Friday 29 September 2017

Friday 30th September

Show and Tell next week is: Yellow group.

Thank you to those of you who donated cakes and came along to our Macmillan Coffee afternoon. We raised over £200 for Macmillan and are delighted with this.

This week we have continued to focus on learning phonics through:
  • ·         Environmental/instrumental means - this week the children explored different sounds made with drum sticks
  • ·         Using voice sounds and body percussion- we played chain games
  • ·         Rhythm and rhyme- fast, slow, skipping, marching rhythms
  • ·         Alliteration- objects from the sound box
  • ·         Oral blending and segmenting - playing 'I spy' focusing on a tray of objects.
In creative the children have been learning to mix primary colours and make secondary colours. They had a chance to experiment using a palette to mix their own colours.













In maths we have focused on the number 2 and the semi-circle.  We recapped the number 1 and we talked about parts of the body and how we have 1 head and 1 nose. We then thought about what we have 2 of. We have 2 hands and need 2 gloves, we have 2 feet and need 2 socks and 2 shoes. The children then dressed their teddy finding the correct number of clothes and sticking them on to their bear.

The children have been learning about animals and their babies. They have looked at similarities and differences between animals and their off spring as well as learning the correct names. The children went on an animal hunt and all found a picture of one animal.  We asked them to put their hand up if their animal had the following features:
·         it is furry,
·         it has four legs,
·         it has horns,
·         it has feathers
·         your animal has a tail
·         your animal has a beak
·         if your animal has a mane

The children then had to find a partner- someone who had a card with the same animal so that adults and their babies were matched. The children then compared the two pictures and discussed what was the same and what was different.  Most of the animals looked very alike but were perhaps different sizes. They noticed that some of the animals were very different. For example: A caterpillar and butterfly; a tadpole and frog.  The children need lots poor practise learning the names of baby animals-cub, calf,  kid.












In literacy this week the children have been using alliteration. They were introduced to two clay aliens with alliterative names Mig Mag Mully Mo and Fo Fi Fandle Fee. The children then made their own clay models and named them using alliteration.  See if your child can remember what they called their alien.





The children have once again had a great deal of fun in ChIL. 

























Small groups have taken turns playing games with an adult. The children have been working on their listening skills and understanding the importance of taking turns and that we can’t always win! These games have also been maths or literacy based. 


Things to do with your child this weekend...

Please continue to play ‘I spy with my little eye’ using the letter sounds to help your child develop a good understanding of initial sounds. 

When you read to your child see if your child can identify the rhyming words in the text. Can they think of any other rhyming words to continue the rhyming string?

Focus on the number 2, counting 2 objects e.g. wheels, stones, conkers, leaves, sticks, put them into groups of two as well as finding the numeral.
Look at numbers in the environment for example on the houses as you walk along the street, in the aisles in the supermarket. Ask your child to get the cutlery out at dinner- ask them to work out how many knives, forks and spoons are needed. Ask them to count the stairs as you climb up them and can they count backwards as you come back down? Sing lots of number rhymes.

Games are fantastic way to practise listening skills and encourage your child to recognise number patterns on dice/dominoes and build on basic literacy skills. Please try to play board games with your child at home.

Go on an autumn walk and find leaves and conkers and sticks and bring them in for us all to  use as we learn.  

Have a lovely weekend,
The Reception Team


Friday 22 September 2017

Friday 22nd September

Thank you again to those of you who came along to the induction meeting on Tuesday or last Thursday. We hope that you found it informative. The presentation will be on the website very soon. These can be found under News-Learning Information-Presentations-Reception Class-Your Child's Day.

Each day this week we have started with a phonics session. 

In phonics, this half term we are focusing on: 
  • listening skills
  • voice and body percussion
  • rhythm and rhyme
  • alliteration 
  • oral blending and segmenting
The children started the week by going on a listening walk. They practised experimenting with their voice to make different sounds. On Wednesday we focused on rhythm clapping and repeating rhymes. We then used stamping, tapping and instruments. 

On Thursday we focused on alliteration. The children had to find and sort objects  with the same initial sound. The children had to group them according to their initial sound. We then read the alliterative picture lists together. Playing 'I spy with my little eye' is a great way to get your child learning their initial sounds and letter names (start with the sounds!). 

On Friday we practised oral blending and segmenting. We introduced our puppet who can only speak in ‘sound-talk’. We asked the puppet questions which he answered in sound talk and the children worked out what he was saying. For example the puppet was asked what he would like for tea and he said ’ch-ee-se’. The children then had a chance to ask the puppet questions where the answer was ‘y-e-s or n-o’.
All of these phonics activities can be practised at home. 

Each day our phonics session has been followed by a short adult directed activity in groups of 15 on rotation. This week adult directed activities have focused on:

  •  maths
  •  literacy (phonics)
  •  creative 
  •  Understanding of the world (geography). 
There has also been a whole class quick maths sessions each day.

As we explained we are focusing on the mastery of maths in order to ensure that all children have solid foundations to their understanding. This week we have been focusing on the number 1 and exploring circles. We have been practising counting on and back in ones. We looked at a circle and compared two circles, discussing similarities and differences. The children went on a circle hunt around the classroom. All the children then found one object, and we introduced basic addition. We talked about 1 more and 1 less.
The children have been using 1p pieces to pay for their snack this week. The children sorted a range of 2d shapes, identifying all the circles and comparing the circles to one another. They also weighed circles and we talked about heavier and lighter.




Our literacy activity this week was building on the children’s understanding of rhyme. They had to name and match rhyming objects.  We talked about rhyming strings listing words in a string eg. Dog, log, frog or clock, sock, lock, rock. Nonsense words are acceptable. The children then thought of silly sentences using their rhyming strings. Eg.’The cat sat on the mat and ate a rat’ or ‘Did you ever see a phone made of stone?’ Please encourage your child to identify rhyming words in stories or think of rhyming strings and silly sentences using these words.

In 'Understanding of the world' we have been learning about the school environment. The children have been exploring all the areas of the school, learning how to get from one place to another and identifying different areas such as the library, the school office, the staff room etc. 

















Our creative activity this week has been overlapping strips in a collage. This is in preparation for the children’s Christmas cards that need to be sent off to ‘Art Projects for Schools’. In a few weeks you will be given an opportunity to order your child’s work as Christmas cards, labels and wrapping paper. This is a fund raising activity for the school. So don't buy your Christmas cards yet!!












The children have had lots of fun in ChIL




























































The children have started to share a book with the teacher this week. They used the picture clues and repetitive text to read the book and they were very proud of themselves.

Please remember to come along to the Macmillan coffee afternoon at 2.15 next Friday 29th September. Any cake donations would be gratefully received.

Have a lovely weekend,
The Year R Team