Dear Parents,
Welcome to the Autumn Term. We are really excited to be welcoming your child to their new reception class, Grace. The adults who will be working with your child are Mrs Linnane, Mrs Purdue, Mrs Dokaj and Mr Brailsford.
As previously advised the first few weeks are a settling in period. We will regularly keep you updated on their progress but if you have any problems or concerns please do not hesitate to let us know.
This term we will be focussing on Magnificent Me! Autumn and Celebrations.
Listening, Attention and Understanding
Speaking
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Develop listening skills.
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Contribute to classroom rules and routines.
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Follow basic instructions, including the rules and routines.
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Begin to focus attention, maintain concentration and participate in discussions.
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Speak confidently and in sentences during independent play.
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Comprehension
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Children to take home a library book to share with their adults. Demonstrate an understanding of what has been read to them.
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Encourage children to retell stories and predict what might happen next.
Word Reading
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Teach phonics using the Monster Phonics programme.
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Encouraging children to read independently.
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A reading book will be sent home.
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Say a sound for each letter of the alphabet.
Writing:
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Develop fine motor skills – jigsaws, threading beads etc.
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During structured play children will have free access to a wide variety of writing tools and materials.
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Forming letters correctly.
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Daily shared writing.
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Encourage all children to give meanings to marks they make as they draw, write and paint.
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Be able to say the sounds in a word like ‘bag’ and know which letters match the sounds.
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Write useful words like ‘the’ and ‘was’.
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Write short sentences.
White Rose Maths
Numerical Patterns
Topic theme: Creation and Covenant
Hear:
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The words and actions of the sign of the cross: ‘In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen’.
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God created the world and said, ‘Indeed it is very good’ (Genesis 1:31).
The whole of Creation shows God love for us.
Believe:
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God is love.
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God made each one of us.
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God loves each one of us as a unique person.
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God made a wonderful world and what God creates is good.
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God loves us and we are part of a family.
CST God made the Earth and sky. God made all the people all over the world. God made all the animals. God made all the plants. God made the air, the ground, and the water. And God tells us we must take good care of them. It is an important job! Stewardship.
Celebrate:
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Celebrate God’s beautiful world.
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The words and actions of the sign of the cross.
We enter God’s family, the Church, through baptism.
Live:
Care and love for self, family, others, and God’s world. CST God made each of us, so each one of us is very special. We must treat others in a caring way because God made them too. The Dignity of the Human.
Creating with Materials
Create simple representatives of people and objects.
Choose particular colours to use for a purpose.
Construct with a purpose in mind, using a variety of resources.
Introduces a story line or narrative into their play.
Being Imaginative and Expressive
Use puppets/ props to retell stories.
Sing Nursery rhymes and number songs.
Gross Motor Skills
The children will have the opportunity to explore and have a go at:
Outdoor games.
Ball games.
Finding space
Using control
The children can solve problems for example;
How could we cross the …?
Children partake in PE sessions with Non-Stop action coaches.
Fine Motor Skills
Hold pencil effectively.
Use a range of small tools including scissors.
Show accuracy when drawing.
Past and Present
Understand the past through settings, characters and events encountered through books read in class.
People, Culture and Communities:
Describe the immediate environment. Go on a walk along Durant’s Road.
The Natural World:
Observing changes that occur during the season of Autumn.
Talk about weather patterns for Autumn.
Self-Regulation.
Self Regulation.
Managing Self
Building Relationships
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Can play in a group, extending and elaborating play ideas, e.g. building up a role-play activity with other children.
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Initiates play, offering cues to peers to join them.
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Keeps play going by responding to what others are saying or doing.
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Demonstrates friendly behaviour, initiating conversations and forming good relationships with peers and familiar adults.
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Can select and use activities and resources with help.
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Welcomes and values praise for what they have done.
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Enjoys responsibility of carrying out small tasks.
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Is more outgoing towards unfamiliar people and more confident in new social situations.
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Confident to talk to other children when playing, and will communicate freely about own home and community.
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Shows confidence in asking adults for help.
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Aware of own feelings, and knows that some actions and words can hurt others’ feelings.
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Begins to accept the needs of others and can take turns and share resources, sometimes with support from others.
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Can usually tolerate delay when needs are not immediately met, and understands wishes may not always be met.
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Can usually adapt behaviour to different events, social situations and changes in routine.
Edward De Bono
We continue to use Edward De Bono's six thinking hats to help us to organise our thinking and process or ideas. There are 6 hats and each has a different colour and so a different use or meaning. When children answer questions in class, each question will have a different colour hat attached to it. The diagram below shows you in better detail how we use them. Ask your children what hats they have used in their learning today!
Habits of Mind
The Habits of Mind are a collection of 16 thinking dispositions designed to help children develop their critical and creative thinking skills. Every week children are taught to use a different ‘habit of mind’ to help with their thinking and apply this to their work.
Visual Maps
The children are now using visual tools in all areas of their learning. These tools help the children map out their ideas and organize their thinking.
