We’re having a party!
Learning in Reception
There are seven areas of learning in the Foundation Stage. One of these is ‘Expressive arts and design’. Have a look at all the learning and development that took place in this area last week.
Phonics
This week we are blending and segmenting orally. We do this by ‘sound talking’.
The separate sounds (phonemes) are spoken aloud, in order, all through the word, and are then merged together into the whole word. This merging together is called blending and is a vital skill for reading.
Children will also learn to do this the other way around – cat = c-a-t. The whole word is spoken aloud and then broken up into its sounds (phonemes) in order, all through the word. This is called segmenting and is a vital skill for spelling.
This is all oral (spoken). Your child will not be expected to match the letter to the sound at this stage. The emphasis is on helping children to hear the separate sounds in words and to create spoken sounds.
How you can help at home
Sound-talking
Find real objects around your home that have three phonemes (sounds) and practise ‘sound talk’. First, just let them listen, then see if they will join in, for example, saying:
‘I spy a p-e-g – peg.’
‘I spy a c-u-p – cup.’
‘Where’s your other s-o-ck – sock?’
‘Simon says – put your hands on your h-ea-d.’
‘Simon says – touch your ch-i-n.’
Phonics teaching in Reception
We have begun our daily phonics sessions in Reception. These are fun sessions involving lots of speaking, listening and games where the emphasis is on children’s active participation. They learn to use their phonic knowledge for reading and writing activities and in their independent play.
At Moortown we use a systematic phonics programme called Letters and Sounds alongside the actions of Jolly Phonics.
Letters and Sounds is divided into six phases, with each phase building on the skills and knowledge of previous learning. There are no big leaps in learning. Children have time to practise and rapidly expand their ability to read and spell words. They are also taught to read and spell ‘tricky words’ which are words with spellings that are unusual or that children have not yet been taught. These include the words to, was, said and the.
At the moment we are focusing on phase one which will have begun in nursery. This phase paves the way for the systematic learning of phonics. We plan activities that will help children to listen attentively to sounds around them, such as the sounds of their toys and to sounds in spoken language. We teach a wide range of nursery rhymes and songs and read good books to and with the children. This helps to increase the number of words they know – their vocabulary – and helps them talk confidently about books. The children learn to identify rhyme and alliteration.
Ways you can support your children at home
Play ‘What do we have in here?’ Put some toys or objects in a bag and pull one out at a time. Emphasise the first sound of the name of the toy or object by repeating it, for example, ‘c c c c – car’, ‘b b b b – box’, ‘ch ch ch ch – chip’.
Say: ‘A tall tin of tomatoes!’ ‘Tommy, the ticklish teddy!’ ‘A lovely little lemon!’ This is called alliteration. Use names, for example, ‘Gurpreet gets the giggles’, ‘Milo makes music’, ‘Naheema’s nose’.
Teach them ‘Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers’.
For more information, don’t forget the phonics meeting on Friday 12 October at 2.15. If you are unable to attend please let me know and I will send you some information.
Find on-line phonics games at www.phonicsplay.co.uk
Reading in Reception
Your child will be bringing a reading book home this week. These first books don’t contain any words. Look at the book with your child, telling the story or saying the rhyme. Please make a comment in the yellow reading record so we know your child has read at home. Keep the book in your child’s bookbag and return it everyday for reading in school.
As parents or carers you are your child’s most influential teacher with an incredibly important role to play in helping your child to read.
As you know, the ability to read and write well is a vital skill for all children, paving the way for an enjoyable and successful school experience.
Children learn and practise many of the skills that they need for reading and writing from a very early age. They do this through a wide range of activities and experiences, at home, in settings and in school. They explore and learn through singing and saying rhymes, making and listening to music, talking with others, sharing books with adults and other children, dressing up, experimenting with writing and using puppets and toys to retell and make up stories.
In order to make a good start in reading and writing, children need to have an adult listen to them and talk to them. Speaking and listening are the foundations for reading and writing. Even everyday activities such as preparing meals, tidying up, putting shopping away and getting ready to go out offer you the chance to talk to your child by explaining what you are doing. Through these activities, children hear the way language is put together into sentences for a purpose.
Books are a rich source of new words for your child; words you would not use in everyday conversations appear in books. Children need to have a wide vocabulary to understand the meaning of books, so read aloud and share books as often as you can. They will enjoy it and it will be useful to them when they come across these words in their own reading later on.
Remember to ask if you have any questions about reading or would like ideas of things to do at home.
For information on the ways reading is taught at school and ideas for reading at home visit www.oxfordowl.co.uk
Reception walked for water!
Reception walked ten laps of the school to raise money for WaterAid. Please send your collected sponsor money as soon as possible. Thanks for your support.
Breakfast, lunch and water to fuel your brain
This week we’ve found out how a healthy, balanced diet and good hydration provides us with the energy our brain needs to function throughout the day.
Nutritionists believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but what children eat can be just as crucial. Breakfast cereals and foods rich in whole grains, fibre and protein and low in added sugar may boost attention span, concentration and memory and prevent children having a mid morning energy drop. http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/healthy_eating/breakfast.html
Fruit at playtime, provided free for Reception and Key Stage 1 and the only snack allowed at Key Stage 2 playtime, can provide an energy boost for the rest of the morning. Remember the weekly fruit tuckshop on Tuesdays is available to Key Stage 2 costing 20p per item.
A healthy, balanced lunch is also crucial to refuel the brain for the afternoon’s learning and this week children, who bring a packed lunch to school, have been given a copy of our Guide for Healthy Packed Lunches (https://www.moortown.leeds.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/packed-lunch-guidance.pdf). The guide was launched in September 2010 but may not have been seen by children new to the school or children who may have previously had school dinners.
The importance of hydration for the brain, to maximise learning, has been another focus of our Brain Box week. Children need to have a water bottle to keep in their classroom to allow regular water breaks throughout the day. This should be taken home weekly to be cleaned. Water is also provided at lunchtime for packed lunches and school dinners.
As well as regular exercise and opportunities for relaxation these factors all contribute to a healthy brain!
Better brains with more sleep
‘Your brain needs lots of sleep to repair itself and to organise and sort everything you have learnt’… One of the messages in the Good-night guide for children, published by The Sleep Council, sent home today, at the end of Brain Box week.
Research carried out by The Sleep Council revealed that lack of sleep among primary school children was having a devastating effect in schools with nine out of 10 teachers (92%) complaining that pupils were so tired they were unable to pay attention in class. More than a third (38%) said lack of sleep among youngsters is a daily problem for them.
This week, classes have been looking at The Sleep Council’s Better Brains with More Sleep initiative where children are encouraged to learn tips on getting their full sleep quota and the factors that can affect it.
Water Aid Assembly
We’ve a sponsored walk on Friday – Gary from Water Aid tells the school about what happens with our donations.
Class photo
On Thursday the Yorkshire Evening Post will be taking a photo of the class to include in a pull-out supplement of all the Reception children in Leeds.