Reception Weekly Bulletin

Literacy

In Literacy we are continuing to learn the digraphs ch and sh, distinguishing between the two, is it a ch or sh in bush? So children can find it hard to hear these sounds so lots of practise helps. We will be practising blending and segmenting these sounds at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of words. The tricky words this week are like and so. Mr Thorne and Geraldine The Giraffe can help the children to practise these skills at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCRqtFBQ_2k (sh) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEoednLrsMY (ch). You can also watch alphablock sh and ch to support this, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ncQwQZJ47E . The teachers would be delighted if children would bring small objects to school which begin with sh and ch. They should be clearly labelled with the owner’s name and class to make sure they don’t get lost.

The tricky words this week are like and so. Remember to keep practising your tricky word key rings at home. Children need to be able to read and write these words before getting a new set. It is important that children know how to write them without having the word available to them to copy. Songs like the tricky words songs can help with this. You will find some examples at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvMyssfAUx0 phase 2, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R087lYrRpgY&list=PLJiDJd1s4LM3Bn_MyEESTNlx4qLXXmM3N phase 3, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NOzgR1ANc4 phase 4. The children really enjoy singing them and the catchy tune makes it easier to learn the words.

Understanding the world

This week will be Book Week.

Each classroom door will be dressed to look like the book cover of a book chosen by the class teacher. As the next topic will be transport as doors will have a transport theme. The children will be visiting and working with other reception teachers, in other reception classrooms. These activities will be based on the book covering the classroom door.

Notes / Reminders

• Character Dress Up Day for Book Week. On Thursday 5th March the children should come to school dressed up as their favourite BOOK character. Mummies and Daddies are invited into Reception classrooms to take photographs and listen to the children say a few words about their book character from 7.45 - 8.15am.

• Reception Mother’s Day Event Tuesday 17th March/ Wednesday 18th March. More details next half-term.

• Bahrain Yacht Club Trip as part of the Reception topic on transport in the week beginning Sunday 29th March.

Literacy

In Literacy we are continuing to learn the digraphs. When two letters make one sound it is called a digraph. This week we are going to learn to hear, read, write, blend and segment the sh sound, as in shout, rush and crushing. The children will be encouraged to talk about the sh digraph, not sounds. Mr Thorne and Geraldine The Giraffe can introduce the children to these skills at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCRqtFBQ_2k (sh). The children do love this very cheeky giraffe and pre learning these sounds in this way at home gives the children more confidence when they are introduced in the classroom. The teachers would be delighted if children would bring small objects to school which begin with sh. They should be clearly labelled with the owner’s name and class to make sure they don’t get lost.

The tricky words this week are put and do. Remember to keep practising your tricky word key rings at home. Children need to be able to read and write these words before getting a new set. It is important that children know how to write them without having the word available to them to copy. Songs like the tricky words songs can help with this. You will find some examples at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvMyssfAUx0 phase 2, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R087lYrRpgY&list=PLJiDJd1s4LM3Bn_MyEESTNlx4qLXXmM3N phase 3, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NOzgR1ANc4 phase 4. The children really enjoy singing them and the catchy tune makes it easier to learn the words.

Maths

This week in maths we will be working on number bonds to 10 using a 10 frame. The children will be exploring the different ways of making 10 using different resources.

These 10 frames will help the children to see which two numbers go together to make 10.

Understanding the world

This week we will continue to develop our knowledge of minibeasts but there will be some recapping of information discovered so far as well as exploring new minibeasts. This topic will be coming to and end after the half term and we will be starting a new topic after book week.

Notes / Reminders

Whole class Photographs are scheduled for the week beginning 16th February.

• Sunday 16th February R3, R7, R8 & R9

• Monday 17th February R1, R2, R5 & R10

• Tuesday 18th February R4, R6

Botanical Garden Trip Week beginning Sunday February 16th

Sports Day

Thank you to the parents for the super support the children received on Sports Day. It really was a great experience for all involved.

Literacy

In Literacy we are excited to start learning the digraphs. When two letters make one sound it is called a digraph.

