Reception Class Curriculum Evening Mrs Jane O’Donnell 17 th September 2015

Mrs O’Donnell Mrs Brown Mrs Hope Miss Mather

Foundation Stage Your child is in Reception class which is the second part of the Foundation Stage. Nursery & Reception Ages Foundation Stage Year 1 & Year 2 Ages Key Stage 1 Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 & Year 6 Ages 7 – 11 Key Stage 2

At School In 2012 the Government made big changes to the Foundation stage curriculum. The main change is the emphasis on the child’s interests at home, we need to know what they demonstrate to you, their parents, when they are not at school. This means we need as much information from you as possible, throughout the year.

Weekend Activity Each week we will focus on two children. If your child is a focus child they will bring home a camera and a sheet for you to complete with them. We ask you to record in photos and writing events that happen over the weekend. On Monday please send in the camera and sheet. We will display the photos in the classroom and the children will be encouraged to tell us about them.

Reception Class Curriculum There are 7 main areas. The three PRIME areas are: -Personal, social and emotional development -Communication and language -Physical development

Reception class curriculum. The SPECIFIC areas are; -Literacy -Mathematics -Expressive art and design -Understanding the world

Child Initiated Time In the class are different workstations. Each work station is equipped with different activities which change frequently, depending on which concepts we want the children to develop. The activities are always objective based, so when the children tell you they have been playing all day, they have been working.

The Learning Journey Each child will have their own learning journey which will include each Early Learning Goal.Each child will have their own learning journey which will include each Early Learning Goal. All of the achievements they have made both during school time and outside of school helps us to assess their competency in that goal.All of the achievements they have made both during school time and outside of school helps us to assess their competency in that goal.

There are 17 ‘Early Learning Goals’ which we will be working towards throughout the school year; and your child’s report at the end of the year will explain whether they are ‘exceeding’, ‘expected’ or ‘emerging’ in all 17 goals.

The Daily Routine Time 9 00 – 9 15 Self registration, morning prayer, star of the day – 9 30 Whole class Maths – Adult led small group Maths (15 minutes) Child initiated learning – 10 45SNACK and MILK – 11 00Whole class English – Adult led small group English (15 minutes) Child initiated learning – 1 15 LUNCH 1 15 – 1 35 Phonics 1 35 – 2 30 Art Key Stage One Break 2 45 – 3 15 RE 3.15pm HOMETIME

Lessons in Reception. Lessons in Reception class all follow the same structure. Whole class teaching time – usually takes place on the carpet where main concept is conveyed. Adult led activities/ child initiated activities-both activities run simultaneously and all children get focused small group time with one of the adults. The other adult will be working in the work stations with the children making observations of their applied skills. In Reception we don’t follow any particular themes, but instead we follow what the children are interested in at the time, so what one year group might have followed, another year group might not.

Reading Next week we will begin our daily phonic sessions and your child will receive a ‘sound’ book. Soon after, we will introduce some reading activities and your child will receive a reading record book. In the reading record there is a space for a comment from a member of staff AND a parent or carer, which will need to be completed each week.

Book Bag It is extremely important that the children come to school each day with their book bag and that their reading record and sound book is in their bag each day. (There are times when the children’s reading day might change due to unforeseen circumstances).

Reception Class Behaviour Management and Rewards House points Leaf charts Caterpillar Stickers

English Reading Writing - Both strands of English have their foundations firmly in phonics. For both areas we begin by teaching the children all of the different sounds that single letters and combinations of letters make. Then once the children are confident with letter sounds we begin to blend and segment using them. Segmenting- in order to write and spell words, the children must be able to segment them into the sounds they can hear and know which letters represent the sounds. Along with this the children must know a range of ‘tricky words’ which can not be segmented. Blending- in order to read, the children must be able to look at a word and identify the sounds that the letters make, then try and join them together (or blend) in order to hear what the word says.

Phonemes: The sounds in words Graphemes: The letters representing the sound Digraph: Two letters that make one sound Trigraph: Three letters that make one sound Phonics Terminology

Have a go! Can you segment the word…

Sh-ee-p.

Can you blend the word… Snake

Can you blend the word… S-n-a-k-e

Handwriting – Letter and Number Formation It is important that we use the same terminology when practising letter formation, as to not confuse the children, so I have supplied each of you with the mantra we use in school.

Mathematics Maths is split into two sections. Number. Shape, space and measure. Naming and talking about different 2D and 3D shapes. Patterns. Positional language. Weight, capacity, length, time. Recognising number. Ordering numbers. Counting items. Adding/ subtracting. More or less.

Understanding The World This area covers; -The World -People and Communities -Technology The children will learn about the world around them through looking at natural and man made features. They will think about their community and the families they come from and how life has changed up to now as well as how technology helps us and how to use it.

Expressive art and design This area covers; - Art - Music - Imaginative Play The children will build their knowledge of art and musical concepts throughout their time at school.

Religious Education Religious Education is based on the new “Come and See” programme. Autumn Term Myself Welcome Birthday Spring Term CelebratingGathering Growing Summer Term Good news Friends Our world

PE The children receive a weekly PE session every Thursday after lunch.

French The children are taught French every Thursday morning for half and hour. Their teacher is Mrs Thomas.

Marking All children’s work is marked with a positive comment next to a tick. A challenge / next step is identified next to an arrow. The children are provided with time in the next lesson to complete the short challenge. When working with an adult, the children will always get verbal feedback about how they have done and what they need to do next. Next steps will always be identified.

Don’t forget… As well as all of the activities going on in the classroom, we still need to know as much as possible about what the children are doing at home and any progress you see them making.

Homework in Reception. Beginning towards the end of this half term, the children in Reception class will receive some small, weekly homework tasks. These will include phonic jobs, number jobs, letter formation jobs and eventually, reading jobs. The children will complete their homework tasks in their homework books, which must be brought to school each Thursday. New tasks will be set on a Friday. DayDetails. Guided reading will be done each morning of the week and your child will have a specific reading day, which will be determined later in the year. Before formal reading takes place, reading activities will be carried out in this time. ThursdayHomework hand in. FridayHomework hand out.

“An open door” Please do not hesitate to speak to us about any concerns you have. Pop into the office or give us a call.