1. Welcome to Reception at St James Primary School

2. Staff
Teacher and 3 TAs
Key person 

3. EYFS Curriculum
We follow the early years foundation stage (EYFS) curriculum which sets standards for the learning, development and care of your child from birth to 5 years old.

4. Areas of learning
Your child will be taught through a combination of play, teacher-led whole class learning and structured activities.
The 7 areas of learning are:
Prime areas
communication and language
physical development
personal, social and emotional development
Specific areas
literacy
mathematics
understanding the world
expressive arts and design

5. Characteristics of effective learning
Underpinning all areas of learning
Engagement
Motivation
Creativity and critical thinking

6. Combination of child-initiated and adult-led activities
adult-led activity daily
all other activities are free choice activities for the children set up by the adults, with  learning intentions and encourage coel
- sand, water, exploring table, writing, maths, making table, malleable, art, reading, construction, finger gym and role play most of which take place both inside and outside the classroom.

7. Planning half-termly topic rigorous but fluid planning
based on requirements of EYFS curriculum and observations of the child – 5 per week so each child has an extended observation once each half term  
incidental 
following week’s planning is based on previous week’s observations

8. Eexat new assessment and tracking system observations recorded online
on-line learning journal
entirely safe – accessible by staff and parents
password protected

9. Phonics taught discreetly
4 per week, recognition, know pure sound, blend sounds to read
words, letter formation,
breaking words into
sounds to write
Fred talk
green words
red words

10. How can you help your child?
Saying the 44 English sounds in a pure way
Knowing the letters and groups of letters (graphemes) used to read and write the sounds
Understanding ‘Fred’ and how he helps with reading and spelling

11. Fred Fred helps children learn to read Fred can only talk in sounds...
(Fred can only say c_a_t, he can’t say cat)
We call this Fred Talk

12. Fred... If children understand Fred they can blend orally
Blending is needed for reading

13. Fred... Fred helps children learn to spell as well!
Children convert words into sounds
They press the sounds they hear on to their fingers...
We call this Fred Fingers

14. Reading Reception Start after half-term Weekly group reading
Keep same book for the week. 1 RML and 1 Big Cat
Book bag in every day
Reading diary – parent
    comment

15. How you can help at home
By reading to your child lots of lovely stories and asking lots of questions!
Use these prompts to help you:
What do you think
happens next?
What is happening?
What do you
think that character is
thinking?
What is the character saying?

16. And...
By talking to your child as much as possible and ‘feeding’ them new and different words:
“Let’s eat our lunch now.”
“Let’s munch our lunch now.”
“Let’s scoff our lunch now.”
“Let’s devour our lunch now!”

17. Handwriting taught alongside phonics correct formation
Rml reminders eg  ‘Maisie mountain, mountain’
weekly handwriting in books - covering sounds of the week
practise within lines
Supported throughout week by
fine motor control
wrist and arm strengthening
activities,
letter writing activities eg sand, salt,
implements, art

18. How you can help at home
Encourage your child to use the correct pencil grip
Encourage correct letter formation whenever writing

19. Maths maths throughout continuous provision daily maths session
manipulating numbers mentally, sorting, pattern, shapes, addition,
subtraction
writing numerals correctly

20. How you can help at home In the street Recognising bus numbers
Number plate hunt. Who can find a 7? Add the numbers up.
Comparing door numbers
Counting – how many lampposts on the way to school?

21. And… Going shopping Reading price tags Counting items into the basket
Finding and counting coins
Comparing weights – which is heavier

22. And… In the home Counting in 2s – matching shoes
Sorting by colour and size.
Matching/pairing up socks.
Find four shoes that are different sizes. Can you put them in order.

23. And… Time What day was it yesterday? is it today? tomorrow?
Use timers, phones and clocks to measure short periods of time.
Count down 10/ 20 seconds to get to the table/ into bed etc.
Recognising numbers on the clock. If you cover a number, what number was missing?

24. And…
Food!
Can you cut your toast into 4 pieces? Can you cut it into triangles?
Setting the table. Counting the right number of plates etc. How many more do we need?
Can you make shapes/ patterns out of the knives and forks. Can you put them in the right place in the drawers?
Helping with the cooking by measuring and counting ingredients.
Setting the timer.
Positional language at dinner time: what is on the rice, where are the carrots etc?

25. Literacy
Plenty of opportunities for child-initiated writing in all areas throughout classroom
Encourage independent sounding
Spring term – shared writing and weekly literacy focus activity

26. Housekeeping Share treats for birthday
Healthy snacks for snack time - not crisps nor cake
No nuts, sesame or kiwi
Show and tell – each child given a specific date
Tuesday open house 3.30 to 4.00
 Buttons, zips, laces - independence
Not backpacks for peg – drawstring if poss
Name clothes

27. Bring in used boxes, tubes, plastic trays for making table
Newspapers and magazines
Buttons, sequins, dressing up, small bottles, recycling
Large boxes for outdoors that children can climb in and out