have you been to the beach on a cold day? What kind of animals do you find at the beach?
What can you see in the picture? Do you think it is a hot or cold day? How can you tell? What do you like to do at the beach? Have you been to the beach on a cold day? What kind of animals do you find at the beach?
Reception Update
Dear parents/carers,
Welcome to St. Anne Line Infant School. We hope that your child is beginning to settle into school and enjoying their time with us. Each week we will send out a ‘Reception Update’, this will help you to know what your child is learning at school and activities to do at home with your children. Copies of the reception update can be found online via your child’s class or the school website.
Class websites:
www.robinclass.weebly.com Miss. Barry
www.wrenclass.weebly.com Miss. Williams
www.sparrowclass.weebly.com Miss. Hardy
Uniform and P.E
Please remember to label your child’s name in ALL uniform and coats as already some items of clothing are missing. Check your child’s clothes to ensure they’ve brought home the right jumper!
Please can all children have their P.E kits in school. Please remember children should not have ANY jewellery or earrings in on P.E days as Essex County Council guidelines state that no earrings or jewellery should be worn in P.E and your child will not be able to participate if they have earrings in. This is every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Reading:
Please do make sure your child is doing the suggested activities at home as they will support and reinforce their learning. The activities are designed to be engaging and practical and to take only a small amount of time.
We will also be sending home reading books next week. It is very important that you share a book with your child regularly. Whether you choose to read a school book or a book at home please ensure that you make a note of it in their reading record book each week so that we know they are reading at home.
Children will learn to read at their own pace At this point in the year we do not expect your child to be able to read independently. As we begin to learn our letter sounds the children can begin to try to read the books we send home. At this point in the school year simply sharing a story and reading to your child will help them to develop their understanding of books and how we read. Regular reading with your child will help to build their vocabulary and build an understanding of story plots and characters. This website gives information about why reading with your child is so important and tips on how to share a book with your child and to encourage a love of reading: http://uk.pearson.com/enjoy-reading/why-is-reading-so-important.html
This week we will be learning about our families. PLEASE SEND A FAMILY PHOTO INTO SCHOOL ON MONDAY. Please make sure this is a photo you are happy for us to keep in school as the children are going to make frames for them to display.
In literacy this week we will be writing about our families. We will also be focusing on name writing. Please help your child to practise at home. You can start simply by practising the first letter of their name or writing the whole thing if they are confident. Please remember that only the first letter of their name is a capital letter, please encourage them to use lower case letters for the rest of their name.
In phonics we are learning:
s ,a
Please remember to practise the sounds and not simply the letter names.
In mathematics we are counting confidently to 10. If your child is confident you can try adding 1 more. Keep this fun by using toys or sweets, for example “I have 2 teddies if I add 1 more how many teddies do I have?”
Dear parents/carers,
Welcome to St. Anne Line Infant School. We hope that your child is beginning to settle into school and enjoying their time with us. Each week we will send out a ‘Reception Update’, this will help you to know what your child is learning at school and activities to do at home with your children. Copies of the reception update can be found online via your child’s class or the school website.
Class websites:
www.robinclass.weebly.com Miss. Barry
www.wrenclass.weebly.com Miss. Williams
www.sparrowclass.weebly.com Miss. Hardy
Uniform and P.E
Please remember to label your child’s name in ALL uniform and coats as already some items of clothing are missing. Check your child’s clothes to ensure they’ve brought home the right jumper!
Please can all children have their P.E kits in school. Please remember children should not have ANY jewellery or earrings in on P.E days as Essex County Council guidelines state that no earrings or jewellery should be worn in P.E and your child will not be able to participate if they have earrings in. This is every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Reading:
Please do make sure your child is doing the suggested activities at home as they will support and reinforce their learning. The activities are designed to be engaging and practical and to take only a small amount of time.
We will also be sending home reading books next week. It is very important that you share a book with your child regularly. Whether you choose to read a school book or a book at home please ensure that you make a note of it in their reading record book each week so that we know they are reading at home.
Children will learn to read at their own pace At this point in the year we do not expect your child to be able to read independently. As we begin to learn our letter sounds the children can begin to try to read the books we send home. At this point in the school year simply sharing a story and reading to your child will help them to develop their understanding of books and how we read. Regular reading with your child will help to build their vocabulary and build an understanding of story plots and characters. This website gives information about why reading with your child is so important and tips on how to share a book with your child and to encourage a love of reading: http://uk.pearson.com/enjoy-reading/why-is-reading-so-important.html
This week we will be learning about our families. PLEASE SEND A FAMILY PHOTO INTO SCHOOL ON MONDAY. Please make sure this is a photo you are happy for us to keep in school as the children are going to make frames for them to display.
In literacy this week we will be writing about our families. We will also be focusing on name writing. Please help your child to practise at home. You can start simply by practising the first letter of their name or writing the whole thing if they are confident. Please remember that only the first letter of their name is a capital letter, please encourage them to use lower case letters for the rest of their name.
In phonics we are learning:
s ,a
Please remember to practise the sounds and not simply the letter names.
In mathematics we are counting confidently to 10. If your child is confident you can try adding 1 more. Keep this fun by using toys or sweets, for example “I have 2 teddies if I add 1 more how many teddies do I have?”
Dear Parents/carers,
Your child will be visiting the Plotlands nature reserve on Thursday 12th June.
On the day your child will need:
Your child will be visiting the Plotlands nature reserve on Thursday 12th June.
On the day your child will need:
- A packed lunch, with 2 drinks. (Please put this in a plastic bag which can be disposed of.)A sun hat.
- Your child will need to be wearing wellington boots and warm socks.(The park is very muddy!)
- We recommend that your child wears their school tracksuit.
- Please ensure your child has a waterproof coat.
- Please ensure your child has any necessary inhalers/medication in school
- If it is hot we will apply sun cream. Please let us know if you do not want the school to put sun cream on your child.
Reception update 6.6.14
This week we will be visiting the Langdon Nature Reserve (Plotlands). The children will be pond dipping, den building, bug hunting and creating nature art. In school we will be looking at the artist Andy Goldsworthy and having a go at making some of our own natural art. You can find examples of his work by going online. You might like to have a go at making your own art at home.
