Our first full week back after the holidays and we have jumped straight into our new topic Once Upon a Time.
We had a great whole class discussion where we thought about what that could mean and the children suggested things that they would like to do this term and what they would like to learn about. We thought about things that happened a long time ago such as dinosaurs and this has already sparked a curiosity to find out some interesting facts about them. We’ve even had dinosaurs in our outdoor classroom and pterodactyl wings drawn to scale! Then we talked about story telling and the children decided they would also love the chance to be authors and illustrators by making their own class book. We thought we could be actors and directors and act out our story creating our own film! It sounds like its going to be a very busy term so keep an eye out for Receptions book and film coming soon!!
What have we been learning this week…
Phonics: This week we have continued to do lots of Fred Talk and oral blending which is an important skill that will greatly support the children when writing and spelling words. Reception are thoroughly enjoying their reading journey and it is wonderful to see how excited they are when they realise they can blend the sounds and read the words. We have also been developing our letter formation, have a look at our fantastic writing below!
Communication & Language / Literacy: This week we used our story sacks to create our own story, they also helped us to think about the different parts in a story. First was the beginning where we thought about who was in the story, next came the build up so we described where our story was happening, then we had a problem, followed by a resolution and finally the Ending. There was a story sack for each of the 5 parts of the story but we didn’t know what was inside so we had to think on our feet and be creative! I wonder if you can re-tell the story at home?!
Maths: This week we have continued to think about mass and have compared the weight of different objects, this time, using real balance scales. We thought about how we should use the balance scales to make sure we are comparing the objects accurately, discussed what we noticed and how we could see which object was heavier because it pulled one side of the scale down to the ground. Our key vocabulary was mass, compare, heavy, light, heavier than and lighter than.
Challange time! - Perhaps you can have a go at making your own balance scales at home, here are some ideas to get you started, be as creative as you want to be. Mrs Hartley would love to see some pictures!
Let’s Celebrate!
Enthusiastic Bobby Bee: Liana
Liana, you have been so enthusiastic about phonics this week and it has been wonderful to see how excited you are about the sounds we are learning. You have been finding the sounds all around our classroom and practising your letter formation. It’s lovely to see how much you are enjoying learning to read, keep up the fantastic enthusiasm!
Well done Liana
Focused Cooper Crab: Olivia How
Olivia, this week we have seen how focused you have been during our Phonics lessons and how you are trying to get speedier at recognising the sounds. You have also been focused on your letter formation listening carefully to your teachers and taking your time when forming the letters. It’s wonderful to see how proud you are of your writing, and so you should be!
Well done Olivia
Important Notices & Polite Reminders:
Please could all sound card keyrings be returned to school on Monday as we will be adding even more sounds!
Fred is back with three more Fred Talk Games, but this time, he is off on adventures to the aquarium, zoo and to a party (lucky Fred!). You will find the QR codes in your child’s reading packet for you to use and practise with at home. The children have been talking about last week’s Fred Games so we hope they enjoy these too. (These QR codes are valid until March so do keep revisiting them as and when you can).
A polite notice that lip balms or any type of creams and hand sanitizers (if they are needed) are classed as a type of medication and therefore these items would need to be clearly labelled and handed in to the teacher - thank you for your support and understanding.
As always, if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact via email - s.hartley@ourladystarofthesea.lancs.sch.uk
Have a wonderful weekend,
The Reception Team