Reception
Welcome to Reception
Miss Ashington and Mrs Dinnis
We look forward to welcoming you back for our Spring term.
Topic - 'Out and About'
Reception Curriculum – Spring 1:
This term, our young learners will embark on an exciting journey exploring the world around them! Our topic, ‘Out and About,’ invites children to discover maps, continents, and our planet. Through engaging activities, they will learn about different cultures and lifestyles, deepening their understanding of both their community and the world at large.
Our main stories will include:
- The Train ride
- Shark in the Park
- Messy Magpie
- Amelia's Fantastic flight
Areas of Exploration:
- Land Travel: Cars, trains, diggers, and trucks
- Sea Travel: Boats, submarines, and ships
- Space Travel: Rockets, spaceships, and planets
- Air Travel: Aeroplanes, hot air balloons, and helicopters
Literacy Development:
As we delve into our travel theme, the focus will be on enhancing reading and writing skills. We encourage parents to support their children with homework and reading at least three times a week to reinforce school learning and build confidence in writing.
Children will be developing their reading and spelling of Phase 3 phonics and tricky words. They will also learn to construct sentences with finger spacing. As well as our lovely focus books, we will read various non-fiction books about transport to gather interesting information.
Mathematics Learning:
In mathematics, children will practice number sentences using addition and subtraction symbols, along with some number bonds to 10.
Cultural Awareness:
Our curriculum also includes exploring different religions and celebrations within our community, such as Chinese New Year. The children will compare various celebrations, recognising similarities and differences.
Seasonal Changes:
We will observe the changing seasons, focusing on the transition from winter to spring.
How to Help at Home:
To support your child’s learning journey, here are some activities you can do together:
- Practice Phase 3 Tricky Words (bookmarks have been sent home)
- Share stories and read together
- Encourage independence in self-care tasks (e.g., putting on coats, zipping)
- Provide fun fine motor activities (e.g., playdough, threading, painting with small brushes, building with LEGO)
- Create opportunities for writing in practical contexts (e.g., shopping lists)
- Recognise and write numbers up to 10
- Add and subtract using objects, then on a number line, and finally in their heads
- Practice identifying 2D shapes and knowing some 3D shapes (cone, cube, sphere, cylinder), understanding the difference between solid 3D shapes and flat 2D shapes.
- Understanding one more and one less than a given number.
Reminders:
Please can we have an image sent in of somewhere you have visited, this can be in the UK or abroad. The images will be used on our large display outside of the classroom for children to look at and discuss.
Scooter day:
Tuesday – Hedgehogs and Rabbits
Wednesday – Badgers and Foxes
Thursday – Owls and Squirrels
Homework
Homework will be assigned on a weekly basis and will primarily focus on developing writing and mathematical skills, as well as fine motor skills. These tasks will be light and manageable, designed to prepare the children for the challenges of the upcoming year.
Important dates this term:
Monday & Friday - Changing reading book
Friday - Homework sent out and to be returned the following week
Thursday - PE kit
Friday 6th February - Trip to Mini minds Play Village
Thank you for your continued support in making this term a successful and enriching experience for our children! Together, we can inspire a love of learning and exploration.
Focus Areas This Term:
During Spring, much of our learning will centre around developing communication skills, Literacy and Mathematics. Children will be encouraged to to develop their social skills and build friendships through play and group activities. This term is all about helping children develop their writing skills and finding confidence in independent work in a warm, supportive environment.
Building on Prior Knowledge:
This term, we will be building on children’s knowledge of:
- Nursery rhymes/rhyming words
- Story structure - beginning, middle, end, setting, characters and plot
- General structure of a sentence
- Numbers to 6 and further
This prior knowledge will support classroom discussions and help children feel confident as they develop independence in activities and phonics.