For our literacy this week the children will be writing about their trip to the nature reserve. We will be captioning photos, making maps and writing about their visit.
To help your child prepare for our trip you might like to borrow some books from the library. What kind of creatures might they find in the pond? What creatures might live in the woods? You can also go online to find this information.
http://www.uksafari.com/wildfiles.htm is a fantastic website for finding out about bristish wildlife.
In mathematics we will be looking at problem solving. You can help your child at home by doing simple sharing problems, for example: “We have 6 sweets and 2 people how can we share them fairly?” Remember it is easier for young children to solve problems if they have the objects in front of them, try to keep the problems simple and practical. You can share anything, dinosaurs, fruit, sweets, cars, teddys, sequins whatever your child is interested in!
Phonics sounds we have learnt so far
s a i n g o ck e h b t m c u f, ff p d k r l, ll ss j v w x y z zz qu
ch sh th ng ai ee igh oa oo
ar or ur ow oi ear air
Tricky word trucks
Attached you will find a new set of tricky word trucks. If your child is still working on the last set of words that is absolutely fine. If your child is ready for a new challenge then you can start learning the new set of words attached.
Parent Update 30/4/14
Literacy
Next Thursday and Friday we are going on our trip to the beach. In Literacy we will be writing about things we might find on the beach. Is it living? Does it live in the sea or on land?
The local library offers many information books and videos looking at things you might find on the beach, as does the link below.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/habitats/Tide_pool
Maths
In maths we are going to continue looking at ordering things by weight.
A brilliant way of helping children find out about weight is to do some cooking. Weighing out all the ingredients you need and discussing what is heavier or lighter.
The link below offers a lovely way to order bears by weight.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/Early-Years.html - simple scales
Phonics
We are learning the new sound “ar” i.e. Car
Please continue to practise the sounds we learn, at home with your children.
Literacy
Next Thursday and Friday we are going on our trip to the beach. In Literacy we will be writing about things we might find on the beach. Is it living? Does it live in the sea or on land?
The local library offers many information books and videos looking at things you might find on the beach, as does the link below.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/habitats/Tide_pool
Maths
In maths we are going to continue looking at ordering things by weight.
A brilliant way of helping children find out about weight is to do some cooking. Weighing out all the ingredients you need and discussing what is heavier or lighter.
The link below offers a lovely way to order bears by weight.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/Early-Years.html - simple scales
Phonics
We are learning the new sound “ar” i.e. Car
Please continue to practise the sounds we learn, at home with your children.
Reception Update 14.3.14
Phonics:
Next week we will be learning ‘th’ (think), ‘v’ (vet) and z (zebra). If you are unsure of the pronunciation of the sounds you may find this video helpful:
http://www.phonicsinternational.com/new_hear_sounds.html
We have been thinking of our own Hungry Caterpillar stories set in Basildon. Next week we will be acting out the stories we have made as part of our Basildon Challenge. You might like to help your child by reading stories and thinking about how you could act them out. The second video of Michael Rosen performing the Bear Hunt story may be useful
http://www.jointhebearhunt.com/explore/videos/
In maths we will be adding amounts. At home you could practise addition in practical ways. e.g How many toy cars do I have? How many toy cars do you have? How many will we have if we add them together?
These number games may also be useful:
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/3-5-years/counting
http://www.ictgames.com/funny_fingers_v2.html
Phonics:
Next week we will be learning ‘th’ (think), ‘v’ (vet) and z (zebra). If you are unsure of the pronunciation of the sounds you may find this video helpful:
http://www.phonicsinternational.com/new_hear_sounds.html
We have been thinking of our own Hungry Caterpillar stories set in Basildon. Next week we will be acting out the stories we have made as part of our Basildon Challenge. You might like to help your child by reading stories and thinking about how you could act them out. The second video of Michael Rosen performing the Bear Hunt story may be useful
http://www.jointhebearhunt.com/explore/videos/
In maths we will be adding amounts. At home you could practise addition in practical ways. e.g How many toy cars do I have? How many toy cars do you have? How many will we have if we add them together?
These number games may also be useful:
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/3-5-years/counting
http://www.ictgames.com/funny_fingers_v2.html
Reception Update 7.3.14
Phonics:
Next week we will be revising ‘ie’ and ‘igh.’ e.g pie, night. If you are unsure of the pronunciation of the sounds you may find this video helpful:
http://www.phonicsinternational.com/new_hear_sounds.html
We will be continuing making Sunflower seed diaries. You might like to help your child by doing some gardening with them and introducing them to some vocabulary we might use e.g growing, planting, seeds, watering can, gardening gloves, compost, spades.
In maths we are learning about 3D shapes. You could help your child by making a shape puppet.
Use the shape nets (found at the links below) to make your chosen shape, then add eyes, nose, ears, anything you like! Or you could make a cube or cuboid treasure chest.
http://www.greatmathsteachingideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Making-3D-Shapes.pdf
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Funnel-or-Cone-from-Paper
Big Talk:
Next week we will be thinking about what animal we would like to be. Why would you want to be that animal? What things might you do? What would you eat? Where would you go? Please discuss this with your child at home.
Phonics:
Next week we will be revising ‘ie’ and ‘igh.’ e.g pie, night. If you are unsure of the pronunciation of the sounds you may find this video helpful:
http://www.phonicsinternational.com/new_hear_sounds.html
We will be continuing making Sunflower seed diaries. You might like to help your child by doing some gardening with them and introducing them to some vocabulary we might use e.g growing, planting, seeds, watering can, gardening gloves, compost, spades.
In maths we are learning about 3D shapes. You could help your child by making a shape puppet.
Use the shape nets (found at the links below) to make your chosen shape, then add eyes, nose, ears, anything you like! Or you could make a cube or cuboid treasure chest.
http://www.greatmathsteachingideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Making-3D-Shapes.pdf
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Funnel-or-Cone-from-Paper
Big Talk:
Next week we will be thinking about what animal we would like to be. Why would you want to be that animal? What things might you do? What would you eat? Where would you go? Please discuss this with your child at home.
