1. Summer Term 2 Curriculum Overview for Reception Parents COMMUNICATION & LANGUAGE The children will: Listen to stories, poems and action rhymes about minibeasts Retell the following stories written by Eric Carle:- The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider, The Bad Tempered Ladybird, The Honeybee and the Robber Consider character feelings and thoughts Recall the story from the point of view of the caterpillar – Why was it so hungry? How did it feel after eating so much? Why did the very busy spider spin her web? Why might the ladybird be bad tempered? Use alliteration to describe some of the food eaten e.g. lovely lollipops, scrumptious strawberries Continue to consider the difference between fiction and non-fiction books Be exposed to vocabulary related to Minibeasts Use a Talk table- set up with a variety of objects to discuss Take part in Big It Up Monday! Orally generating an imaginary adventure PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT– The children will: Identify changes to the body during rest and exercise Move like a minibeast e.g. imitate the caterpillar’s movements, moving in an arching, rippling motion Can they move backwards, sideways, in a straight line? Do their bodies change shape? Use props to support minibeast movements e.g. scarves for butterflies Thread beads to make worms/caterpillars Make minibeasts from malleable materials Take part in over and under instruction games MATHEMATICS Numbers The children will: Say number names in order, 1 to 20, then to 30, then to 40, building up to 100 Count in 10s to 100, 5s to 100 and 2s to 20 Use simple addition and subtraction, counting on or back to find answers Work on number bonds to 10 Begin to read / create number sentences Begin to solve problems Begin to halve and double numbers Share and be fair, sharing equal amounts Carry out minibeast surveys using tally/ mark making charts Minibeast counting games – spots, legs, wings Shapes, Space & Measures The children will: Use everyday language to talk about size e.g. big, medium, small and build language of comparison bigger, smaller Will order two or three items by length or height Match butterfly wings reinforcing the concept of symmetry Graph their favourite food Repeat patterns, threading bead caterpillars Sequence minibeast life cycles EXPRESSIVE ARTS & DESIGN The children will: Try for themselves the collage techniques Eric Carle uses in his art work Taste and compare some of the fruits and vegetables the caterpillar tried Have a honey tasting session Make fruit kebabs Throw a human ‘Ugly Bug’ Ball Create minibeast sounds with musical instruments Make spider’s webs using cooked spaghetti/balls of yarn Junk model minibeasts Make minibeast gardens using natural materials Explore butterfly symmetry Investigate ladybird patterns WRITING The children will: Retell the following stories written by Eric Carle:- The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider, The Bad Tempered Ladybird, The Honeybee and the Robber Consider character feelings and thoughts- Complete character profiles Take part in Shared Writing e.g. Write a letter from the bad tempered ladybird apologising to the friendly ladybird Write a question to ask Eric Carle Make up a minibeast menu of all the foods they prefer Go shopping for minibeasts. Write shopping lists of foods they like. Continue to write ‘learning review’ daily, applying their phonic knowledge READING Use fiction and non-fiction books about Minibeasts Research information about minibeasts from another country e.g. African land snail Find out about Eric Carle Ditties will be used for independent readers Reading books sent home weekly PERSONAL SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT The children will: Discuss the word ‘Minibeast’ and the need to be quiet and gentle when observing such tiny creatures Make a special moment out of releasing minibeasts back into the garden Engage in role play-make a bug den Consider why the ladybird might be bad tempered? What makes the children bad tempered? Why does the ladybird not want to share the aphids? Children discuss the importance of friends and sharing with others. Are they a good friend? UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD The children will: Go on a minibeast hunt, recording what they find and taking photographs. Compare minibeasts they find in different places Be a minibeast detective looking for signs of minibeasts, use magnifying glasses and bug boxes Plant a butterfly garden Find out what minibeasts eat and where they live. Do any eat the same things as us? Find out about the Life Cycles of butterflies, spiders, ladybirds and bees. Compare these to their own life cycle. Discover how bees make honey/ Investigate spider’s webs Explore using small world minibeasts in sand and water Sort the foods that the very hungry caterpillar eats in different ways, healthy/unhealthy Sort minibeasts with legs/spots/wings etc. Our Christian Value this half term is: endurance; You Can Do It! The children will explore what it means to endure something, what it means to persevere and really work to achieve a goal.