What’s been happening this week?
We’re very proud of Reception this week; there have been a lot of staff changes (because of illness and other things) and the children in Reception have been amazing!
There’s been so much learning going on that it is hard to know where to start! They have shown that they’re ready to learn and they’ve shown that they are able to take responsibility for their own learning – brilliant.
Some great PE has been happening this week – here are some photos from a movement lesson:
In Maths, they’ve been finding out all about the number ‘7’ including finding different ways of making 7 and counting 7 objects – they’re now experts so make sure you test their knowledge!
Just a reminder that there is a bit of a change with the books that are coming home. Children will bring a book home to share with you; this isn’t a phonics book but a book that you can just enjoy with your child. They have read their phonics book in school, several times this week, and this can be accessed as an e-book with the details that have already been sent home. This is a very new system for all of us so if there are any issues, please be patient.
A great week for Reception – well done everyone. Have a great weekend.
This week in Reception
We will continue with our mini-topic, ‘Frozen Planet’.
Phonics
This week the new phonemes are sh, th, ng and nk.
Reading
There are a few changes to how we will practise reading and sending phonic reading books home.
To practise reading in Reception, the same practice book that’s been read in school will then be available to read at home as an e-book. Because we’ve read it at least three times in school, your child should be able to read the text independently. If they’re reading it with very little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.
- Listen to them read the e-book.
- If they can’t read a word, read it to them.
- After they have finished, talk about the book together.
- Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success!
Your child should have received their e-book login details. You will be able to access the e-book this week. We will inform you which day by writing in your child’s reading record.
If you have trouble accessing e-books at home, please let us know.
To develop a love of reading, your child will continue to bring home a separate book. To encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it’s important that they learn to read for pleasure. This sharing book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together.
- Don’t expect your child to read this alone – read it to them or with them.
- In a fiction book, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters.
- In a non-fiction book, explore the facts.
- Discuss the book’s cover and the title, and discuss the pictures or diagrams.
- With this sharing book, the main thing is that you have fun!
Any questions, please ask!
Stay and Learn Sessions
Unfortunately, we have had to cancel the sessions on 20/01/22 and 07/02/22.
PE
This half-term, PE will be on Wednesday and Thursday. Please send your child in their PE kit on these days.
City of Leeds Basketball
Happy New Year!
Welcome back! We hope you had a great holiday.
This term in Reception, our themes will be ‘Fire and Ice’, ‘Superheroes’ and ‘Chinese New Year’.
Frozen planet
Our return to school often coincides with frosty weather. We use this as a stimulus for learning. As a scientist, your child will investigate ice: making it and melting it. They will use their senses to describe how the weather has changed and the effects on their environment. Linking to Geography, your child will find out which are the coldest regions on Earth, using globes or maps of the world. They’ll learn about animals which live in these places and what it’s like to live there.
Superheroes
This theme is all about different superheroes! At first, your child will use their imagination to create their own fictional superhero stories using small world resources to develop their ideas. Your child will then learn that superheroes are in their lives every day. Developing their drama skills, they’ll take on the role of doctors, paramedics and police during role-play times. Your child will also consider what makes them special, learning how important and individual we all are.
Chinese New Year
This theme takes place during the week that Chinese New Year occurs each year. As a geographer, your child will find China on a globe or world map. They will find out about the story relating to Chinese New Year, learning about customs and traditions. They will watch dragon dances and create their own versions of these with their friends.
Phonics
We will continue to learn digraphs(two letters that make one sound) in phonics. This week the new phonemes are sh and ch. The children will be learning how to blend plurals eg cats, naps, hits.
Literacy
The children will be encouraged to continue to use their phonic knowledge to write labels and captions for their drawings. They will begin to write sentences.
These are the main books we will be reading and retelling this half term.
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
The Magic Paintbrush by Julia Donaldson
Supertato by Paul Linnet and Sue Hendra
Maths
The children will be encouraged to continue representing quantities in different ways, including by showing amounts on 1 hand ‘all at once’. There will also be a new focus on the symbolic representation of number and the children will work on their recognition of numerals to 5, matching numerals to correct quantities in various games.
They will play games which involve counting on and use number tracks (with numbers placed in equal spaces in ascending order) to play dice-based games. Playing games with dice will consolidate the children’s understanding of the stable order of numbers.
Why not play some board games at home?