This week we are going to learn to hear, read, write, blend and segment the ch sound, as in chair, crunch and rich. The children will be encouraged to talk about the ch digraph, not sounds. Mr Thorne and Geraldine The Giraffe can introduce the children to these skills at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEoednLrsMY (ch).The teachers would be delighted if children would bring small objects to school which begin with ch, or a story about a chicken or Charlie. They should be clearly labelled with the owner’s name and class to make sure they don’t get lost.

The tricky words this week are like and have. There is a mix of tricky and blendable words to be found in the dinosaur egg game at http://www.ictgames.com/dinosaursEggs/ for further practice. Looking at the word for a few seconds then covering it up before trying to write it is a good way to learn tricky words.

Maths

This week in maths we will be combining two groups to find the total (whole). The children will be encouraged to combine different groups throughout the week in a wide variety of activities, for example in the classroom with cars ‘I see Daisy has 3 cars and Abdullah has 6. I wonder how many you would have if you put them together? Could you park them on a 10 frame? Or on the playground, Jack has got a tower with 4 green blocks and Fatima has a tower with 3 red blocks. I wonder how big the tower would be if we used all these blocks?

Understanding the world

Next week we will continue to develop our understanding of minibeasts and will be exploring snails. We would love to get up close to observe these creatures but they seem to have fled the school site! They may have heard we were looking for them! If you do have any lurking around in your garden please could you gently scoop them up and bring them into school. We can look at them on the big screen but it is not the same as experiencing the real thing.

Notes / Reminders

Learning Celebrations Parents are invited to visit their child’s class for a Learning Celebration as follows:

• Wednesday 12th February 8.10am R7

• Thursday 13th February 1.30pm R4

This will be an opportunity for parents to listen to songs, poems and stories all delivered and acted out by the children to demonstrate what the children have been learning.

Whole class Photographs are scheduled for the week beginning 16th February.

• Sunday 16th February R3, R7, R8 & R9

• Monday 17th February R1, R2, R5 & R10

• Tuesday 18th February R4, R6

Botanical Garden Trip Week beginning Sunday February 16th

Literacy

In Literacy this week we are excited to be learning to read, write, hear and say the y and z letter sounds, as in yellow and zigzag. Geraldine the giraffe is a fun way for your child to explore these sounds at home, even if she is being a little bit silly this week! Geraldine can be found athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8y4VsZIn_Y (y) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6jgGvZ-3zQ (z) please take the time to watch this with your child as it really supports their knowledge of phonics sounds. We will also be practising blending the sounds we have learned to date: s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u r h f l ll ff ss j v w x.. Each class will be creating a display of objects which begin with y and z. If your child can find a small object to contribute please make sure it is labelled with their name and class before they bring it to school. That way each object will be returned to its rightful owner at the end of the week.

We will be introducing two new tricky words this week, put and all. These songs may help your child to remember the tricky words they know and learn some new ones. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvMyssfAUx0 phase 2 tricky words song and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R087lYrRpgY phase 3 tricky words song.

This week we will be exploring the world of “Superworm” to link with our topic on minibeasts. We will be talking about descriptive words and looking at how superworm is described in the book.

Maths

In maths this week we will be comparing groups of objects, numbers or letters, for example the children may be comparing the number of letters in their names. How many letters does your name have? How many does Qasim have? Do you have the same, more or fewer/less than his? How many numbers in your car number plate? The children will be encouraged to make comparisons with things all around them, both in school and at home, using the mathematical language same as, more than and fewer than.

Understanding the world

As you are aware we are looking at a different ‘minibeast’ each week. Can you guess what this weeks minibeast is? Its worms! We would love to have some more worms in our classrooms to make observations on and encourage us to be curious and ask questions. If you have access to worms, in your garden, etc we would be very grateful to have them in class.

Notes / Reminders

Learning Celebrations Parents are invited to visit their child’s class for a Learning Celebration as follows:

• Thursday 6th February 1.30pm R1, R2, R8 & R9

• Wednesday 12th February 8.10am R7

• Thursday 13th February 1.30pm R4

This will be an opportunity for parents to listen to songs, poems and stories all delivered and acted out by the children to demonstrate what the children have been learning.

Whole class Photographs are scheduled for the week beginning 9th February.