Reception update 24.1.14
LITERACY
In literacy we will be learning about Chinese New Year, the year of the horse. Perhaps you could share the story with your child at home. Using the link below. http://www.topmarks.co.uk/ChineseNewYear/ZodiacStory.aspx
PHONICS
In phonics we are learning two new sounds ‘ie’, ‘igh’, e.g tie, and light. As the sounds are getting more complex we are learning them over two days. For the first day we will be learning the new sound and on the second we will be focusing on writing words and sentences using this sound. Please continue to practise the sounds we learn at home with your children.
MATHS
In maths our main focus will be ordinal numbers. (1st, 2nd,3rd,4th, 5th,6th,7th,8th,9th,10th)
You could help your child with this at home by playing racing games and talking about who came 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc.
The website below has many useful maths games particularly the compare and order game. You can order the objects by size and height and then discuss which is 1st, 2nd and so forth.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/Early-Years.html
BIG TALK
Next week as we are focusing on Chinese New Year, Our Big Talk will be based on counting to ten in a different language. We will be learning how to say 1-10 in Mandarin. It would be lovely if you could share with us 1-10 in other languages too. Please also let us know if you are happy to come and share this with the children.
LITERACY
In literacy we will be learning about Chinese New Year, the year of the horse. Perhaps you could share the story with your child at home. Using the link below. http://www.topmarks.co.uk/ChineseNewYear/ZodiacStory.aspx
PHONICS
In phonics we are learning two new sounds ‘ie’, ‘igh’, e.g tie, and light. As the sounds are getting more complex we are learning them over two days. For the first day we will be learning the new sound and on the second we will be focusing on writing words and sentences using this sound. Please continue to practise the sounds we learn at home with your children.
MATHS
In maths our main focus will be ordinal numbers. (1st, 2nd,3rd,4th, 5th,6th,7th,8th,9th,10th)
You could help your child with this at home by playing racing games and talking about who came 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc.
The website below has many useful maths games particularly the compare and order game. You can order the objects by size and height and then discuss which is 1st, 2nd and so forth.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/Early-Years.html
BIG TALK
Next week as we are focusing on Chinese New Year, Our Big Talk will be based on counting to ten in a different language. We will be learning how to say 1-10 in Mandarin. It would be lovely if you could share with us 1-10 in other languages too. Please also let us know if you are happy to come and share this with the children.
Parent Update 6.12. 13
In Maths we will be learning about symmetry. Please help your child with this at home by painting pictures on one side of a piece paper and folding them over to create a symmetrical effect. Discuss with your child what has happened. You could make another one and encourage your child to predict what will happen. e.g where will we see the blue dot when we fold the paper over?
In phonics we will be learning the sounds, /l/, /ll/, /f/, /ff/ Please try to practise the sounds we are learning at home either in their homework books or through forming the letters in another medium e.g flour, sand, glitter.
Big Talk
This week we are learning about different Christmas traditions. Please talk to your child about the way you celebrate Christmas. (If you do not celebrate Christmas please talk to your child about another festival that your family celebrates.) What kind of food do you make and eat? Do you decorate your house? Do you visit family and friends or do they visit you? Do you buy gifts for each other? Which mass or religious service do you attend? What is it like? Do you wear special clothes?
Any parents who would like to come in and share their Christmas or celebration traditions with the children would be very welcome. We would love to see any photos of family celebrations that you would like to share.
In Maths we will be learning about symmetry. Please help your child with this at home by painting pictures on one side of a piece paper and folding them over to create a symmetrical effect. Discuss with your child what has happened. You could make another one and encourage your child to predict what will happen. e.g where will we see the blue dot when we fold the paper over?
In phonics we will be learning the sounds, /l/, /ll/, /f/, /ff/ Please try to practise the sounds we are learning at home either in their homework books or through forming the letters in another medium e.g flour, sand, glitter.
Big Talk
This week we are learning about different Christmas traditions. Please talk to your child about the way you celebrate Christmas. (If you do not celebrate Christmas please talk to your child about another festival that your family celebrates.) What kind of food do you make and eat? Do you decorate your house? Do you visit family and friends or do they visit you? Do you buy gifts for each other? Which mass or religious service do you attend? What is it like? Do you wear special clothes?
Any parents who would like to come in and share their Christmas or celebration traditions with the children would be very welcome. We would love to see any photos of family celebrations that you would like to share.
Reception Update 20.11.13
Next term our topic will be ‘Explorers.’ We will be learning about minibeasts such as woodlice and beetles. We are hoping to work with the Essex Wildlife trust to help the children to learn about the importance of looking after the nature around us.
In maths we will learn how to order objects by height and length. Important words include ‘bigger’, ‘smaller’, ‘tallest’ , ‘shortest’, ‘longest.’ You can help your child my ordering your family by height from shortest to tallest. You could order some toys by size using these words.
In literacy we will be looking at information books about minibeasts. You might like to visit the library and find some information books. You could talk to your children about how they are different from story books.
Thank you for all of your support for the reception classes this year. We hope you have a lovely christmas and look forward to seeing you in the new year.
Big Talk
We will be learning about the endangered stag beetle. Please could you spend time learning about this beetle with your child. You could also join in with the Great Stag Hunt and send in photos of what you found. Your child could draw picture of the beetle to bring in.
http://www.ptes.org/?page=209
Useful websites include
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p003k117
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Stag_beetle
Parent Update 28.11.13
In Maths we will be learning to find ‘one less’ than a given number. You could help your child with this at home by asking them to help you with counting out items e.g how many apples do we have? If you eat one how many will be left?
In phonics we will be learning the sounds, d,g,o,u. Please try to practise the sounds we are learning at home.
We will be learning about our pet guinea pigs and making a class information book. You can help your child at home by sharing information books with them and talking about how we look after animals.
Big Talk
We will be making our Advent promises next week.You could talk to your child about advent being a time to prepare for Christmas. Please talk to your child about what a promise is and what they could do to help their family and friends at this busy time. You can help them to think of a promise they would like to make. e.g I promise to keep my room tidy. I promise to play nicely with my brother.
Parent Update 21.11.13
In Maths we will be learning to find ‘one more’ than a given number. You could help your child with this at home by asking them to help you with counting out items e.g how many sweets do I have? 5? If you give me one one more how many will I have?
