Notices

Space Day

To celebrate our Space Learning Challenge this term we will be having a 'Space Day' on Friday 22^nd  October.

Your child can come dressed up as anything related to space e.g. a planet, Neil Armstrong, a star, the Sun, an alien, the solar system etc.

Your child will not need to wear their school uniform, they will be in their costume all day. We ask that no props are brought in please.

It is a really fun day and a lovely way to end the term.

We look forward to seeing all the children dressed up.

Welcome to Reception

Welcome families to Reception, we look forward to welcoming your children into school on Monday 6th September. Please find below our Autumn term newsletter which provides you with information for the school year and dates for this term.  Our noticeboard will be updated weekly offering information and resources to support your child's learning at home. 

Many thanks 

The Reception Team

Parent/Carer Workshop - Early Reading and Phonics

Reception parents/carers are welcome to join us in our workshop which will explore the importance of early reading and how we approach phonics at Fielding. During the workshop we will provide advice on how you can support your child at home when developing their early reading skills. 

Our Outside Classroom 

Dear Parents/Carers - please can you help us to promote to pupils that they should not use the reception equipment or provision in our outside classroom before or after school.  We have been teaching the children to tidy up the provision at the end of each session and how the resources are for learning time during the school day.  The outside classroom is used by after school club each day, so it would be greatly appreciated if parents/carers to exit the area after collection.  

First Few Weeks in Reception

The first few weeks in Reception focuses on settling the children into their new classes. The children will be:

• Getting to know their teachers
• Getting to know the other children and making new friends
• Learning school routines e.g. register time, circle time, how to line up, lunchtime, tidy up time, home time etc.
• Exploring their classroom e.g. learn what toys and resources we have and where everything is kept. They must work as a team to keep their classroom tidy. From the beginning we talk to the children about respecting their space and taking care of our classroom

In addition to this, each class teacher will be doing a baseline assessment for each child linked to the 17 Early Learning Goals from the Early Years Curriculum.

Please help your child to:

• Arrive to school on time. Classroom doors open at 8.45am. At the moment coming into class is a bit slower but as the term goes on things will speed up. The children must be in class by 8.55am in order for the register to be done on time at 9am.

• Find their peg on the coat trolley. Your child must hang up their coat and bag. Your child needs to bring in their water bottle and snack box. Your child now knows where the snack table is in their classroom.

• Bring a healthy snack – fresh fruit or vegetables. Please ensure your child’s belongings are named. This helps the staff to help the children find their snack and bottle. Teach your child how to open and close their box, the children often find this tricky at the start.

• Learn to ask for the toilet when they need it. Often children will get distracted while they play and wait till the last moment to ask for the toilet. Some children may be shy to ask for the toilet. Also, please make sure your child can pull their clothes up and down by themselves when they go to the toilet. They must be able to do this independently.

• Pack their rucksack at home time. At the end of the day when the children are getting ready to go home, they must put all their belongings away. Please help your child to practise putting their snack box and water bottle away and closing their bag. At the start of the year many of the children will gather their belongings but not realise they need to put the items inside. Your help here is much appreciated.

The children will also be learning:

• Circle time – learning to listen to each other and take part in the activity
• Brain breaks – this helps the children to focus before each lesson and calm their brains in line with the Mind  Up programme
• Constellations – every child in the school is allocated to a Constellation,  this encourages them to work as a team and feel part of the wider school community
• Calendar – helps to learn days of the week, months, ordinal numbers, weather etc.
• Behaviour expectations and behaviour chart.

There is a behaviour  chart in each class with three faces (green/amber/red) and a star at the top.

At the start of the day all the children start on green.

If they make exceptionally good choices such as demonstrating one of the school values, they may be put on the Value Star.

If a child does something they should not be doing, the adult will ask them to make the right choice and let them know what this is.

If the child ignores this advice they are put on yellow/amber. Reminders of positive behaviour are always used to help steer children in the right direction.

Finally, a really poor choice leads to a child being putting on red. Behaviours such as hitting, damage to property, throwing stones or sand are examples of red behaviour.

We are always talking  to the children about making good choices and highlighting the positive behaviours they display.