Botanical Garden Trip Week beginning Sunday February 16th

Literacy

In Literacy this week we are excited to be learning to read, write, hear and say the w and x letter sounds. The children love to watch a sometimes very cheeky Geraldine learn these sounds. Geraldine can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HfNo7Mtd7U (w) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0YLRRdZ3R4 (x) please take the time to watch this with your child as it really supports their knowledge of phonics sounds. We will also be practising blending the sounds we have learned to date: s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u r h f l ll ff ss. Each class will be creating a display of objects which begin with j and v. If your child can find a small object to contribute please make sure it is labelled with their name and class before they bring it to school. That way each object will be returned to its rightful owner at the end of the week.

We will be introducing two new tricky words this week, said and are. Don’t forget to keep practising your tricky words at home.

Our focused text this week will be ‘What the ladybird heard?'

Maths

In maths this week we will be exploring 9 & 10. Where would you find these? Can you find these numbers in nature? Are there any minibeasts with 9 or 10 of something? We will be looking at them in lots of different ways again, including subitising. Remember your child would need to be able to identify 9 or 10, without counting the objects, in order to say they know 9 or 10.

Understanding the world

We will continue to focus on a different ‘minibeast’ each week. This week the children will be learning about ladybirds. Questions will be identified during discussion work and the children will use prior knowledge of non fiction books to answer them.

Notes / Reminders

Reception Sports Day will be on Thursday January 30th 10 - 11.30am. Class teachers will be asking for volunteers to help teams throughout the event. Parents are warmly invited to attend as spectators.

Learning Celebrations Parents are invited to visit their child’s class for a Learning Celebration as follows:

• Wednesday 29th January 8.10am R7 1.30pm R5, R10

• Thursday 6th February 1.30pm R1, R2 & R8

• Thursday 13th February 1.30pm R4

This will be an opportunity for parents to listen to songs, poems and stories all delivered and acted out by the children to demonstrate what the children have been learning.

Whole class Photographs are scheduled for the week beginning 9th February.

Botanical Garden Trip Week beginning Sunday February 16th

We will be introducing two new tricky words this week, you and they. These songs may help your child to remember the tricky words they know and learn some new ones. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvMyssfAUx0 phase 2 tricky words song and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R087lYrRpgY phase 3 tricky words song.

This week we will be exploring a range of non fiction texts related to minibeasts, specifically spiders.

Maths

In maths this week we will be exploring 6, 7 & 8. This means we will be looking at these numbers in lots of different ways including subitising. This is when groups of these numbers, for example 8 counters, are arranged in lots of different ways. Does your child know there are 8? Or do they have to count each time?

Understanding the world

We will continue to focus on a different ‘minibeast’ each week. This week the children will be making discoveries about spiders. How do they build a web? Why do they build a web? What do they eat? Each class will be generating questions they want to answer and using information books (non fiction texts) to find out.

Notes / Reminders

Sports Day Reception Sports Day will be on Thursday January 30th 10 - 11.30am. Class teachers will be asking for volunteers to help teams throughout the event. Parents are warmly invited to attend as spectators.

Learning Celebrations Parents are invited to visit their child’s class for a Learning Celebration as follows:

• Thursday 23rd January 8.10am R3

• Wednesday 29th January 8.10am R7 1.30pm R5, R10

• Thursday 6th February 1.30pm R1, R2 & R8

• Thursday 13th February 1.30pm R4

This will be an opportunity for parents to listen to songs, poems and stories all delivered and acted out by the children to demonstrate what the children have been learning.

Botanical Garden Trip Week beginning Sunday February 16th

Tricky Word Keyrings & Book Bags The keyring and book bag should come to school everyday so that it can be used in class if needed.

Literacy

In Literacy this week we will be learning to read, write, hear and say the l letter sound as in leg and the ll as in bell. Geraldine the giraffe is a fun way for your child to explore these sounds at home. Geraldine can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq-q2jzM78c Please take the time to watch this with your child as it really supports their knowledge of phonics sounds.

We will also be practising blending the sounds we have learned to date: s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u r f l ll and ss.

Our text this week will be ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. The children will be exploring the story using sounds and their acting skills.

Maths

In maths this week children will be developing their understanding of number by learning about number bonds to 5. They will begin to understand that numbers are made by combining smaller numbers, including zero. The children will learn to range of strategies to do this, including part whole models. This is where a whole number, such as 4 is made up of 2 smaller numbers such as 1 and 3.