In phonics we will be learning the sounds, e, h, r, m. Please try to practise the sound we are learning at home.
Big Talk
Next week we will be talking about nursery rhymes and sharing and teaching different ones that we know. To help your child at home you could teach them nursery rhymes you know and talk about what your favourite ones are. You can talk about rhyme and see if your child can spot the rhyming words in the songs. We would love to hear any new nursery rhymes and nursery rhymes in different languages too. Please let us know if you would be happy to come in and share a nursery rhyme with the children.
You can listen to nursery rhymes and find lyrics for them on these websites.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/schoolradio/subjects/earlylearning/nurserysongs
http://www.mothergooseclub.com/
Ipad apps
Some parents have asked for suggestions of apps that could be downloaded onto the ipads. Below are some of the apps that we use at school.
KidsDoodle Hello Crayon Hello Colour Pencil
Hello Chalk Bee-Bot
PuppetPals Daisy the Dino
Sockpuppet Photopen
Collins Big Cat reading books
CBeebies Playtime-this app is great for phonics as it has an alphablocks game
In Maths we will be learning to find ‘one more’ than a given number. You could help your child with this at home by asking them to help you with counting out items e.g how many sweets do I have? 5? If you give me one one more how many will I have?
In phonics we will be learning the sounds, e, h, r, m. Please try to practise the sound we are learning at home.
Big Talk
Next week we will be talking about nursery rhymes and sharing and teaching different ones that we know. To help your child at home you could teach them nursery rhymes you know and talk about what your favourite ones are. You can talk about rhyme and see if your child can spot the rhyming words in the songs. We would love to hear any new nursery rhymes and nursery rhymes in different languages too. Please let us know if you would be happy to come in and share a nursery rhyme with the children.
You can listen to nursery rhymes and find lyrics for them on these websites.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/schoolradio/subjects/earlylearning/nurserysongs
http://www.mothergooseclub.com/
Ipad apps
Some parents have asked for suggestions of apps that could be downloaded onto the ipads. Below are some of the apps that we use at school.
KidsDoodle Hello Crayon Hello Colour Pencil
Hello Chalk Bee-Bot
PuppetPals Daisy the Dino
Sockpuppet Photopen
Collins Big Cat reading books
CBeebies Playtime-this app is great for phonics as it has an alphablocks game
arent Update 8.11.13
Next week we will be revising the phonics sounds we have learnt so far. The sounds we will be focusing on are, s,a,t,i. The children will be learning to write using pencils. Please try to practise the sound we are learning home for 5 minutes after school each day. The children could do this using pencil in their homework book or with paint, chalk or using their fingers in flour or sand. You may like to help your child’s fine motor skills to help them with this by making play dough shapes.
You may also like to play games to help your child to hear the initial sounds in words. e.g I spy something beginning with ‘s.’ Please say the sound the letter makes and not the letter name.
In maths we will begin to order numbers up to 20. You could help your child by making a number line poster at home. You might like to listen to number songs or play number games on the computer at home. Here are some helpful websites.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/the-numtums/songs
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/3-5-years/ordering-and-sequencing
We are also learning about Diwali. You could talk to your children about what you know about this celebration or ask them they have been learning in school. If your family celebrate Diwali It would be fantastic if you have any items such as clothing or sweets that could be shown to our classes, or if you could come and talk to them about this celebration.
Big Talk
We are learning about fireworks. Have you watched a firework display or seen some at night? Could you talk about what they sound like? What they look like? How do they make us feel? When do we see them? What are they for? Your child might like to make a picture of fireworks to bring in. Can you think of some words to describe them? e.g sparkly, zooming, colourful, exploding, exciting.
Next week we will be revising the phonics sounds we have learnt so far. The sounds we will be focusing on are, s,a,t,i. The children will be learning to write using pencils. Please try to practise the sound we are learning home for 5 minutes after school each day. The children could do this using pencil in their homework book or with paint, chalk or using their fingers in flour or sand. You may like to help your child’s fine motor skills to help them with this by making play dough shapes.
You may also like to play games to help your child to hear the initial sounds in words. e.g I spy something beginning with ‘s.’ Please say the sound the letter makes and not the letter name.
In maths we will begin to order numbers up to 20. You could help your child by making a number line poster at home. You might like to listen to number songs or play number games on the computer at home. Here are some helpful websites.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/the-numtums/songs
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/3-5-years/ordering-and-sequencing
We are also learning about Diwali. You could talk to your children about what you know about this celebration or ask them they have been learning in school. If your family celebrate Diwali It would be fantastic if you have any items such as clothing or sweets that could be shown to our classes, or if you could come and talk to them about this celebration.
Big Talk
We are learning about fireworks. Have you watched a firework display or seen some at night? Could you talk about what they sound like? What they look like? How do they make us feel? When do we see them? What are they for? Your child might like to make a picture of fireworks to bring in. Can you think of some words to describe them? e.g sparkly, zooming, colourful, exploding, exciting.
Parent update 18.10.2013
Lots of parents have been asking about homework deadlines. There are no strict times that homework needs to be done by. We send out the homework challenges on a Friday to fit in with the work for the following week. It is best if the children can do the work during that week but don’t panic if you don’t get everything done you can always catch up with it later! Big Talk needs to be done on the weekend for Monday so that the children are ready to discuss their ideas.
Big Talk Challenge
Even a park is full of different sounds. Ask your child to close their eyeswhat can they hear? Talk about different noises, traffic, voices, music, birds singing. Are they loud? Are they quiet? Ask your child to listen again, what else can they hear?
Phonics
This week we are revising the sounds that the children have learnt so far.
s,a,t,p,i,n,m,d,c,ck,k,r,e,g
Please play some sound games with these sounds. Can you find objects beginning with these sounds? You could try writing these letters using your fingers in paint or flour. If your child is confident with pens and pencils you could try writing the letters in different colours. You could make the letters using objects, for example can you make the letter ‘t’ using leaves? You could send in photos of your phonics work to send in for our writing area.
