Welcome to Reception!

In Reception we have two classes - Bramley and Pippin Class:

PIPPIN CLASS

Class Teachers: Mrs V Ingram (EYFS Leader - Mon to Wed) and Miss C Locke (Thurs- Fri)

Teaching Assistant: Mrs E Lindley (all day)

BRAMLEY CLASS

Class Teacher: Mrs S Appleby (EYFS Leader - Wed to Thur) and Mrs G Maher (Mon- Tues)

Teaching Assistant: Mrs V Tomlin (all day)

 Miss Rootes will also work in Pippin Class every other Wednesday.

Miss Locke will work across both classes on a Wednesday.

If you would like some information on how to help your child at home please see the links below.

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Term 4

We are very excited this term to be starting our 'Out of this world' topic. Throughout the term we will be finding out about the moon, star constellations and the planets. We will also be looking at astronauts, in particular Tim Peake. The children will be introduced to music from Gustav Holst and look at paintings by Vincent Van Gogh that focus on the night sky.

If you have the chance this term you may want to take your child outside, as it gets dark, to look at the night sky and talk about what you can see.

In Maths we will continue to learn the numbers to 20 and beyond. We will learn how to add 2 numbers together by placing one number in our head and counting on a second number to find the total. As well as adding we will also look at subtract numbers and counting backwards, using the rocket countdowns to help us.

In Phonics we will be revisiting digraphs learnt in Phase 3 and using these in our reading and writing. We will continue to use letter tiles to help us with spelling simple words and reading short ditties to practise our reading. Please continue to practise reading each day. We will also be looking at texts such as 'How to catch a star' to help us with some creative writing activities. 

Term 3

This week sees the start of our 'Frozen' topic. 

During this term we will be looking at the Arctic, the landscape, the animals and people who live there and the transport they use.

In Maths we will be practising our counting skills to 20 of regular and irregular groups of objects. We will also continue to explore number bonds to 10 using real objects in different contexts. As well as number we will be exploring and manipulating 3-D shapes, being able to name, exploring their similarities and differences and looking at their properties. We will also build on our earlier pattern learning in Term 2, introducing more complex patterns.

Our Daily Phonics lessons will continue to introduce new sounds and practise word building using our word time boards.  We will also begin to focus on writing simple sentences with a capital letter and full stop. Each child will continue to be heard at least once throughout the week, please be aware your child’s reading group may change this term. It would be fantastic if you could hear your child read their reading book a little bit, every day. 

Once we are all back to school Forest School styled learning will continue to take place every Wednesday as usual. Perhaps whilst we have moved to Home Learning you could have your own Forest school Wednesday at home. You could go for a walk in your local area, maybe you have some woodland close to home you are allowed to explore in. Can you name the plants? Tell a grown-up what season it is, can you tell them what clues there are around you that show it is that season? Can you climb a tree, safely and with an adult present? Can you make leaf/bark rubbings? Printing with leaves or collage making? Make 2D shapes out of sticks or even our daily letter sounds. Maybe you could help with some gardening at home. 

Term 2

This term our topic is 'Festivals and Celebrations'. We are celebrating the diversity of the children in our classes this term by looking at some of the festivals and celebrations they participate in as a family at this time of year. We will be learning about Bonfire Night and festivals such as Diwali, Hanukkah and Christmas. Normally this term would see the children take part in a Nativity however due to the current health crisis this will not be possible this year but rest assured the EYFS team are working behind the scenes to organise something for the children, within the rules!

Through varied, practical Maths activities the children will continue to practise counting groups of objects as well as recognising how many are in a set without counting,  number recognition, 1 more/less, counting forwards and backwards, 2D shapes, positional language and daily routines.

In our Phonics sessions the children will continue to learn Phase 2 sounds, beginning with 'c' and 'k' the first week back after half term (see below for the order they are taught in), word building by sounding out then blending and reading Phase 2 high frequency/tricky words. We will also be encouraged to use the sounds we have learnt in our writing.

The children will continue to have the opportunity to take part in Forest School Style activities in both the Mud Kitchen and bottom field area every Wednesday. Please remember warm waterproof clothing as the weather gets colder and wetter.

Term 1

The start of the new year has arrived and we would like to say a huge welcome to our new Reception children! Even though we haven't had the the time to get to know your children before the start of term we are sure they will all settle in very quickly and happily. Thank you to all those parents who were able to make the Parent Meetings with us this week. This would have been an invaluable experience for you, your child and ourselves. If you were unable to make it we would love to meet you so please try to arrange a mutually convenient time with your child's class teacher.

This term our topic is called Marvellous Me! We will explore our families, who lives in our house, get to know each other and look at a variety of people who help us in the world. The first few weeks will be based around getting to know each other, establish routines and find where things belong and can be found, both inside and outdoors. We will begin to look at numbers  and letter sounds. This term we will also focus on mark making in a variety of media such as gloop, sand, sequins, paint etc to develop our fine motor skills.

