Reception
Welcome to Reception
Miss Ashington and Mrs Dinnis
We look forward to you all starting your first term in Reception and we hope you are too!
Topic - 'Ourselves'
This term, the children in Reception will be embarking on an exciting journey of self-discovery as we explore the topic of 'Ourselves'. Through various activities and experiences, we will be delving into who we are, our family dynamics and familiarising ourselves with the school routine.
One of our main focuses during this term will be on understanding our bodies and the different parts that make us unique individuals. By naming and identifying these body parts, the children will begin to develop a strong foundation for their future learning. Additionally, we will be fostering relationships and building strong bonds with our classmates, as these relationships will serve as building blocks for the rest of the year.
Each week, we will be immersing ourselves in a new reading book which will serve as the focal point for our learning. Through these books, we will explore themes of identity and what makes each of us special. Furthermore, we will be working together to establish class rules and expectations, helping the children develop an understanding of the school routine and their responsibilities as students.
In order to best support your child's learning, baseline assessments will be conducted for each individual. These assessments will provide valuable insights into their current abilities and areas that may require additional support. We kindly request your assistance in supporting your child with phase 2 phonics at home, as this will lay the groundwork for their early reading skills.
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.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support. Your involvement and encouragement play a vital role in your child's development and success. We look forward to a rewarding term ahead, full of growth and discovery.
PRIOR KNOWLEGDE KEY VOCABULARY
I can name the members in my family.
I can talk about my family.
I can recognise my name and identity what makes me unique.
I can talk about the similarities and differences between myself and others.
Key questions –
1 Who is in my family ?
2 What makes me different?
3 What makes me the same?
4 What makes me unique?
Important information this term:
Monday & Friday - Changing reading book
Friday - Homework sent out and to be returned the following week
Friday - PE kit
Reading books are changed on Monday and Friday. Please can you make sure you are logging their reading in their reading record books; this can include any sounds they found tricky.
Show and tell will be on a Wednesday (Squirrels, Foxes and Owls) and Thursday (Rabbits, Badgers and Hedgehogs). You will be made aware of what animal group your child will be in for this year. We will also have allocated scooter days for children across the week. More information of this will follow. This term, please can the children bring in either an item from home that links to our topic or ‘WOW’ work they are proud of.
This half term our focus for PSHE is 'Being in my world'
During the year Jigsaw Jenie helps us with our personal, social and emotional understanding. This term we will be having lots of discussions about taking responsibilities at home and identify some of the jobs we do in our family. we be looking at belonging and how to problem solve different scenarios with friends.
There is a wonderful website below that is useful for your child and for you as a parent. It has games and information about feelings, health, illnesses and sections on body image, mental health and much more. There is also a section for you, the parent, to refer to for information on the school nurse and it shows local Solihull support services.
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.
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
Baseline:
Please use the link below to find out about the statutory Reception Baseline assessment that we will be completing with all children.