Please visit phonics international for how to pronounce the sounds correctly as we have noticed some children using the hard sounds e.g. ‘cer’ for ‘c’ or ‘ser’ for ‘s’. http://www.phonicsinternational.com/hear_the_sounds/hear_the_sounds_1.htm
Mathematics
This week we are learning about simple 3D shapes such as cubes, cuboids, spheres, cylinders, pyramids, prisms. You could try making a 3D model out of cereal boxes, tubes ect. But please remember that cereal boxes are usually cuboid. You could also try making special boxes using a cube or cuboid net, you can find lots of different templates and nets online. You could try this site for 3D shape nets http://www.senteacher.org/worksheet/12/NetsPolyhedra.html. If you want to bring your work in or send in photos that would be lovely to share.
Literacy
Over half-term please share plenty of story books with your child. Talk to your child about the story, what is happening, what do you think will happen next, which character do you like best, why do you think they did that? Please read a wide range of books not just the school reading book. There are plenty of lovely local libraries that you and your child can join and borrow books from. You can reserve books online or borrow kindle books online.
The Basildon Centre
St. Martin's Square
http://www.basildon.angle.uk.com/info/library.cgi There are also libraries in Pitsea, Vange, Laindon and Billericay.
Lots of parents have been asking about homework deadlines. There are no strict times that homework needs to be done by. We send out the homework challenges on a Friday to fit in with the work for the following week. It is best if the children can do the work during that week but don’t panic if you don’t get everything done you can always catch up with it later! Big Talk needs to be done on the weekend for Monday so that the children are ready to discuss their ideas.
Big Talk Challenge
Even a park is full of different sounds. Ask your child to close their eyeswhat can they hear? Talk about different noises, traffic, voices, music, birds singing. Are they loud? Are they quiet? Ask your child to listen again, what else can they hear?
Phonics
This week we are revising the sounds that the children have learnt so far.
s,a,t,p,i,n,m,d,c,ck,k,r,e,g
Please play some sound games with these sounds. Can you find objects beginning with these sounds? You could try writing these letters using your fingers in paint or flour. If your child is confident with pens and pencils you could try writing the letters in different colours. You could make the letters using objects, for example can you make the letter ‘t’ using leaves? You could send in photos of your phonics work to send in for our writing area.
Please visit phonics international for how to pronounce the sounds correctly as we have noticed some children using the hard sounds e.g. ‘cer’ for ‘c’ or ‘ser’ for ‘s’. http://www.phonicsinternational.com/hear_the_sounds/hear_the_sounds_1.htm
Mathematics
This week we are learning about simple 3D shapes such as cubes, cuboids, spheres, cylinders, pyramids, prisms. You could try making a 3D model out of cereal boxes, tubes ect. But please remember that cereal boxes are usually cuboid. You could also try making special boxes using a cube or cuboid net, you can find lots of different templates and nets online. You could try this site for 3D shape nets http://www.senteacher.org/worksheet/12/NetsPolyhedra.html. If you want to bring your work in or send in photos that would be lovely to share.
Literacy
Over half-term please share plenty of story books with your child. Talk to your child about the story, what is happening, what do you think will happen next, which character do you like best, why do you think they did that? Please read a wide range of books not just the school reading book. There are plenty of lovely local libraries that you and your child can join and borrow books from. You can reserve books online or borrow kindle books online.
The Basildon Centre
St. Martin's Square
http://www.basildon.angle.uk.com/info/library.cgi There are also libraries in Pitsea, Vange, Laindon and Billericay.
Reception update 11.10.13
Many children have lost their jumpers. Please could parents check their child’s jumpers to see if they have brought the correct jumper home. If it has a different child’s name please return it. We have lots of lost property already. Please write your child’s name in ALL clothing.
Welcome tree
We are making a class ‘Welcome tree’ .We have attached a leaf. Please could an adult write the word ‘welcome’ in whatever languages you or your family might speak at home. Could you then cut out and return the leaf to school.
We would like to add these to our class tree to celebrate the different languages that are spoken by the children in our school.
Phonics
Next week our sounds are ‘r,m,d,g’
Please practise these sounds at home with your child. Please see our letter about phonics if you are unsure about how to do this.
Don't forget to look at the Big Talk sheet for our Big Talk challenge.
Mathematics
This week we will be focusing on 2D shapes. You could help your child by going on a shape hunt. Look for all the shapes you can spot around your home or outside, e.g rectangle doors, square windows, circular clocks. If possible please bring in photos of the shapes you have found so we can display them in our maths area.
Please remember to check our class websites and blogs to see what we are learning in class.
www.robinclass.weebly.com
www.sparrowclass.weebly.com
Many children have lost their jumpers. Please could parents check their child’s jumpers to see if they have brought the correct jumper home. If it has a different child’s name please return it. We have lots of lost property already. Please write your child’s name in ALL clothing.
Welcome tree
We are making a class ‘Welcome tree’ .We have attached a leaf. Please could an adult write the word ‘welcome’ in whatever languages you or your family might speak at home. Could you then cut out and return the leaf to school.
We would like to add these to our class tree to celebrate the different languages that are spoken by the children in our school.
Phonics
Next week our sounds are ‘r,m,d,g’
Please practise these sounds at home with your child. Please see our letter about phonics if you are unsure about how to do this.
Don't forget to look at the Big Talk sheet for our Big Talk challenge.
Mathematics
This week we will be focusing on 2D shapes. You could help your child by going on a shape hunt. Look for all the shapes you can spot around your home or outside, e.g rectangle doors, square windows, circular clocks. If possible please bring in photos of the shapes you have found so we can display them in our maths area.
Please remember to check our class websites and blogs to see what we are learning in class.
www.robinclass.weebly.com
www.sparrowclass.weebly.com
Reception update 03.10.13
Dear parents,
This half term our topic is ‘Our community’. We will be thinking about our family, friends and Church community. We will also be thinking about autumn and the changes we see around us.
Phonics
So far in class we have covered the sounds ‘s,a,t,i,p,n,c,’.
Next week our sounds are ‘k,ck,e,h’.
