Pre-Reception
This Week
The children have continued to settle in beautifully and have been very busy. Each morning, they have been taking part in a range of gross and fine motor activities, which we will continue daily. These activities are an important foundation for writing.
Our topic this term is houses and homes. The children have also enjoyed exploring our stimulating learning environment, and it has been wonderful to see them so engaged. In addition, many have been mark making during child-initiated play!
Our key text for this week has been This is Our House by Michael Rosen.
We are encouraging the children to use their manners by saying please and thank you where appropriate.
Next Weeks Activities
We will continue with our baseline assessments. These outcomes will inform our planning for the remainder of the term.
Furthermore, as part of our curriculum, we are also introducing our top ten books, a set of “read-aloud” texts that we will revisit regularly. Our aim is for the children to become familiar with these stories, join in with repeated refrains and rhymes, and eventually act them out.
Our top ten books are:
- Dear Zoo – Rod Campbell
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear – Eric Carle
- Elmer – David McKee
- Aaaarrgghh Spider! – Lydia Monks
- Ruby’s Worry – Tom Percival
- Giraffes Can’t Dance – Giles Andreae
- The Rainbow Fish – Marcus PfisterTanka Tanka Skunk – Steve Webb
- Kitchen Disco – Clare Foges
- Oi Frog! – Kes Gray
RECEPTION
What a fantastic first full week we have had! The children have continued to settle beautifully into our daily routines and have enjoyed exploring both our indoor and outdoor learning environments.
During this week, we have been completing our baseline assessments, which help us to understand each child’s individual starting point in their learning journey. These, in turn, will support us in planning for their next steps.
We have also focused on the children’s personal, social, and emotional development, using the lovely stories Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and The Colour Monster by Anna Llenas — which has quickly become a class favourite!
On Wednesday, we visited Chapel for the first time. We were so impressed with how attentively the children sat and listened, a fantastic start.
Later in the week, the children had a wonderful time at Forest School.
NEXT WEEK
As part of our first topic, Ourselves, starting Monday, we would like the children to bring in a toy or teddy to share with the class. The purpose of this is to encourage and support the children to speak and form full sentences, listen, and ask questions.
Find out more about Early Years here.
