PRE-RECEPTION
As ever, we have had a very busy week in Pre-Reception.
This week we have been learning all about recycling. We looked at the problems caused by plastic in the ocean and read the book Saving Tally. The children then helped sort our rubbish into the correct recycling bag. We found some items were tricky as they were made of more than one material.
The potatoes and garlic that we planted in spring were ready to be harvested this week. We searched in the soil for the potatoes and were amazed at how many we found. The children brought home the potatoes they collected, and you have hopefully found them in the bookbags.
Our new book, On Sudden Hill, has been a great success with the children. They looked at the front cover of the book and predicted what they thought the book would be about. Many of the children correctly predicted it was about children who liked to play in boxes and made their boxes into different vehicles and buildings. The children then played with a selection of boxes and used their imagination to decide what the boxes could be. They had some great ideas including using 2 tissue boxes as gloves and a long box as a sleeping bag. We had boats, cars, and rockets.
MATH
The children really enjoyed our Maths theme What comes after…?. They have put numerals to 10 in order and worked out missing numerals from a number line. Using our key vocabulary, “… comes after …” to order the numerals to 10. The children created their own boardgames with different themes and worked hard to write the numerals to 10 in order. We had great fun playing these games.
We were so impressed with the children’s confidence to put forward their own ideas for how to respect their bodies. They had some fantastic ideas including:
- Brush your teeth
- Wash
- Eat fruit and vegetables
- Sleep
- Exercise
LITERACY
In Literacy we will explore friendships and feelings. We will link the feelings to our Rainbow Drops initiative. We have been impressed so far with the way children are using the resources from this initiative to talk about how they are feeling and what they can do to regulate their emotions.
RECEPTION
We have had a wonderfully imaginative week in Reception, full of creativity and enthusiasm for learning.
As part of our My Imagination topic in Literacy, we explored the story Billy’s Bucket by Kes Gray. The children thoroughly enjoyed the book and were fascinated by Billy’s imaginative world inside his bucket. We discussed what Billy could see and explored the rich language used throughout the story. The children then used their own imaginations to think about what they might discover if they had a magical bucket of their own. They went on to write about their ideas in their literacy books, focusing on using descriptive vocabulary to bring their thoughts to life.
Phonics
In Phonics this week, we focused on Phase 4 words, particularly those ending in –s (/s/ and /z/) and –es, alongside longer words such as crowds, dresses, foxes and balloon. During our daily sessions, the children continued to read sentences and then write them independently, while also practising key spellings. We are encouraging the children to check their work carefully, ensuring each sentence includes a capital letter, clear finger spaces and appropriate punctuation.
Maths
In Maths, we have spent time consolidating and revisiting key learning from across the year. This has not only provided an opportunity to assess progress but also to tailor learning to meet individual needs. Furthermore, we have also been exploring how to use a number line to solve addition problems, encouraging the children to count each jump carefully as they move along the line.
PSED
Finally, as part of our Jigsaw PSHE topic, Changing Me, we revisited the idea of growth, reflecting on how far the children have come since Pre-Reception. It is always remarkable to see the progress they make in such a short time. We now have confident writers, enthusiastic mathematicians and increasingly independent learners, and we are incredibly proud of all they have achieved.
Naturally, with the end of the Reception year approaching, we have begun to talk about the transition to Year 1. The children have been reassured that it is completely natural to experience a range of feelings during times of change, whether excitement, happiness or worry. To support this, we have encouraged open conversations and provided opportunities for them to share any concerns. They will also be able to write their thoughts in a letter and post them in our worry boxes, offering another supportive way to express themselves.
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