Please practise these sounds at home with your child. There are lots of different ways you can help your child with their phonics. Children learn in different ways and you should pick the activities that suit your child. Some things you might like to try are
http://www.phonicsinternational.com/hear_the_sounds/hear_the_sounds_1.htm
Mathematics
This week we will be focusing on recognising the numerals to 10. You could help your child by going on a number hunt. Look for all the numbers you can spot around the town, for example door numbers, speed limit signs etc. If possible please bring in photos of the numbers you have found so we can display them in our number area.
Big talk challenge!
This week for big talk we are thinking about autumn. Please go on an autumn walk with your child. Talk about the different things you see, hear, touch and smell. What do the leaves look like/feel like/sound like? Try to think of some good words to describe the things you find, e.g. crunchy, spikey, rough, smooth, prickly.
Wellington Boots
Please can you send a named pair of plastic/rubber wellington boots into school so that your child can access the woods and grass areas.
Thank you!
Dear parents,
This half term our topic is ‘Our community’. We will be thinking about our family, friends and Church community. We will also be thinking about autumn and the changes we see around us.
Phonics
So far in class we have covered the sounds ‘s,a,t,i,p,n,c,’.
Next week our sounds are ‘k,ck,e,h’.
Please practise these sounds at home with your child. There are lots of different ways you can help your child with their phonics. Children learn in different ways and you should pick the activities that suit your child. Some things you might like to try are
- Going on a sound hunt. How many things can you find beginning with ‘s’?
- Painting the letters and saying the sounds.
- Writing the letters in chalk on the ground.
- Writing the letters in damp sand.
- Writing the letters in different coloured pencils/pens.
- Using your red phonics books to write the letters in pencil.
- Playing ‘I spy’ with sounds instead of letter names.
http://www.phonicsinternational.com/hear_the_sounds/hear_the_sounds_1.htm
Mathematics
This week we will be focusing on recognising the numerals to 10. You could help your child by going on a number hunt. Look for all the numbers you can spot around the town, for example door numbers, speed limit signs etc. If possible please bring in photos of the numbers you have found so we can display them in our number area.
Big talk challenge!
This week for big talk we are thinking about autumn. Please go on an autumn walk with your child. Talk about the different things you see, hear, touch and smell. What do the leaves look like/feel like/sound like? Try to think of some good words to describe the things you find, e.g. crunchy, spikey, rough, smooth, prickly.
Wellington Boots
Please can you send a named pair of plastic/rubber wellington boots into school so that your child can access the woods and grass areas.
Thank you!
8.07.13
This week we are learning about money. We will be looking at 1 pence and 2 pence coins. You might like to set some simple challenges for your child. For example give them some 1p coins, put some price tags on some toys and ask your child to give you the correct number of coins. You could also try this game with 2p coins although this can be a little tricky! You could also let your child pay for small items at the shop.
We will be writing messages in bottles. Please practise simple sentence writing with your child. If your child is confident you could encourage them to write more than 1 sentence, remembering their full stops and capital letters.
This weeks sounds are ai, ay, oa, ow
We will be writing messages in bottles. Please practise simple sentence writing with your child. If your child is confident you could encourage them to write more than 1 sentence, remembering their full stops and capital letters.
This weeks sounds are ai, ay, oa, ow
24.06.13
This week we are learning about ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th). You could help your child by playing some racing games and using ordinal numbers. You could also look at lines of objects or people, who is 1st in the line, who is 2nd?
In literacy we will be having a go at making our own pirate maps and giving directions. You could help your child by going on a treasure hunt and writing or reading clues together. You might like to have a look at some maps together or plan a walk you could go on. We will be continuing our work on describing words, this week we hope to start making our own pirate posters!
A big thank you to everyone for all their hard work making International day a success on Saturday!
In literacy we will be having a go at making our own pirate maps and giving directions. You could help your child by going on a treasure hunt and writing or reading clues together. You might like to have a look at some maps together or plan a walk you could go on. We will be continuing our work on describing words, this week we hope to start making our own pirate posters!
A big thank you to everyone for all their hard work making International day a success on Saturday!
Reception update 17.06.13
This week we are celebrating international week. Each class has chosen a country to learn about. Sparrow class have chosen Scotland, as this is where our class bears Heather and Hamish come from. We will be learning about the wildlife of Scotland, holding our own Highland games, cooking some traditional food for our Scottish picnic and learning some traditional dances. In Literacy we will be focusing on writing good describing sentences, encouraging people to come to our Highland games or describing the Loch Ness monster and his friends. In mathematics we will be doing some doubling for our recipes. We will also need to measure carefully to make sure our food tastes good! You can help at home by looking up information about Scotland in books or on the computer, you might know someone from Scotland that would be willing to talk to your child about what their country is like. This would be a good chance for your child to think of some questions and see if you can find the answers together for example, “What type of food is traditional in Scotland?” or “What colour is the Scottish flag?” We hope as many of you as possible will be able to join us for the schools international day on Saturday.
This week we are celebrating international week. Each class has chosen a country to learn about. Sparrow class have chosen Scotland, as this is where our class bears Heather and Hamish come from. We will be learning about the wildlife of Scotland, holding our own Highland games, cooking some traditional food for our Scottish picnic and learning some traditional dances. In Literacy we will be focusing on writing good describing sentences, encouraging people to come to our Highland games or describing the Loch Ness monster and his friends. In mathematics we will be doing some doubling for our recipes. We will also need to measure carefully to make sure our food tastes good! You can help at home by looking up information about Scotland in books or on the computer, you might know someone from Scotland that would be willing to talk to your child about what their country is like. This would be a good chance for your child to think of some questions and see if you can find the answers together for example, “What type of food is traditional in Scotland?” or “What colour is the Scottish flag?” We hope as many of you as possible will be able to join us for the schools international day on Saturday.
Dear Parents/Carers,
This week in phonics we will be revising sounds we have learnt so far. We will be focusing particularly on the sounds
below.
ear as in bear
air as in chair
ar as in bar
ue as in blue
If you could continue to practise the phonics sounds we have
learnt so far this would support your children’s learning. Encourage your child
to sound out and write simple or more complex words. Help you child talk through
simple sentences and have a go at sounding out the words and writing their own
sentence. If possible encourage your child to use words with the above sounds.
You could have a go at writing about a bear or a visit to the fair. Whatever
your child is interested in writing about!
