Welcome to the Reception class and the Foundation Stage
Here is some curriculum news for the Autumn term to keep you informed about what your children will be learning. The Foundation stage curriculum covers the six areas of learning outlined below which are all linked together through carefully planned play activities. Our planning for this term will be based around “Traditional tales”. Please see the display board in Reception cloakroom for more details. Then between October and Christmas our theme will be “Patterns”. We will soon be inviting you to workshops designed to help you support your child’s Literacy and Mathematical development – details to follow in the school newsletter.
Personal Social and Emotional development
This will be a key focus area in the first term, learning how to make new friends, adapt to the rules and routines at school and develop independent learning skills. We will learn more about ourselves as individual people and build self esteem through knowing our own strengths. Fresh fruit (as well as free milk for under fives) is provided free of charge for morning snack times. This is an important time for learning about manners, sharing and making conversation. This will link in with the whole school approach to Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning.
Communication, language and Literacy
This area covers language development and skills, again through play, listening, responding to and re-telling traditional stories and nursery rhymes. The first half of the term will be spent developing our listening skills in preparation for learning letters and sounds. The children will have lots of opportunities to play at writing and to develop their understanding of how letters are formed. At first children will bring home picture books to share with you.
Problem solving,reasoning and numeracy
This will be developed through our themes, sorting, matching, counting and through our stories, songs and games. Children will be encouraged to solve mathematical problems in a practical context and to explore mathematical ideas. They will begin to recognise and form numbers, combine sets of objects and to play with shapes during construction play and junk modelling. Weekly cooking activities will help to develop an understanding of measures including time.
Knowledge and understanding of the world
We will be exploring and comparing ourselves and other living creatures, learning about our own and other cultures and beliefs. We will learn how to use the classroom equipment safely including tape recorders, the computer and interactive whiteboard. We will be finding out how to use tools in our play and everyday lives. Messy play and cookery activities will provide these opportunities on a weekly basis. Our culinary creations will be our special snack treat on a Friday.
Creative development
Children will have the opportunity to explore a range of media including paint, printing, collage, modelling, etc. We will find out about mixing colours and using textures. We will learn some new songs and sing some old favourites, as well as using the percussion instruments. We will listen and respond to different styles of music through dance as well as learning some songs and rhymes in French.
Physical development
This is all about improving skills of co-ordination, control, manipulation and movement. We will provide opportunities through everyday play as well as PE activities to directly teach skills such as throwing, catching etc. Of course this also allows children to learn important skills such as dressing and undressing, risk taking and listening. Please make sure that children bring a PE kit (including daps or trainers) to school on Mondays and this can be taken home for washing as necessary. Children will also need a bottle of water (not juice please) for drinking during the day.
Please keep an eye open for the chalk board in the garden which will contain some information about what we have been doing during the day.
If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to speak to one of us. After half term when the children are settled we will be happy to accept any offers of practical help in the classroom or to hear from parents/grandparents with particular skills that would be useful in the classroom.
Thank you.
Mrs Hodkinson and Mrs Light