The ‘I know my number bonds’ song, which can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1oa6o0fMKk clearly shows the part whole model in use.

Understanding the world

This half term we are excited to be introducing children to the world of “minibeasts’. This topic will enable the children to investigate a range of bugs, including worms, snails and beetles. If you have any interesting ‘minibeasts’ in your garden at home we would love to see them in school. The children would be very excited to see ‘real bugs’, especially if they came from their garden!

We will be focusing on a different ‘minibeast’ each week linked to our text so this week will be caterpillars and butterflies.

Notes / Reminders

Sports Day Reception Sports Day will be on Thursday January 30th 10 - 11.30am. Class teachers will be asking for volunteers to help teams throughout the event. Parents are warmly invited to attend as spectators.

Learning Celebrations Parents are invited to visit their child’s class for a Learning Celebration as follows:

• Thursday 16th January 1.30pm R6

• Thursday 23rd January 8.10am R3

• Wednesday 29th January 8.10am R7 1.30pm R5, R10

• Thursday 6th February 1.30pm R1, R2 & R8

• Thursday 13th February 1.30pm R4

This will be an opportunity for parents to listen to songs, poems and stories all delivered and acted out by the children to demonstrate what the children have been learning.

Tricky Word Keyrings & Book Bags The keyring and book bag should come to school everyday so that it can be used in class if needed.

Literacy

In Literacy this week we will continue to learn how to read, write, hear and say the letter sounds b as in bat and bun and f as in fit and fan. Geraldine the giraffe can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztsfsOl9l9Q for initial sound b activities or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwTkcfKRj00 for blending the b sound. Alternatively your child might enjoy the b alphablocks episode instead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh2_Qs7dGDw. Geraldine learning the f sound can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIKQVqtMZco and the f alphablocks episode is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaECNTK379w . We will also be practising blending the sounds we have learned to date: s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u r h.

At home you could ask you child to make a b or f poster, they could draw pictures of b or f things, and add a label to tell the reader about the pictures e.g bat.

Each class will be continue to display of objects which begin with b and f. If your child can find a small object to contribute please make sure it is labelled with their name and class before they bring it to school. Try and find a different object to bring in, this week. That way each object will be returned to its rightful owner at the end of the week.

We will continue to work with the tricky words we and me. Hunting for we and me in their favourite story book is a super way to help the children recognise these words! Remember to practice making these words at home as well. They can be made with magnetic letters, letters written on separate squares of paper so the children can put them together like a puzzle or written in sand, flour, etc. You child will need to be able to read and write the tricky words before they can get the next tricky word list for the keyrings. .

We will continue to develop our ideas of how to get across the river, linked to the story of the 3 Billy Goats Gruff.

Maths

This week we will continue to develop our use of the mathematical language. We will continue to focus on one less than. The children will explore one less than in practical activities, using a wide range of resources. They will be exploring number lines and using these to support their understanding, e.g. one less than 4 is 3. We know this because we make one jump back along the number line to find the number that is before this number.

Understanding the world

This week we will be thinking about our national Day celebration and planning our class party to celebrate it.

Notes / Reminders

• Festive Sing Along in the Key Stage 1 playground on Tuesday 10th December. Children will be able to go home with their parents after the Festive Sing Along.

  • • • • 11am Classes R1, R2, R7, R8, R10

        • 11.45m Classes R3, R4, R5, R6, R9

• National Day Celebrations Thursday 12th December. The children will be invited to wear Bahraini national dress or the colours of the Bahrain flag (red and white) and each class will have a shared table instead of the usual snack and lunch. More details to follow from class teachers as arrangements may vary between classes.

Literacy

In Literacy this week we are excited to learn how to read, write, hear and say the letter sounds b as in bat and bun and f as in fit and fan. Geraldine the giraffe can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztsfsOl9l9Q for initial sound b activities or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwTkcfKRj00 for blending the b sound. Alternatively your child might enjoy the b alphablocks episode instead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh2_Qs7dGDw. Geraldine learning the f sound can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIKQVqtMZco and the f alphablocks episode is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaECNTK379w. We will also be practising blending the sounds we have learned to date: s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u r h.

At home the children can have great fun with a pad of post its and a pencil so that they can label in the objects in their room or the house, eg by writing d on a post-it and sticking it on the door, dor would be very acceptable too!