This week in phonics we will be revising sounds we have learnt so far. We will be focusing particularly on the sounds
below.
ear as in bear
air as in chair
ar as in bar
ue as in blue
If you could continue to practise the phonics sounds we have
learnt so far this would support your children’s learning. Encourage your child
to sound out and write simple or more complex words. Help you child talk through
simple sentences and have a go at sounding out the words and writing their own
sentence. If possible encourage your child to use words with the above sounds.
You could have a go at writing about a bear or a visit to the fair. Whatever
your child is interested in writing about!
Update 17 .05. 2013
Next week we will be visiting a nature reserve. You might like to help your child to prepare by talking to them about the types of things they might need on the trip. For example you might need to wear wellington boots in case it’s muddy or sun cream to protect your skin from the sunshine.
In literacy this week we are focusing on speaking and listening skills. You could help your child by playing games such as ‘I spy’ and guessing games where they need to ask or answer questions. We will also be thinking about describing words to help them with their outdoor investigation at the nature reserve.
In numeracy we will be continuing work on natural 3D art inspired by Andy Goldsworthy. We are particularly focusing on patterns and symmetry. You might like to create your own 3D art using natural resources in the garden or at the park.
Please remember our trip is on Tuesday 21st May. Please bring a packed lunch in a carrier bag which can be thrown away after lunch.
The nature reserve has uneven muddy paths. Please can your child wear suitable footwear such as wellington boots or trainers. No Ugg , flip flops, or sandals please as these could be dangerous on uneven ground. It is very likely that the children’s shoes will become muddy so please bear this in mind when selecting suitable shoes for your child to wear.
As the British weather is so unpredictable we need to be prepared for sunshine or rain. Please ensure that your child has sun cream on and have a sun hat with them. Could they also please bring a waterproof coat.
Big Talk:
For our Big Talk we will be imagining what it would be like to take a school trip to the moon.
What would you see? What would you need to wear? What would you need to take with you? What sort of activities could you do? Who might you meet?
In literacy this week we are focusing on speaking and listening skills. You could help your child by playing games such as ‘I spy’ and guessing games where they need to ask or answer questions. We will also be thinking about describing words to help them with their outdoor investigation at the nature reserve.
In numeracy we will be continuing work on natural 3D art inspired by Andy Goldsworthy. We are particularly focusing on patterns and symmetry. You might like to create your own 3D art using natural resources in the garden or at the park.
Please remember our trip is on Tuesday 21st May. Please bring a packed lunch in a carrier bag which can be thrown away after lunch.
The nature reserve has uneven muddy paths. Please can your child wear suitable footwear such as wellington boots or trainers. No Ugg , flip flops, or sandals please as these could be dangerous on uneven ground. It is very likely that the children’s shoes will become muddy so please bear this in mind when selecting suitable shoes for your child to wear.
As the British weather is so unpredictable we need to be prepared for sunshine or rain. Please ensure that your child has sun cream on and have a sun hat with them. Could they also please bring a waterproof coat.
Big Talk:
For our Big Talk we will be imagining what it would be like to take a school trip to the moon.
What would you see? What would you need to wear? What would you need to take with you? What sort of activities could you do? Who might you meet?
Update 10.05.2013
Next week we will be continuing our work on mini beasts. We will be looking at problem solving using the story of The Hungry Caterpillar. You could help your child by counting and adding items at home. E.g we have 3 oranges and 2 apples, how many pieces of fruit are there altogether?
In Literacy we will be continuing to look at information leaflets and creating our own ones about mini beasts. You could talk about some of your child’s favourite insects and discuss what they look like and what they do e.g. bees are stripy and make honey. You could help your child by looking at information books about things that move.
Big Talk:
For our school trip we will be visiting the nature reserve at Plotlands. For the Big Talk this week we will be talking about any risks that there might be in the park e.g. brambles, tree roots, pond water.
You could talk about all the things that could be dangerous and what could be done to stop an accident happening.
What do we need to do when we are working near water? Why could some plants be dangerous to touch?
In Literacy we will be continuing to look at information leaflets and creating our own ones about mini beasts. You could talk about some of your child’s favourite insects and discuss what they look like and what they do e.g. bees are stripy and make honey. You could help your child by looking at information books about things that move.
Big Talk:
For our school trip we will be visiting the nature reserve at Plotlands. For the Big Talk this week we will be talking about any risks that there might be in the park e.g. brambles, tree roots, pond water.
You could talk about all the things that could be dangerous and what could be done to stop an accident happening.
What do we need to do when we are working near water? Why could some plants be dangerous to touch?
Update 07.05.2013
This week we will be learning about the life cycle of a butterfly as part of our topic. We will be linking this to our maths learning and using butterfly art to explore symmetry and doubling numbers.
You might like to help your child by looking at symmetrical art or playing with kaleidoscopes.
In Literacy we will be continuing to look at superheroes. We will be creating our own superheroes and comics. You could talk about some of your child’s favourite superheroes and talk about what they’re like or some of the things they might do. You could share some comics or books that you might have about superheroes. We will also be looking at information books and writing our own facts about the things that move in our outside area.
Big Talk:
For ‘Big Talk’ we will be using our imaginations to talk about what it would be like if we were mini beats. E.g spiders and beetles.
If you were a mini beast, which mini beast would you be? How many legs would you have? What would you eat? Where do you live? Who would your friends be?
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Reception Update 22.3.12
Next week we will be looking at using story language e.g. ‘once upon a time.’ You may like to share some stories with your child at home to help them with this.
In maths we will be looking at measuring and weighing. You can help your child by asking them to weigh ingredients when baking or cooking meals. You could also measure how tall each member of your family is and compare, using the language ‘taller’ and ‘shorter.’
Both reception classes now have their own website, these can be found at
http://sparrowclass.weebly.com
http://robinclass.weebly.com
Big Talk
For out Big Talk next week we will be thinking about Easter traditions and making some Easter buns. You might like to look at how the shops are preparing for Easter during shopping trips and talk about what types of food we eat at Easter. You could discuss the different things we do e.g Give Easter eggs, egg hunts, celebrating new life, spending time with family.
