Hello!

In maths this week we have been learning about the composition of 4 and 5. We have used numicon to show which numbers make up 4 ie 2 and 2, 3 and 1, 2 and 2 1s etc. We have also done this with the number 5. This website has a range of resources you might to play around with at home, including numicon. Your child might like to show you how they can make up the numbers 4 and 5 using the numicon: https://mathsbot.com/manipulativeMenu

We have also made the numbers 4 and 5 with blocks and have had fun creating different arrangements, such as 3 on the bottom and 2 on the top or 4 along the bottom and 1 on the top right. If you have blocks at home, perhaps you might like to try this game. How many different arrangements can you make? Maybe you could take a photo of your ideas and upload it to Tapestry.

We have also been exploring the concepts of one more and one less within the number 5. At home, you might find opportunities to ask about one more and one less when you are making tea (I have 2 plates – if I get one more, how many will there be?) or perhaps having a bath (I can see 5 ducks. What is one less than 5?) or maybe at bedtime (I’ve read 2 stories. How many stories will I have read if I read one more?) Perhaps your child could challenge you with some one more and one less questions.

This week in Understanding the World we have been learning about the seasons. We have learnt about some of the typical features of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. We have learnt about the signs of Autumn in more detail, including going on an Autumn senses hunt where we used our senses of sight, hearing and touch. We also looked at how Autumn is different in other parts of the world. Here are a couple of the videos we watched this week if you would like to share them again at home:

Seasons song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksGiLaIx39c

Five senses song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXXiyIGqliE

Next week we will be reading the story Dear Zoo in Talk 4 Writing. You may remember the children learning the story of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt last half-term. Talk 4 Writing enables children to become so familiar with a story that they are able to retell the story word for word. This is great for engagement in reading as well as confidence in speaking and performing. They are able to retell the story orally and when they have the phonic knowledge they are then able to do this in writing too. We will be learning actions to help us to retell the story and drawing story maps as well as using some of our phonic knowledge to write parts of the story. We will also have a go at creating our own versions of the story.

Thank you for all your support in helping your child to learn song words and lines for our Christmas production. Please keep on practising at home! Also thank you for all the wonderful Tapestry posts we receive giving us more of a picture of your child’s development through the activities they are taking part in at home.

We hope you have a lovely weekend.

The Reception team