• The Golden Rules:

• We are kind and helpful
• We listen carefully
• We keep our hands and feet to ourselves
• We use calming down strategies
• We always have a go

These are displayed in every classroom and referred to by staff all the time.

Key message

Reception is all about fostering independence.

At school we help to promote this in many ways such as:

• setting expectations
• modelling how something should be done,
• making things explicit and breaking it down into smaller steps
• repetition – a little and often

Your support with developing your child’s independence is greatly appreciated.

Drop off in the morning

Most of the children are settling into the morning routine and are able to come into class calmly. If your child is crying in the morning, please be reassured to know that some children will take longer to settle in.

Most children cry for a bit and then calm down quite quickly and become involved in what is happening in class. Distraction is an excellent strategy.

The best advice we can give you in order to support your child with this transition is:

• Let your child know the sequence of events in the morning - this is your daily routine
• Remind your child know that once you say goodbye at the door, your child must come into class. Remember to tell your child that you will collect them at home time or after a club. Children need this to be made explicit to them, they need this reassurance from you.
• Make drop off as quick as possible whilst the children are settling in and getting used to school. Once the children are settled you can spend more time with them at drop off.

Please note that the children will often find Monday’s hard because they have had the weekend at home. This is normal and they soon settle back into the school routine.

Thank you,

The Reception Team

Reading Books, Key Words, Home Learning and Book Bags

We have completed the phonics assessments with your child.

At Fielding we follow the Read Write Inc programme.

This assessment has provided us with your child’s reading level.

This week (w/c: 20/9/21) your child will receive a reading book.

The type of ‘book’ your child receives will depend on their phonic knowledge.

Some children will focus on learning the sounds of the alphabet.

Some children will receive a sound blending book to help develop their blending skills.

Some children will receive a book called ‘My Phonics Book’. A letter will be sent home with information of how this works.

Some children will receive a reading book.

In addition to this, your child will choose their own picture book.

Your child is not expected to read this book, this book is to be shared with an adult for enjoyment.

All books will be changed once a week.

Please make sure your child brings their book bag to school every day.

Inside their book bag please make sure that you always have:

• picture book
• reading book
• reading record

Please look through the reading record, there is lots of useful information inside.

Please sign the reading record every week and write a comment about how your child is progressing with their reading.

Key words

On page 13 there is the list of key words that the children need to learn to read over the year. Every two weeks we will check how your child is progressing with the reading of these words and let you know in their reading record. Please help your child to learn these words.

We will write what key word list your child is on in their reading record.

Home Learning

Every Friday, your child will receive some phonics home learning from their phonics teacher. This must be done at home and does not need to be returned to school.

If you have any further questions please talk to your class teacher.

Warm wishes,

The Reception Team

Virtual Reception Workshop - Writing 

Below is a virtual workshop that provides ideas on how you can support your child at home. Building on the skills they have developed this year and providing tips on how to keep your child engaged and interested in their learning.

Writing Workshop

Remote Learning - Weekly timetable

Your child is expected to follow the weekly learning that is happening in school and complete a daily Phonics lesson and Literacy and Maths task each week.  It is important that your day reflects the nature of our Early Years and work is balanced with lots of opportunities to play and hear stories being read. 

Below is a timetable you can follow if your child is self-isolating then your can use this as guidance for home learning whilst your child is not in school. 

• Phonic activities - You will receive invitations to live phonics lessons on Microsoft Teams. If you can not access them at the time, see links at bottom of notice board and instagram for Lists of sounds to practise (class teachers will communicate what RWI set sounds to focus on.)

Mathematics

Week commencing: 18.10.21

In maths we are learning about capacity and weight.

Children will already have some experience of full and empty.

Capacity means 'the amount a container holds'.

Key vocabulary: full, empty, half full, half empty, same amount.

Prompt them to use further language such as:  tall, thin, narrow wide and shallow.

In capacity lessons we will be exploring how much different containers can hold. We will use a range of different sized containers and filling them with objects and water. 

Children will be able to compare which container can hold more and less.

Lessons are practical and children enjoying filling and emptying the containers and exploring capacity in this way.