Reception update 11.03.13
This week we will be learning the Easter story and re-enacting
the Last Supper. You can help your child by reading the Easter Story and talking
to them about getting ready for Easter.
In our literacy work this week we will be concentrating on
making signs and labels. You can help your child by practising their phonic
sounds and using their phonic sounds to write some simple words or sentences.
We will be learning about 3D shapes next week. We will be
looking at spheres, cubes, cuboids, cones and cylinders. You could help your
child by playing a simple I spy game, spotting the shapes around the house or
out and about. For example a Pringles tube would be a great cylinder.
Please remember that we are always keen to hear about your
child’s achievements at home. If they achieve something new please send in a
note to go in their learning journey or let an adult know so we can add it for
you. No one knows your child better than you so your observations are really
useful when we plan learning experiences for your child.
Big Talk
To link in with our topic about growing we are going to be
talking about what we would like to plant in our school garden. Talk to your
child about what sorts of things we could grow. Do they want flowers or things
they can eat? What types of flowers/fruit/vegetables could we grow?
This week we will be learning the Easter story and re-enacting
the Last Supper. You can help your child by reading the Easter Story and talking
to them about getting ready for Easter.
In our literacy work this week we will be concentrating on
making signs and labels. You can help your child by practising their phonic
sounds and using their phonic sounds to write some simple words or sentences.
We will be learning about 3D shapes next week. We will be
looking at spheres, cubes, cuboids, cones and cylinders. You could help your
child by playing a simple I spy game, spotting the shapes around the house or
out and about. For example a Pringles tube would be a great cylinder.
Please remember that we are always keen to hear about your
child’s achievements at home. If they achieve something new please send in a
note to go in their learning journey or let an adult know so we can add it for
you. No one knows your child better than you so your observations are really
useful when we plan learning experiences for your child.
Big Talk
To link in with our topic about growing we are going to be
talking about what we would like to plant in our school garden. Talk to your
child about what sorts of things we could grow. Do they want flowers or things
they can eat? What types of flowers/fruit/vegetables could we grow?
Reception Update 27.2.13
As Spring draws near our topic for this half term is ‘Growing.’ We have attached an ‘Early hints of Spring’ sheet. You might like to go on a ‘spring hunt’ at the weekend with your child to see if you can spot any signs of spring.
In mathematics we will begin to focus on identifying coins. You could play some sorting games using coins, or encourage your child to pay for any small purchases, such as sweets, you make so that they begin to understand the concept of money.
We will be learning about the Easter story. You might like to share this with your child. Big Talk
Our topic is growing and this week we will be thinking about how we have grown and changed since we were babies. You could share some baby pictures with your child and talk about how they have grown and changed. You could encourage them to think about how their appearance has changed and what things they can do now that they couldn’t before. You could also share pictures of yourself as a baby or child with them, as well as any siblings they may have. Please bring in a baby photo of your child for them to share with the class and later put in their Learning Journeys.
Reception update 11.02.2013
This week we will be learning about Chinese New Year. We hope the children will enjoy learning about a different country and their culture. You might enjoy visiting the town centre for their celebration. According to the Eastgate website the following events will be taking place on Sunday the 10th February.
‘Eastgate’s spectacular celebrations for Chinese New Year began fifteen years ago and 2013, the Year of the Snake, will see Tai Chi and martial arts exhibitions plus the legendary lion dance visiting every store to bring good luck and prosperity.’
We will be making masks and trying Chinese food.
Next week also marks the beginning of Lent. We will be celebrating Shrove Tuesday by making pancakes. We will also be making our Lent promises.
We have been working to recognise numerals and this week we will continue this while learning how to write the numbers correctly. You could help your child by playing number spotting games, writing the numbers in sand, painting numbers or matching objects to number cards.
Big Talk
Next week in Big Talk we will be thinking about Lent. Next Tuesday marks the beginning of Lent and we will be making our Lent promises. Please take some time to talk with your child about Lent and why we make these special promises.
You could help your child by sitting with them and helping them to think about a promise they could make. We encourage the children to make a positive promise that will help someone, for example ‘I will tidy my bedroom’ or ‘I will be kind to my brother.’
Reception update 28/2/14
Phonics
Next week, in phonics we will be revising our “sh” and “ch” sounds, e.g. shop and chest. Please continue to practise the sounds we learn at home.
Literacy
As it is Pancake Day next Tuesday we will be making pancakes and writing about how we made them. It would be lovely if you could talk about Shrove Tuesday. Why is it known as Shrove Tuesday? The link below may be useful.
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/easter/ShroveTuesday.aspx
Maths
In maths we will be focusing on all 2d shapes. E.g. circle, rectangle, triangle, square, pentagon, and hexagon.
Perhaps at home you could do a shape hunt using everyday objects. Talk about how many sides each shape has. You could even draw round the shapes you have found, or take photos to put in your learning journey.
Big Talk
We will continue to focus on growing and changing. Our big talk will be based on how we have changed. Discuss with your child what they could do as a baby, what can they do now, what things couldn’t they do as a baby, what did they eat, What do they eat now.
Also, please could you send in a photo of your child as a baby? (One which you do not mind being kept in school, photocopies or home printed.)
Phonics
Next week, in phonics we will be revising our “sh” and “ch” sounds, e.g. shop and chest. Please continue to practise the sounds we learn at home.
Literacy
As it is Pancake Day next Tuesday we will be making pancakes and writing about how we made them. It would be lovely if you could talk about Shrove Tuesday. Why is it known as Shrove Tuesday? The link below may be useful.
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/easter/ShroveTuesday.aspx
Maths
In maths we will be focusing on all 2d shapes. E.g. circle, rectangle, triangle, square, pentagon, and hexagon.
Perhaps at home you could do a shape hunt using everyday objects. Talk about how many sides each shape has. You could even draw round the shapes you have found, or take photos to put in your learning journey.
Big Talk
We will continue to focus on growing and changing. Our big talk will be based on how we have changed. Discuss with your child what they could do as a baby, what can they do now, what things couldn’t they do as a baby, what did they eat, What do they eat now.
Also, please could you send in a photo of your child as a baby? (One which you do not mind being kept in school, photocopies or home printed.)