Each class will be creating a display of objects which begin with r and f. If your child can find a small object to contribute please make sure it is labelled with their name and class before they bring it to school. That way each object will be returned to its rightful owner at the end of the week.

We will continue to work with the tricky words we and me. Hunting for we and me in their favourite story book is a super way to help the children recognise these words! Remember to practice making these words at home as well. They can be made with magnetic letters, letters written on separate squares of paper so the children can put them together like a puzzle or written in sand, flour, etc. You child will need to be able to read and write the tricky words before they can get the next tricky word list for the keyrings.

We will also be learning the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. It will be amazing to see the story we have learnt in class being performed live in the theatre!

Maths

This week we will continue to develop our use of the mathematical language. We will continue to focus on one less than. The children will explore one less than in practical activities, using a wide range of resources. They will be exploring number lines and using these to support their understanding, e.g. one less than 4 is 3. We know this because we make one jump back along the number line to find the number that is before this number.

Understanding the world

This week we will be looking at the importance of food in celebrations. Do all celebrations involve eating? Do we eat the same food at all celebrations? E.g. do we eat birthday cake during Eid? Are there some foods that we only have during particular celebrations?

Notes / Reminders

• Individual Photographs Children will need to wear their best uniform for individual photographs which will be taken as follows:

  • • • Monday 2nd December R1, R2, R5, R8, R10

      • Tuesday 3rd December R3, R4, R6, R7, R9

• Theatre Trip - The three Billy Goats Gruff Reception are going to the theatre to see The Three Billy Goats Gruff on Wednesday, 4th December. Please note the buses will need to leave school at 8am so it is particularly important that children are ready to enter the classroom at 7.45am.

• Festive Sing Along Tuesday 10th December. Children will be able to go home with their parents after the Festive Sing Along.

  • • • 11am Classes R1, R2, R7, R8, R10

      • 11.45m Classes R3, R4, R5, R6, R9

• National Day Celebrations Thursday 12th December. The children will be invited to wear Bahraini national dress or the colours of the Bahrain flag (red and white) and each class will have a shared table instead of the usual snack and lunch. More details to follow from class teachers.

Literacy

In Literacy this week we are continuing to learn how to read, write, hear and say the letter sounds r as in rat and run and f as in fit and fan. Geraldine the giraffe can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_NgOtt0Htw for the r sound, or the children might enjoy the r alphablocks episode instead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oyPvcX9rFQ . Geraldine learning the f sound can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIKQVqtMZco and the f alphablocks episode is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaECNTK379w . We will also be practising blending the sounds we have learned to date: s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u r f.

At home the children can have great fun with a pad of post its and a pencil so that they can label in the objects in their room or the house, eg by writing d on a post-it and sticking it on the door, dor would be very acceptable too!

Each class will be creating a display of objects which begin with r and f. If your child can find a small object to contribute please make sure it is labelled with their name and class before they bring it to school. That way each object will be returned to its rightful owner at the end of the week.

We will continue to work with the tricky words he and she. Hunting for he and she in their favourite story book is a super way to help the children recognise these words! Remember to practice making these words at home as well. They can be made with magnetic letters, letters written on separate squares of paper so the children can put them together like a puzzle or written in sand, flour, etc.

We will also continue to explore the story of Going on a Bear Hunt.

Maths

This week we will continue to develop our use of the mathematical language. We will continue to focus on one more than. They children will explore one more in practical activities, using a wide range of resources. They will be exploring number lines, using these to support their understanding, e.g. one more than 4 is 5. We know this because we make one jump on the number line to the number that comes next.

Understanding the world

This week we will continue to consider the role of giving gifts during celebrations. Do all celebrations involve gifts? Why do we give gifts? The children will be talking about gifts but also consider gift choices.

Notes / Reminders

• Individual Photographs Children will need to wear their best uniform for individual photographs which will be taken as follows:

  • • Monday 2nd December R1, R2, R5, R8, R10

    • Tuesday 3rd December R3, R4, R6, R7, R9

• Theatre Trip - The three Billy Goats Gruff Reception are going to the theatre to see The Three Billy Goats Gruff on Wednesday, 4th December. Please note the buses will need to leave school at 8am so it is particularly important that children are ready to enter the classroom at 7.45am.

