What’s Happening in Class 1 this Term?
I would like to welcome all the new children, and their families, who have started school this term. All the Reception children have quickly settled into their new school routine and I am enjoying getting to know them.
The Autumn Term is a long one this year and as ever a very busy term!
Literacy
Phonics will continue to play a large part in the teaching of Literacy in Foundation Stage (Reception). Children will take part in daily games and activities to learn and reinforce letter sounds, rhyming patterns and the blending and segmenting of sounds to read and spell words. This term we will be reading a range of fiction and non-fiction texts linked to our topics as well as rhymes and poetry.
Reading will continue to be monitored through whole-class shared reading and guided reading (in small groups). Reading with individual children also takes place throughout the week and is done either with the class teacher or the teaching assistant. If appropriate high frequency word packs may be sent home for you to share and learn together and spellings will be sent home every week for those children who are ready to formally learn to spell words. These spellings are keywords and ‘tricky words’ that children in Reception are expected to be able to read and write. Your support with helping your child to read and spell these important keywords at home is very much appreciated. Reading books will be changed at least every other day and only when an adult has signed the reading diary.
BIG WRITE is a weekly ‘writing’ session that takes place throughout the school each week. For children in class 1 this is a very short (sometimes as little as 5 minutes) weekly time when we all have a go at ‘writing’. Preparation homework will be sent home when appropriate usually on a Wednesday. This is intended as a ‘talking session’ between you and your child to aid with ideas. For example we might ask you to discuss your child’s favourite fairy tale, or items on your shopping list. We will then use this as a starting point for the ‘writing’ session. These take place on a Friday.
Numeracy
The children will take part in a daily maths lesson with a mix of number, counting, problem solving and calculation work together with practical maths such as weighing and measuring, time and shape. Your child may bring home short practical activities to work on at home. For example we might ask you to help your child to practice writing numerals, or to look at boxes showing how much things weigh to see if big boxes weigh more than little boxes.
PE
PE will be on a Monday. Please ensure your child has appropriate clothing for indoor and outdoor PE. Thank you for ensuring that your child’s PE kit is clearly named!
As the children struggle with lots of bags and belongings to take home on a Friday afternoon we would like to propose that PE kits only go home at the end of each half term (unless they are particularly dirty!) Please let us know if this is not convenient.
It is strongly recommended that your child doesn’t bring toys to school as this often leads to them being lost or broken.
The two themes for this term are:
First half: All about us Second half: Celebrations
Throughout the term activities will be planned that will cover the 6 areas of the Foundation stage (Personal, social and emotional development; Communication, language and literacy; Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy; Knowledge and understanding of the world; Physical development and creative development) ensuring that your child has many opportunities each week to develop their skills and understanding in all areas of their curriculum.
Katie Keast
Class Teacher
