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
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).
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 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