• Festive Sing Along Tuesday 10th December 11am Classes R1, R2, R7, R8, R10

11.45m Classes R3, R4, R5, R6, R9

Children will be able to go home with their parents after the Festive Sing Along.

Literacy

In Literacy this week we are excited to be learning to read, write, hear and say two more letter sounds r as in rat and run and f as in fit and fan. Geraldine the giraffe can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_NgOtt0Htw for the r sound, or the children might enjoy the r alphablocks episode instead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oyPvcX9rFQ . Geraldine learning the f sound can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIKQVqtMZco and the f alphablocks episode is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaECNTK379w . We will also be practising blending the sounds we have learned to date: s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u r f.

At home the children can have great fun with a pad of post its and a pencil so that they can label in the objects in their room or the house, eg by writing d on a post-it and sticking it on the door, dor would be very acceptable too!

Each class will be creating a display of objects which begin with r and f. If your child can find a small object to contribute please make sure it is labelled with their name and class before they bring it to school. That way each object will be returned to its rightful owner at the end of the week.

The tricky words this week are he and she. Hunting for he and she in their favourite story book is a super way to help the children recognise these words!

We will also be exploring the story of Going on a Bear Hunt.

Maths

This week we will continue to develop our use of the mathematical language. We will focus on one more than. They children will explore one more in practical activities, using a wide range of resources. They will be exploring number lines, using these to support their understanding, e.g. one more than 4 is 5. We know this because we make one jump on the number line to the number that comes next.

Understanding the world

This week we will be considering the role of giving gifts during celebrations. Do all celebrations involve gifts? Why do we give gifts? The children will be talking about gifts but also consider gift choices.

Notes / Reminders

• Theatre Trip - The three Billy Goats Gruff Reception are going to the theatre to see The Three Billy Goats Gruff on Wednesday, 4th December. Please note the buses will need to leave school at 8am so it is particularly important that children are ready to enter the classroom at 7.45am.

• Festive Sing Along Tuesday 10th December

• Tricky Word Keyrings The keyring should come to school everyday in your child’s book-bag so that it can be used in class if needed.

Literacy

In literacy this week we are excited to be learning to read, write, hear and say two more letter sounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWyKmM-PqJY (e) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmmewEew6lM (u). We will also be practising blending the sounds we have learned to date: s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u.

Each class will be creating a display of objects which begin with e and u. If your child can find a small object to contribute please make sure it is labelled with their name and class before they bring it to school. That way each object will be returned to its rightful owner at the end of the week.

The tricky word this week is into.

We will also be exploring the story of The Little Red Hen.

Maths

This week we will continue to develop our use of the mathematical language. We will focus on more than, fewer than, equal to and the same as when making comparisons between sets or groups. Asking and answering such as how many in your set? Who has more? How do you know?

Understanding the world

What special clothes do we wear during celebrations? This question will be the focus of our topic this week. If you have any photos of your family in traditional clothes worn during celebrations we would love to see them.

Literacy

In Literacy this week we are excited to be learning to read, write, hear and say two more letter sounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjyk4ULW7lk (c), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE9ZYKGFx68 (k) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU1MPzpuvvo the end sound (ck). We will also be practising blending the sounds we have learned to date: s a t p i n m d g o c k ck. Each class will be creating a display of objects which begin with c and k. If your child can find a small object to contribute please make sure it is labelled with their name and class before they bring it to school. That way each object will be returned to its rightful owner at the end of the week.

We will also be learning the tricky words go and no. Tricky words are words which would not usually be created by blending the individual letter sounds together. Searching for these words in the children’s own story books is an excellent way of practising recognition. Listening to the tricky word song found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvMyssfAUx0 is an excellent way to help children recognise them.

Maths

In Maths this week we are learning to make direct comparisons between groups and knowing when they are the same. We will be using the mathematical language more than, fewer than, same as and equal to, to talk about these groups.

Understanding the world

This week we will be exploring the festival of Diwali. The children will be learning about how people celebrate this festival. If your child has been involved with the Diwali celebrations recently please let their class teacher know, as we would love to hear about their experiences.

Notes / Reminders

• Photographs of Celebrations As part of our topic on Festivals and Celebrations we would like each child to have a photograph of themselves at a celebration eg Eid, Christmas, a wedding ...