Story and song ideas:

• Goldilocks and the Three bears
• There’s a hole in my bucket.

Children may also have some experience of weight through carrying heavy and light items. Encourage them to make direct comparisons using their hands to estimate which item feels the heaviest or lightest.

Weight means 'how heavy something is'.

Key vocabulary: heavy, light, heavier than, lighter than, weighs the same.

In lessons the children will be using balances to weigh objects and comparing which is heavier/ lighter/ weighs the same.

Lessons are practical, the children enjoy using the balances, filling them with objects whilst learning to use the vocabulary of weight.

A common misconception with children is that bigger items are always heavier.

In class we will provide the children with items that are big and light, as well as small and heavy!

Stories:

• Who sank the boat? – Pamela Allen
• How much does the ladybird weigh? – Alison Limentani
• Balancing Act – Ellen Stoll Walsh

Supporting your child at home:

Capacity - look at a range of containers you have at home- can your child describe them using the vocabulary: full, empty, half full, half empty, same amount.

Let them play with different sized containers, pouring, filling, emptying, estimating how much a container can hold, comparing capacities.

Weight - talk to your child about when we might need to weigh things e.g. cooking, finding out how much we weigh, luggage is weighed when we go on holiday etc.

Ask your child to be human balance scales – place an item on each hand and ask them to tip to show which item is heavier and which is lighter.

Next week in maths:

We will be learning about patterns.

English - Writing

Week commencing: 18.10.21

In English we will be reading Meg on the Moon by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pieńkowski.

We will remind the children that it is a made-up story and therefore a fiction book.

We will talk about the different parts of a book  using key vocabulary:

• author
• illustrator
• title
• front cover
• back cover
• blurb

Our first lesson will be to be to predict the story by looking at the front cover.

We will ask the children to share their ideas and reinforce that it not about being right or wrong, but about using our imagination and looking for clues on the front cover.

In the story Meg, the witch, makes a spell.

The children will be making up their own spells and potions inspired by Meg and Mog.

Some children may be able to think of words that rhyme when making up their own spells.

We will write a class spell using the children’s ideas and model how we write a word by sounding out and using our ‘Freddie Fingers’ to help

Another lesson will focus on what Meg and Mog see on the moon. In this lesson we will model writing and listening to the first sound of a word. We will exaggerate the first sound to help children to hear the sound more clearly and help them to link the letters and sounds. We will use an alphabet chart to support  the children’s writing.

In the story Meg and Mog eat some food. In the lesson we will be asking the children to think of weird food combinations, especially food that would not go together. The children will draw their food combinations and have a go at writing the first sound in each word.

At the end of the week will be sequencing the pictures of the story on a ‘Story S’

We use a ‘Story S’ to show that every story has a beginning, middle and end.

The children should be more familiar with this and be able to talk about the different parts of the story and order them correctly.

Supporting your child at home:

Make up your own spell. Have some fun talking about potions - what would you put in your potion?

• rats and cats
• hens and pens
• foxes and boxes

Be creative and have some fun.

Can you think of words that rhyme?

Draw your spell and label the pictures. Here you can help your child to focus on hearing the first sound of the word.

Next week in English:

We will be reading books about the seasons.

English - Phonics/Reading 

PE, Music & French Lessons 

If your child is accessing learning from home then check out the timetable in your child's class notebook on Teams.  If you click on the subject links on Thursday afternoon it will take you to the lessons that our specialist teachers have filmed for the Reception children. 

Virtual Support for Families 

In previous years we have invited parents into school to attend our drop in sessions. During these sessions we work with parents and demonstrate strategies and activities that they can replicate at home to support their child.  With the current climate we are unable to invite families into school so have put together a number of videos that can be used as a support resource.  During this term we will focus on Phonics - please see the videos below, your child's class teacher may direct you to the videos that will support your child. 

Guidance on reading books that come home: 

Inside your child's book bag 

Sound Blending Book

My Phonics Book

Phonics: 

Set 1 Sounds - Video 1

Set 1 Sounds - Video 2 

Set 1 Sounds - Video 3 

Set 1 Sounds - Video 4 (digraphs) 

Set 2 Sounds - Video 1 

Set 3 Sounds - Video 2 

Understanding the new Early Years Framework 

This September our Early Years became early adopters of the new Early Years Framework that will become statutory in school in September 2021.  Below are documents which breakdown each area of learning. 

