We’ve had a fantastic second week of Summer Term 1, and our Reception children in Pumpkins, Acorns, and Sunflower classes have been fully engaged in their learning adventures whilst enjoying the sunshine!
Handwriting: This week we’ve been focusing on the “Jumper Family” of letters (h, n, m, r, b, p). Children have been practicing these letter formations alongside using our “Animal Positions” approach, which helps them remember the correct flow and positioning. We’ve noticed great progress in their pencil grip and letter formation!
Phonics: We’ve introduced two-letter spellings in Unit 11, focusing on the /sh/, /ch/, and /tch/ sounds. The childrenhave been writing, reading and spelling these words: “crash,” “chop,” “catch,” “blush,” “chug,” and “hatch.”
Building the World: Our exploration with Botley the robot continues to excite the children! This week, they’ve deepened their understanding of algorithms as step-by-step instructions and have been practicing giving Botley directions. In our sessions with Ms Smith in the art room, the children started designing their buildings for our “Botley City” project. They’ve been planning on paper first, thinking carefully about the resources they’ll need, and beginning the construction process. We’re documenting their creative journey in their adventure books!
Maths: We’ve introduced a wonderful new tool called the rekenrek! Children have been learning to subitise (recognize quantities without counting) numbers up to 5, explore “one more” and “one fewer” patterns, and use the rekenrek to represent quantities. They’re developing important number sense skills through games and engaging activities with this visual counting frame.
Taste Ed: We have been exploring different types of apples with our 5 senses! We looked at Granny Smiths, Golden Delicious and Jazz Apples!
Reminders:
Building Photos: If you haven’t already shared photographs of your child with interesting buildings or landmarks, please upload these to Tapestry as soon as possible. These images will inspire our discussions about architecture and support our “Botley City” project. Children love seeing familiar buildings and sharing their experiences with the class!
Summer Weather Preparations: As the weather warms up, please ensure your child comes to school with:
- A named water bottle (filled with water only)
- A sun hat
- Sun cream applied before school (and a named bottle in their bag for reapplication if needed)
- A set of spare clothes in their bag (in case of water play or accidents)
PE Days:
- Thursday: Pumpkins
- Friday: Acorns & Sunflowers
Upcoming Event: Please save the date for our Family Friday on 24th May at 2:30pm, where we’ll be sharing and celebrating our “Botley City” project with you!
We’re looking forward to another week of exciting learning and discovery!
The Reception Team