Forest school will start soon so please remember your child's named wet weather 2-piece (in a bag) and named welly boots to keep in school.

 Every Wednesday from Wednesday 9th September your child may come in Non-Uniform, something that you don't mind them getting muddy or wet. We will not be able to offer spare clothing so please ensure your child is appropriately dressed on these days for the weather.

Child Initiated Learning

Learning through play underpins our approach to teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage. We embrace the fact that young children learn best from activities and experiences that interest and inspire them to learn. In doing so we can provide children with stimulating, active play experiences in which they can explore and develop their learning and to help them make sense of the world. Children have opportunities through their play to think creatively and critically alongside other children as well as on their own. They are able to practise skills, build upon and revisit prior learning and experiences at their own level and pace. Play gives our children the opportunity to pursue their own interests, inspire those around them and consolidate their understanding and skills. The children learn to adapt, negotiate, communicate, discuss, investigate and ask questions. Our adults take an active role in child initiated play through observing, modelling, facilitating, teaching and extending play, skills and language.

Outside Learning

We promote the use of both the inside and outside as potential learning environments and encourage free flow between these areas daily. Children are taught (particularly outside) to explore and take risks and how to manage these safely. At Barming Primary School we are extremely fortunate to have our own Forest School styled learning site. This is a unique method of Outdoor Education that allows children to develop confidence, independence, self-esteem and awareness and knowledge of the natural environment. It is a child centred and child led programme that provides the opportunity for the children to use their personal learning style to complete their chosen tasks. We also have a Mud Kitchen that the children have regular access to.

Phonics

At Barming Primary School we implement a structured phonics session. It aims to build children's speaking and listening skills in their own right. When listening and responding to the children we aim to respond with open ended questions rather than a yes or no answer to encourage talk. As well as this, the programme prepares children for learning to read by developing their phonic knowledge and skills in a detailed and systematic manner. This is taught on a daily basis across both classes using an engaging and interactive approach.

Phonics is taught following the Letters and Sounds order of progression:-

Phase 2

Set 1: s, a, t, p

Set 2: i, n, m, d

Set 3: g, o, c, k

Set 4: ck, e, u, r

Set 5: h, b, f, ff, l, ll, ss

Phase 3

Set 6: j, v, w, x

Set 7: y, z, zz, qu

consonant digraphs: ch, sh, th, ng

vowel digraphs: ai (rain), ee (feet), igh (night), oa (goat)

vowel digraphs: oo (as in zoo), oo (as in look), ar (star), or (fork)

vowel digraphs/trigraphs: air (as in hair), ow (as in cow), oi (as in spoil), er (as in letter)

vowel digraphs/trigraphs: ur (as in fur), ear (as in hear), ure (as in sure) 

The children are also taught the following technical vocabulary:

digraph - 2 letters making one sound

trigraph - 3 letters making one sound

High frequency words

is, it, in, at, and

Tricky words

These words can not be sounded out blended so the children are taught that they are tricky words.

I, no, go, the, to, he, she, we, me, be, was, my, you, they, her, all, are

We enjoy practising the formation of the letters in a variety of ways such as gloop, glitter, sand, shaving foam and paint. 

The following clip shows how we pronounce the letter sounds at Barming Primary School

https://www.ruthmiskin.com/en/find-out-more/parents/#lg=1&slide=2

The next clip shows how we teach handwriting at Barming Primary School.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NQ6uS8blwY

Below is a link to a PDF of handwriting sheets for each letter of the alphabet.

Reading games online activities

Phonics Pop is a fun game where children have to pop the phoneme bubbles. We have covered all the sounds in this game so feel free to click on any set of letters.  https://www.ictgames.com/phonicsPop/index.html 

Phonics Play has a free section Parents can access to practise reading real and alien words. It encourages children to sound out and blend words. We have covered Phase 2 sounds and are working through Phase 3. Please see weekly WOW letter to know what sounds we have been learning each week.  https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/ParentsMenu.htm

Phonics Bloom again has a variety of online games that help practise Phase 2 and 3 sounds and support blending of sounds to read words.  https://www.phonicsbloom.com/uk/game/list/phonics-games-phase-2

Oxford owl has a selection of ebooks your child can read online. Many come with some comprehension activities to support your child's understanding of the text. There is also section for Parents that shows how to pronounce sounds and provides some reading tips.  https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/find-a-book/library-page/

Ruth Miskin has her own website with information but you can find many resources on YouTube to support the teaching of the sounds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6OiU2h3sUI

CBeebies has games on their Alphablocks section that support reading and spelling.

Maths

Maths is taught on a daily basis. As well as discreet teaching the children are provided with opportunities to experience and learn number through play. We recognise that Maths can take place in any environment and we promote the use of learning maths skills outside at every opportunity. At a very early stage the children are encouraged to work independently and to take responsibility for their learning during the session.

Home Learning Opportunities:

Here are some activities that your child can work on at home.