Key Vocabulary We Will Be Learning:
- beginning
- middle
- end
- characters
- setting
- plot
- moral
- digraphs
- trigraphs
- addition
- equals to
- number sentences
This half term our focus for PSHE is 'Dreams & Goals'
This term in JIGSAW PSHE, our Reception children will be exploring the theme of Dreams and Goals. We will talk about what it means to have a dream, set simple goals and celebrate achievements—big or small! Through stories, games and creative activities, the children will learn about perseverance, teamwork and feeling proud of themselves and others. These lessons help build confidence and encourage a positive attitude towards learning and trying new things.
Press here to access the website - health for kids.
The EYFS framework includes Seven Areas of Learning that are equally important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly important for sparking enthusiasm for learning and forming relationships.
The Prime Areas of Learning:
- Communication and Language
- Physical Development
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
The prime areas are strengthened and applied through four Specific Areas of Learning:
- Literacy
- Maths
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Arts and Design
Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning
In addition to addressing all seven Areas of Learning, our curriculum is designed to promote the Characteristics of Effective Learning. These characteristics describe how the children will learn. These learning behaviours are particularly important in the EYFS because they build the foundations for children to be lifelong learners. The characteristics are:
- Playing and Exploring - Engagement
- Active Learning - Motivation
- Creating and Thinking Critically - Thinking
Planning and assessment
We offer the children in Reception a ‘hands-on’ play-based curriculum, both indoors and outdoors, throughout the day. Planning can be intentional, responsive, or anticipatory. It is flexible and can change in response to children’s ideas and interests. Planning may also be linked to events in the community or around the world.
“Play is essential for children’s development, building their confidence as they learn to explore, relate to others, set their own goals and solve problems. Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part in play which is guided by adults.”
Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.
In addition to the activities planned by the adults, the children are offered plenty of opportunities to direct their own learning.
All children starting Reception will take part in the Reception Baseline Assessment. Please see the information for parents document produced by the DfE below to explain the process.
At the end of the Reception Year children will be assessed for the EYFS Profile. Each of the seven areas will be further broken down into the following categories.
To practise phonics, the children can access Mr Thorne’s Phonics on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MrTsPhonics/playlists This is free of charge and the 5 minute videos will give the children a reminder of the sounds they have already learnt but would also enable them to start learning about sounds that are to come in Year 1 if they wanted to. Games can be accessed on https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/ and https://www.phonicsbloom.com/ Additional resources are also available below, covering all of the phonics taught so far.
Maths games can be accessed free of charge via Top Marks: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/ The children could also continue to practise number formation, ensuring numbers are correctly orientated, and do practical addition and subtraction, for example using Cheerios for counting. There are also resources below revisiting learning the children have covered this year.
If you need to support your child with toilet training, below are some useful links to get them started. Current advice is to teach your child the skill of using a potty and not waiting for the child to be ready.
To help your child be school ready and get the best start to their education, please follow the link below which supports families through interactive games and conversation starters:
https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/school-readiness
https://www.facebook.com/SolihullHVs
https://eric.org.uk/potty-training/
Phonic activities - Phase 2
Phonics Resources
Dental Hygiene:
In EYFS, we teach about dental hygiene. The children learn the value of good brushing and how to use toothpaste to fight tooth decay. The Colgate Tooth Defenders help us to learn how to keep ourselves healthy and even give us our own toothbrush and toothpaste to take home!
The Tooth Defenders would like us to complete our brushing chart to make sure that we keep our teeth and gums healthy.
If you need any support for your child or any tips on keeping teeth clean, please see our documents below to help you. Also start taking your child to the dentist….it is never too early to start!
Meet the Teacher - presentation and resources
School Readiness information for parents
Snow day school closure:
Snow Day Home Learning
If we have a snow day, here are some simple activities you can enjoy with your child to keep their learning going at home:
Phonics & Reading: Practice reading and writing the tricky words for your child’s current phonics phase. You can extend this by encouraging them to use tricky words in short sentences. Please also revisit the personalised phonics targets sent home last term. Enjoy some shared reading together and remember to record this in their reading book.
Maths: Support your child in practicing number formation to 10. You can also explore simple addition number sentences using the + and = symbols.
Understanding the World Make the most of the snowy weather—build snowmen, explore outside, and chat about how snow is formed and what happens when it melts.