• Festive Sing Along Tuesday 10th December

• Tricky Word Keyrings The keyring should come to school everyday in your child’s book-bag so that it can be used in class if needed.

Literacy

In Literacy this week we are excited to be learning to read, write, hear and say two more letter sounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2DdC5Q6D64 (g) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIQQo9eYVqk (o). We will also be practising blending the sounds we have learned to date: s a t p i n m d g o. Each class will be creating a display of objects which begin with g and o (it is the o sound as in octopus or orange not the owl o). If your child can find a small object to contribute please make sure it is labelled with their name and class before they bring it to school. That way each object will be returned to its rightful owner at the end of the week. We will be continuing to develop listening and speaking skills with focused activities and exploring the story of Goldilocks and the Three bears.

Maths

In Maths this week we will be developing our number knowledge and sorting skills. The children will be considering what is the same about the objects in a group/set and how they differ to other groups/sets. They will then be sorting objects in many different ways, creating their own criteria for sorting them.

Understanding the world

Next week we begin a new topic, this will be Festivals and Celebrations. The children will begin by discussing things they celebrate such as birthdays.

Notes / Reminders

• Half-Term Break School restarts for Reception at 7.45am on Sunday 27th October.

• Tricky Word Keyrings The keyring should come to school everyday in your child’s book-bag so that it can be used in class if needed.

Literacy

In Literacy this week we are excited to be learning to read, write, hear and say two more letter sounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh6Ux5D2D84 (m) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65b3vEfskZ4 (d). We will also be practising blending the sounds we have learned to date: s a t p i n m d. Each class will be creating a display of objects which begin with m and d. If your child can find a small object to contribute please make sure it is labelled with their name and class before they bring it to school. That way each object will be returned to its rightful owner at the end of the week.

We make use of magazines for a variety of literacy and art based activities in Reception. If you have any old magazines that you do not want please send them in to school as we can make good use of them.

We will be encouraging the children to think of big numbers this week by asking the question, how old is daddy? Please could you support your child with this by sending the answer into school. Thank you.

Understanding the world

We will continue to explore how animals move and why, this week in Topic. We will be encouraging the children to ask questions about the natural world to develop a deeper understanding of how animals move.

Notes / Reminders

• Half-Term Break School finishes for Reception at 11.30am on Thursday 17th October and reopens at 7.45am on Sunday 27th October.

• Reception Reading Workshop Tuesday 15th October 1pm in the EYFS Hall

Literacy

In Literacy this week we are excited to be learning to read, write, hear and say two more letter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gi8OBhl11U (i) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQsCAyq-axU (n). We will also be practising blending the sounds we have learned to date: s a t p i n. Each class will be creating a display of objects which begin with i and n. If your child can find a small object to contribute please make sure it is labelled with their name and class before they bring it to school. That way each object will be returned to its rightful owner at the end of the week.

Maths

In Maths this week we are focusing on counting skills within 5. This will include counting irregular arrangements of up to 5 objects with speed and accuracy; and investigating different ways of making 2, 3, 4 and 5 eg 4 can be made as 1 and 3 or 2 and 2 or 4 and 0. We will also be continuing to practise the correct formation of the digits 2, 3, 4 and 5.

If your child finds counting up to 5 objects and identifying the correct numeral for the set difficult there is some extra practice at http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/earlymath/CountAnimals1to5.htm.

Notes / Reminders

• Long Days Start From Sunday 6th October Reception home-time will be 2pm.

• Reception Reading Workshop Tuesday 15th October

Literacy

In Literacy this week we are excited to be learning to read, write, hear, say and blend two more letter sounds: t and p. This could be reinforced at home by watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmlzzMTqBxo (t) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0akp_j1nbc (p).

To help recognise the letter shapes which have been introduced so far the children could also play the first level of Phoneme Pop at http://www.ictgames.com/phonemePopLS_v2.html . Each class will be creating a display of objects which begin with t and p. If your child can find a small object to contribute please make sure it is labelled with their name and class before they bring it to school. That way each object will be returned to its rightful owner at the end of the week.

Maths

In Maths this week we are focusing on representing the numbers 1 - 5 in many different ways. By using dotted dice and dominoes in many different activities the children will be learning to recall the quantity a particular dot pattern represents without having to count the dots each time the pattern is seen. Likewise the children will be building up their fast recall of quantities represented by various finger patterns.

