Hello!

We have had another busy week in reception! We have been learning about the seasons, and how to spot signs of autumn. At the start of the week we did an autumn hunt on the school field and searched for leaves that were changing colours and different types of seeds, such as conkers, acorns and sycamore seeds. We have used these natural items to make patterns and have used leaves to create colourful prints! We have read some fun stories linked to autumn such as ‘Tree’ and ‘The Squirrels who Squabbled’ which explore the signs of autumn. We have also learnt about why animals hibernate in the autumn and discussed animals that sleep through the winter in our country. At home you could read stories that contain animal characters that hibernate like hedgehogs, bats, dormice and bees! You could also create some of your own artwork that uses natural items you may find outside.

In phonics this week we have been learning how to recognise the letters t, i, n and p.  In our phonics sessions, we are continuing to use Fred Talk (sounding out) to encourage the children to orally blend words. We are also reading CVC words within the lesson using ‘Fred Talk Read The Word’. The children are shown how to read each letter aloud, for example ‘m-a-t’ then blend the sounds together to read the word ‘mat’. As well as being able to pronounce these sounds correctly and recognise them by sight, the children have been learning to form these letters with specific handwriting phrases.

At home this week, you can use your green speed sound books to practise each of the sounds. We have also sent home formation sheets for children to practise forming letters correctly and flashcards to do quick phonic recall; this greatly improves the children’s chances of retaining the sounds we teach in class. You will also receive a new wordless reading book to explore with your child. In addition to this, we have also sent home a story for enjoyment which you can read to your child. Please can these be back in school by Tuesday 13^th October. We will also provide links to the online Read, Write Inc videos.

In maths we have been continuing our learning all about the number 1. In maths. The children have used numicon to represent 1 and used the language of one more and one less. We have looked at 1 on a tens frame and have discussed if the amount changes if we move 1 around on the ten frame. At home you could practise 1 more and 1 less than 1, using items like Lego, counters, pieces of fruit. Practising counting items by pointing at each item (1:1 correspondence) also helps children to count accurately.

Next week we will learn:

• Sounds: g, o, c, k and u
• Maths: We will start to learn about number 2 – what does your child know about 2?
• Understanding the world: How can we be good learners? We will be discussing perseverance and trying our best in our learning

Have a lovely weekend, we will see you on Monday!

The Reception Team