Reception Autumn 2009

Teachers: Nicola Stanley, Frances Amos, Anna Kress

	General Information Welcome back to school, we hope you have enjoyed a relaxing summer holiday! This year our Reception classes have been named the ‘Almond’ class (RS) and the ‘Elm’ class (RKA). This letter will provide you with some information about the forth-coming term. We will be having 2 PE sessions a week, Thursday and Friday (RK) and Wednesday & Friday (RS). Please ensure that your child has their P E kit in school on Monday morning and it is taken home at the end of the week and that it is fully labelled! On a Friday afternoon we will be having a ‘show and tell’ session to help the children develop their speaking and listening skills. Please encourage your children to save things they want to show for this session as toys are not permitted in school. One child is chosen as the ‘Star of the Day’. They will be sent home with the class mascot and a special book. The children can write about their adventures and draw some pictures. If there is anything you would like to ask or discuss please feel free to approach us. Weekly information about the curriculum, school events and show and tell groups will be shown in the class window under ‘Parent Information’. Help in the classroom will always be gratefully received, so if you are interested in coming in to assist please speak to us.
	Communication, Language & Literacy The children will be following the ‘Ruth Miskin Literacy Scheme’, which is a phonic programme. If you were not able to attend the meeting on 4th Sept, please feel free to ask any questions about the scheme. We will continue to share a ‘big book’ each week, based on our topic. The topic for the first half term is ‘Myself’ and will change to ‘Colour and Pattern’ after half term. We will try to take as many ideas from the children themselves. Every child will participate in a guided reading session (small group reading session) once a week; a comment on how your child is progressing will be made by the teacher in their blue contact book after each session (in green pen). We will continue to work on children’s pencil grip and correct letter formation throughout the year as well as developing the language they use when writing and encouraging them to write for a range of reasons. Your child will bring home a library book each week, which you can share together. Reading books will only be sent home in accordance with our reading scheme.
	Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy Mathematical development is taught in three sections, ‘Numbers as labels and for counting’, ‘Calculating’ & ‘Shape, space and measure’. We will be visiting aspects of all these areas this term. Children will learn to read, write and use numbers 0-20, learn how to work out one more or one less than a number and use vocabulary related to addition and subtraction skills. They will also learn to compare objects of different lengths and weights. We will be learning about flat (2D) and solid (3D) shapes, and making and recognising patterns. This will be taught through a variety of practical activities. You can help your child with number skills at home by counting, noticing shapes and patterns in the environment and by using the correct mathematical vocabulary with your child.
	Topic Work Our topic this half term is ‘Myself’. During this topic we will be exploring different areas of the curriculum i.e Design and Technology, ICT, History, Geography, Music and Science. During the second half of the term our topic will be ‘Colour and Pattern’. The children will be encouraged to explore their creative side by using the indoor and outdoor role-play areas or small world activities. We will also provide opportunities for other creative activities such as paint mixing, collage work and observational drawing. We will also be discussing celebrations, such as birthdays, Eid and Christmas. Many of the activities will be of a practical nature and teachers will observe how your children approach and complete an activity. Social skills and development is encouraged and observed every day and specific topics are discussed in a weekly ‘circle time’.
	Planned Educational Visits: