This week in Reception
As we head towards this very different Christmas, we are thinking of ideas to make this time as festive as possible.
Literacy
We are reading the traditional story, ‘The Gingerbread Man’. The children will be retelling the story and taking part in lots of gingerbread themed activities-our roleplay area has become a gingerbread bakery!
Phonics
This week we are recapping Phase 2 and focussing on ‘tricky words’.
The tricky words learnt so far are the, to, I, no, go, into.
We will be encouraging the children to use these words in their independent writing.
Watch this useful parents and carers guide to tricky words here.
(This is a YouTube link. Top tip for watching YouTube with your child: go to the settings cog along the play bar and turn off autoplay – this avoids an inappropriate clip coming up automatically, and helps to discourage your child from passively watching clip after clip.)
Maths
We will investigate the number 5 through number rhymes and stories including 5 currant buns and 5 little ducks.
The children will be introduced to the link between counting forwards and the one more pattern and counting back and the one less pattern.
School menu change and Christmas meal
Maths is everywhere!
The children have been using maths in all the areas of provision to learn about shape, measures and money in our new role-play bakery.
Virtual after-school sport club
Aimed mainly at primary-aged children, a different theme has been assigned for each day of the club – Adventure Monday, Tuesday Play, Wild Wednesday, Thinking Thursday and Fun Friday.
Click here to find out more.
This week
Literacy
This week we are reading the story ‘Rosie’s Walk’ by Pat Hutchins. The children will learn to retell the story using a story map. As their phonics knowledge increases we will be encouraging them to write labels and captions for their drawings.
Phonics
We have completed Phase 2 of ‘Letters and Sounds’ and will spend this week consolidating and reviewing this learning. The phonemes we have learnt so far are:
set 1: s a t p
set 2: i n m d
set 3: g o c k ck
set 4: e u r h
set 5: f ff b bb l ss
If you have any questions please email me moortowneyfs@spherefederation.org
Don’t forget there are some really good games on Phonicsplay
username: sphere
password: spher3
Here is a guide for helping you to say the sounds correctly.
Maths
We are continuing to learn all about the number 4 and will learn that 4 is a square number.
Using the book ‘Rosie’s Walk’ the children will make an obstacle course and describe where they are using positional language.
We’ve just signed up to Numbots. This is a great app and website for practising counting and addition and subtraction facts. Your child can use it at home too – they will be given their login details this week.
Shapes
The children have taken part in lots of activities to learn about different shapes and their properties. They have learnt the names of basic 2D shapes and looked at the differences between them.
Being able to physically see the difference between a shape with three sides and one with five helps with number sense.
Why not go on a shape hunt at home? Where can they see circles, triangles, squares and rectangles?
Don’t forget to send photos to moortowneyfs@spherefederation.org
Our learning this week
Literacy
This week we are taking part in World Nursery Rhyme Week.
The initiative, which was launched in 2013, promotes the importance of nursery rhymes in early childhood development and education with a particular focus on how nursery rhymes boost early language and literacy skills.
We will be learning a familiar nursery rhyme each day and listening to rhyming books and poems.
Singing nursery rhymes is a wonderful activity you can enjoy doing together at home. You can access all of the free resources at: www.worldnurseryrhymeweek.com
Phonics
This week’s phonemes are b, f, ff, l, ll. We will also be learning to read the tricky words I, no, go.
PhonicsPlay is a great website that we often use in our phonics lessons.
The games are a fun way to practise reading sounds, real words, alien words and sentences.
The games are organised into the Letters and Sounds phases. Reception are learning Phase 2 sounds.
Login details are Sphere (user name) and Spher3 (password).
Maths
This week we are learning about shape. Why not go on a shape hunt around your home?
Living and Learning: United against bullying
This week, it’s Anti-Bullying Week and the theme for this year is ‘United against bullying’.
Don’t forget – we are also taking part in Odd Socks Day on Monday 16 November.
STOP is a key message linked to bullying. In our school, STOP stands for two things:
- the definition: Several Times On Purpose
- the solution: Start Telling Other People
Recently, our school council met to review our school definition of bullying and our child friendly anti-bullying policy. Thank you to the school councillors for their valued contributions. As a result, our definition and policy have now been updated.
Child friendly anti-bullying policy
What is bullying?
In our school, this is what bullying means:
Bullying is where you hurt someone, physically or emotionally (including online), several times on purpose.
What might bullying look like?
If any of these things happen several (lots of) times, it is bullying.
- Hurting peoples’ feelings, for example, name calling, teasing, threatening, ignoring, leaving people out or spreading rumours
- Hurting peoples’ bodies, for example, hitting, punching or kicking
This could be in person or online (cyber bullying) and could be because of someone’s race, disability, gender, appearance, age or any other protected characteristic.
What could you do if you are being bullied?
Start
Telling
Other
People
Who could you tell?
- Mrs Weekes/Mrs Freeman/Mrs Russell/Mrs Small (they are child protection staff)
- Mrs Taylor (Health Leader)
- Any other members of staff
- Friends
- Someone in your family
- A trusted adult
- Childline (0800 1111)
- Write a worry slip and put it in your Living and Learning box or the whole school worry box
- Email stayingsafe@spherefederation.org
Our views on bullying
STOP bullying – bullying is wrong! We’re a happy and healthy school.
Children in Need
Don’t forget!
Tomorrow, Friday 13 November, is Children in Need.
It will be a non-uniform day for a donation towards the charity.
Isolating at home?
Here is some home learning for when you can’t be with us at school.
Remember to send pictures of your child’s home learning to moortowneyfs@spherefederation.org
Phonics
We have been learning e, u, r this week.
Sing along to these Jolly Phonics songs.
(This is a YouTube link. Top tip for watching YouTube with your child: go to the settings cog along the play bar and turn off autoplay – this avoids an inappropriate clip coming up automatically, and helps to discourage your child from passively watching clip after clip.
https://youtu.be/4VknD1I0Zc4
Literacy
We are reading the story ‘Owl Babies’.
Listen to the story here.
Draw some of the events from the story and label your pictures using your phonic knowledge.
Maths
We are continuing to learn about the number 3.
Count out 1,2, or 3 objects and then use a cloth to hide them. Can your child show how many are hidden using their fingers? Add one more object to the hidden group. How many are there now? What happens if you take one out?
Please send photos of your learning.