This week in Reception
The last two weeks of the term are always really busy. As we head towards Christmas we will begin our mini-topic of Christmas by decorating our home corner.
Phonics
This week we will learn the phonemes z, qu and ch. The children will be taught the term ‘digraph’- two letters making one sound.
We are really impressed with how well the children are doing with their phonics learning. Please keep practising the phonemes and listening to your child read at home.
Literacy
The class have been enjoying listening to Julia Donaldson stories and talking about their favourites.
Christmas events
Guess how many ‘reindeer poos’ are in the jar.
The children have seen the jar and have made some guesses about how many ‘reindeer poos’ they think there are. You can enter the competition on the app.
Christmas Movie Afternoon Monday 13 December
Skipping ropes for sale
This year we are continuing to work with Skipping School to develop the children’s skipping skills. Skipping School ropes (KS1 ropes and longer KS2 ropes) are now available to buy from the office.
Potions!
The children enjoyed making potions in our ‘Potions Lab.’
We made a bubbling potion and children watched what happened when we mixed some magic ingredients (bicarbonate of soda and vinegar) together.
Phonics
This week we will be learning the phonemes j, v, w, x. Please continue to read with your child at home. They have read their reading book three times before bringing it home. Extra reading will increase their confidence.
This week’s story is ‘Room on the broom’ by Julia Donaldson. The children will invent a new character for the story.
Maths
We are continuing to investigate the composition of numbers to 5 as well as learning to count to higher numbers.
We will be comparing size, mass and capacity and using the language heavier, lighter, taller, shorter.
Girls rugby opportunity
Leos Junior Rugby Club are hosting a girls only training session, open to all girls in Reception to Year 6, on Sunday 28th November, with the aim of setting up a girls only rugby team in the area. Please see below for more information.
It’s magic!
This week we start our mini-topic-‘It’s magic’.
Our roleplay area has been transformed into a witch’s kitchen based on the fantastic book, ‘What’s in the witch’s kitchen’ by Nick Sharratt.
The children will be scientists this week making their own potions and observing what happens when different ingredients are mixed together.
Phonics
We have finished the first sets of letters and will be recapping them this week. Please continue to practise blending and segmenting words at home and learning the tricky words to, the, I, no, go, into. When we teach these words, we look at which part of the word is ‘tricky’. The children can still use their phonic knowledge to decode them.
Maths
We are continuing to investigate the number 5 and learning which numbers can be used to make 5.
We will also be investigating capacity and building on children’s understanding of full, empty, half full, nearly full and nearly empty.
They will make direct comparisons by pouring from one container to another and indirect comparisons by counting how many pots it takes to fill each container.
Expressive arts and design
Last week the children looked at ‘The Starry Night’ by Vincent Van Gogh and produced their own version using a printing technique.
Don’t forget our drop-in session on Wednesday.
We look forward to seeing you all.
This week in Reception
This week is World Nursery Rhyme Week.
A nursery rhyme is a simple traditional poem or song for children. They date back to the late 1700s when the earliest versions were lullabies that mothers would sing to their babies.
Learning and singing nursery rhymes is beneficial for:
- boosting vocabulary and language development
- helping children develop literacy skills
- providing a fun way to support early numeracy skills
- helping children develop social, physical and emotional skills
We will be learning five nursery rhymes.
Sleeping bunnies, Incy Wincy Spider, Wind the bobbin up, Down in the jungle and Head, shoulders, knees and toes.
You can find links to all these rhymes at www.worldnurseryrhymeweek.com/
Phonics
The children are really enjoying their phonics lessons and beginning to use the letters and sounds they have learnt to blend and segment words independently. This week we will belearning the phonemes b, f, ff, l,ll. The tricky words are I, no and go.
Maths
Thank you to everyone who attended our maths presentation. I hope you found it useful. If you have any questions, please ask.
This week, the children will continue to engage with activities that draw attention to the purpose of counting – to find out ‘how many’ objects there are. They will develop their understanding of the concept of cardinality (that the last number in the count tells us ‘how many’ things there are altogether).
Children In Need
Friday is a non-uniform day to raise money for Children In Need.
Don’t forget to let us know of any ‘wow’ moments at home. Is your child beginning to notice and read words? Do they try to read signs when out and about?
Please let us know of any achievements.
moortownreception@spherefederation.org
