Spring 2 Week 3 13/03/26
Exciting week for Reception!
To celebrate Science Week, Reception took part in a special Science Day filled with exciting activities. NOVA-School delivered a fantastic workshop where the children explored how things change through simple experiments. The children were encouraged to be curious like real scientists, carefully observing what happened and making predictions about what they thought might happen next. The highlight of the day was the amazing “elephant toothpaste” experiment, which created lots of excitement and wonder. The children were so fascinated by it that many of them were still talking about it the following morning!
On Thursday, the Reception classes visited Swithens Farm in Rothwell. The children were very excited to meet lots of different animals. Each child carried a box of carrots as they walked around the farm, feeding the animals along the way. They met an emu, donkeys, llamas and alpacas, as well as cows, pigs and goats. The children were fantastic at feeding the animals, either offering a carrot piece on a flat hand or dropping pieces carefully into the pens. They were very respectful and showed great interest, asking the farmers some thoughtful questions.
There were also lots of baby animals to see, including a five-day-old calf and some day-old piglets, which the children loved. Everyone had the chance to ride on hay bales in a trailer attached to Tony’s tractor. As we travelled along, we sang songs and enjoyed the fun, bumpy ride.
The children also helped to feed some lambs with bottles of milk. The lambs were extremely hungry, excited and a little jumpy, but the children did a wonderful job making sure they were fed.
Maths
In maths this week, the children have been exploring 3D shapes and learning how to spot 2D shapes within them. They have also been developing their number skills by using conceptual subitising to notice groups within a set and describe how numbers can be arranged in different ways. The children practised visualising numbers and using gestures to show what they could see.
We also focused on the number 7, investigating different ways it can be made using two parts. The children enjoyed using their fingers to represent numbers and describing 7 as “5 and 2 more,” helping them build a deeper understanding of how numbers are made.
Ideas for learning at home:
• Shape Hunt: Look for 3D shapes around your home (for example, a cereal box, tin, or ball). Talk about the 2D shapes you can see on the faces, such as squares, circles, or rectangles.
• Number 7 Games: Practise making 7 in different ways using toys, snacks, or fingers (for example, 5 grapes and 2 grapes). Ask your child, “How many altogether?”
• Finger Maths: Encourage your child to show numbers on their fingers and describe them, such as “5 and 2 more makes 7.”
• Build and Talk: Use blocks, Lego, or boxes to build structures and talk about the shapes you are using.
Talk for Writing
This week in Talk for Writing, the children have been learning the story Jasper’s Beanstalk. They enjoyed rehearsing the story together and adding actions to help them remember the sequence of events. The teachers modelled how to write a simple sentence, and the children then had a go at retelling parts of the story by writing their own short sentences. It was wonderful to see the children beginning to use their storytelling skills to support their writing.
Reminders:
- Sunday 15th March- Deadline for sending pictures of your child aged 0-1 for our topic ‘How have I changed?’
- Friday 20th March 2026 Comic Relief
RG Swithens Farm
RA Swithens Farm
