Term 1 - It's good to be me 

Big Question- Why am I special? 

It has been wonderful to welcome all of the children into Reception this week. We have been blown away by how well they have settled and their enthusiasm for learning. They have all displayed the key learning skills during our carpet time and have enjoyed taking part in lots of listening games. They have also had the opportunity to explore their new learning environments and take part in choosing, where many have made new friends. 

The children have also started learning their set 1 sounds and identifying words that start with `m` and `a`. The majority of the children were able to write their new sounds independently and chose to do so in their independent learning time. Well done Joy Class!

This week the children have been learning about families. They were able to name the people who live in their homes and also talk about those who are special to them. This has included the children talking about extended family members such as cousins, aunties, uncles and grandparents. The children could see how some families are large and some families are small. In groups, the children created their own houses using lollypop sticks and then drew their family members.

The children have continued to learn their set 1 sounds in phonics and are now using the magnetic letters to build words. We have encouraged the children to use their Fred Fingers to segment the sounds and then place the letters in the correct order. Each day the children developed in confidence and are starting to build words with less support. Well done Reception. 

Comparing amounts

In Maths this week, the children have been using the vocabulary `more` and `less` to describe different quantities. They have used natural resources and identified which basket is holding more or less. The children could explain when a basket had an equal amount and why they thought this. Throughout the week, they have continued to explore amounts but also used vocabulary such as `long` and `short.` 

Baking bread

This week the children have been reading the story `The Little Red Hen`. They have retold the story orally using actions, labelled key characters using their sounds and also took part in a baking activity with Steve from Asda. The children showed excellent listening skills and followed the recipe steps independently. They explored kneading the dough and shaped their loaf ready for baking. In the afternoon, the children had the opportunity to taste their bread and generated a range of vocabulary that best describe the taste and texture. 

The children have also explored the printing technique to create their own representation of The Little Red Hen. They painted their own hands independently to create the body and feathers. After, they used wax crayons to add details such as feet, wings and a beak. 

The children have immersed themselves into the season of Autumn this week and have enjoyed creating Autumn wreaths using their cutting and sticking skills, creating scarecrows, harvesting vegetables and making patterns. We have also learnt a new song about Autumn, which the children have loved learning. 

This week the children have been learning about the Diwali and how it is celebrated around the world. They all created a Diya lamp using clay and painted them in bright colours and glitter. Throughout the week, everyone has had the opportunity to create Rangoli patterns, make Diwali cards and tell the story of Rama and Sita.