Capturing 'Wow moments' at home

Early Years compromises of seventeen aspects of learning with skills that pupils need to achieve before the end of their year in Reception.  We value contributions from parents/carers of moments of achievement that have happened outside of school.  Click on the link below to access our wow moments cards.  If you observe your child achieving something new or wonderful then cut out the card, record the moment and pass it onto your child’s class teacher.  The wow moments are stuck in your child’s learning journey and support assessments throughout the year.  Feel free to send in as many as you would like, parents/carers usually complete a page of wow moments each half term. 

Reading and Reading Records

Please write a comment in your child’s reading record. Let us know how they are reading and progressing. 

If you have any questions please make a note in the reading record, the class teacher will get back to you with a response. It is really important that you read with your child regularly, support from home makes a huge impact on your child’s learning.

If your child is still in the early stages of reading, they will be focusing on learning the sounds of the alphabet. In the reading record you can write the sounds you have been working on and how your child has  responded to the activity.

If your children is reading the Sound Blending books (lilac books), the focus is on learning to blend cvc words. CVC means 'consonant, vowel, consonant', words like – cat, dog, mum, dad, pot, man, sit etc. This skill can take a while to acquire, patience and persistence is needed. Often a child will sound out the word but cannot blend, when the adult sounds it out for them they will often hear the word and then say it. 

Remaining positive and encouraging your child to try again at this point helps, so they can try again until they have learnt to blend.

If your child is reading the paper book called ‘My Phonics Book’, the teacher will focus on one page at a time, each week. 

This stage of reading helps to prepare the children for reading sentences before they move onto the next level of books.

The guided reading session uses each page to focus on:

• a set of sounds
• some key words
• reading simple sentences
• a comprehension question
• ‘holding a sentence’ e.g. to practise saying a sentence, rehearsing it and being able to repeat it back (memorising the sentence)

If your child has a reading book e.g. red, green, purple etc. The books contain lots of useful pages with sounds to practice, key words to read and some comprehension questions, as well as the stories. 

Book bags 

Every week your child will have a book bag with a picture book and one or two reading books.

Your child has chosen the picture book, they are not expected to read this independently.

This book is purely for enjoyment and an opportunity for you to share a book with your child. 

The reading book your child receives will link to the phonics baseline assessments that the teachers completed with each child.

Your child will have an opportunity to read through their book with their class teacher during their guided reading lessons. Guided reading lessons happen everyday, where the teacher will read with a different group.

Some children that are in the earlier stages and are beginning to learn their sounds will receive a sheet with the sounds to focus on. The sheet also contains ideas of how to support your child at home.

The class teacher will write the title of the books in the reading record.

Your child must bring their book bag  to school everyday with their picture book, reading book and reading record. Each day the teacher will focus on a different group and change their books once a week. We look forward to reading your comments in the reading records.

Home Learning

Every Friday your child will receive some home learning linked to their phonics lessons that week. This will allow you to see what sounds your child has been focusing on in the lesson.

The home learning can be kept in your child's bookbag so you can revisit the activities at home if needed. 

Please support your child with learning the sounds. Thank you in advance.

Forest School

Please note the day change for your child's class.

Please send in wellies for your child. These can be kept at school on the coat trolleys.

The first lesson will introduce the children to Fielding Forest e.g  rules and boundaries for keeping safe and respecting our environment.

RS - Tuesday am

RH - Tuesday pm

RP - Friday am

RF - Friday pm

Occasionally we do change our days depending on the weather and school events.

Reception Assessment

The Early Years framework compromises of seven areas of learning. 

The areas are divided into seventeen aspects of learning. These provide pupils with an Early Learning Goal for each aspect that they work towards during their time in Early Years. In the summer term of their Reception year, assessments will determine whether they have achieved a good level of development. 

Click on the links below if you are interested in exploring each area of learning and finding out what skills your child needs to achieve within each area of learning. 

Calendar

Letters

Specialist subjects