Playing dominoes at home over the weekend, if you already have a set of dotty dominoes, would be super preparation for the week. There is also a fun activity feeding a bear at https://www.topmarks.co.uk/learning-to-count/teddy-numbers which helps the children to practise counting given quantities. Initially it is best to focus on the first level involving sets of 1 - 5.

Understanding the World

This week each class will be investigating how animals move. At home it would be helpful to talk about how your pets move, as well as asking the children how they could copy their pets movements.

Notes / Reminders

• Long Days Start Sunday 6th October

• Reception Reading Workshop Tuesday 15th October

Literacy

In Literacy this week we are excited to be learning to read, write, hear and say our first two letter sounds: s and a. This could be reinforced at home by watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUmUpf-JNoU (s) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtNWFUVgaRk (a). Each class will be creating a display of objects which begin with s and a. If your child can find a small object to contribute please make sure it is labelled with their name and class before they bring it to school. That way each object will be returned to its rightful owner at the end of the week.

Maths

In Maths this week we are focusing on reading, writing and representing numbers 1 - 3 in many different ways. We want children to be able to recognise or begin to recognise 1, 2 and 3 as a numeral and quantity in everyday situations.

Understanding the world

This week we are learning about ‘How I move’ as part of our ‘On the Move’ topic. The children will be exploring the different ways people can move and identifying the parts of the body used for that movement, e.g. walking uses your feet. They will also be discussing ideas about other parts of the body which can be used for that movement. Can we walk using another part of our body? Talking with your child about the different ways they are moving over the weekend, will give them lots of ideas during classroom discussions.

They will also look at the body parts used for moving in a particular way

Notes / Reminders

• Long Days Start Sunday 6th October

• Reception Reading Workshop Tuesday 15th October

In Literacy we are continuing to practise recognising and writing our names. This includes forming the letters correctly whether it is the capital letter at the beginning or the lower case letters which follow it.

To help develop a good pencil grip and strong hand and finger muscles which aid handwriting there will be lots of ‘fine motor' activities. This will include threading, tearing various materials and cutting.

Doing finger gym exercises can be a great way of improving finger strength and flexibility. The children could try copying the exercises at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Roj9Kc6a-bw .

Maths

In Maths we are examining a range of patterns in the world around us and then replicating them as well as creating our own repeating patterns.

Understanding the world

This week we are learning about the importance of looking after the world that is close to us, ie the classroom. Children will be practising routines which ensure that resources are used fairly in the classroom whether by being shared or children taking turns to use them. We will be talking about ways in which we can make sure resources in our classrooms are well-cared for. Children will also be encouraged to consider using a trickle not a flood of water when they wash their hands and only 2 pieces of paper roll for hand drying.

It would be helpful if parents could talk about caring for their belongings with the children.

Notes / Reminders

• BSB Book Bags In order to protect reading and library books every child is required to have a BSB book bag to carry books to and from school. Please make sure there are only papers and books in this bag.

• Long Days Start Sunday 6th October

• Reception Reading Workshop Tuesday 15th October

Literacy

In Literacy we are focusing on learning to recognise and write our names. This includes forming the letters correctly whether it is the capital letter at the beginning or the lower case letters which follow it.

We are learning to listen to instructions and follow them carefully as we experience more of the routines of life in Reception. This includes borrowing books from the school library and being part of outside break with other classes.

Maths

In Maths we are practising using low numbers in practical circumstances for example making sure there are no more than 4 children playing in the sandpit.

Understanding the world

This week we are learning about the importance of looking after the world that is close to us, ie the classroom. Children will be practising routines which ensure that resources are used fairly in the classroom whether by being shared or children taking turns to use them. We will be talking about ways in which we can make sure resources in our classrooms are well-cared for. Children will also be encouraged to consider using a trickle not a flood of water when they wash their hands and only 2 pieces of paper roll for hand drying.

It would be helpful if parents could talk about caring for their belongings with the children.

Notes / Reminders

• Reception Welcome Evening Wednesday 11th September 6pm in the Early years Hall

• Long Days Start Sunday 6th October

• Reception Reading Workshop Tuesday 15th October