Early Years
Curriculum report to Parents/Carers
Green and Yellow Classes Spring Term 2009
Happy New Year to you all and welcome back to another term at Grafton. This letter is to tell you about what we will be doing in class this spring term.
Our topics this term will be Favourite Stories followed by Toys.
Communication, Language and Literacy
This term we will continue to focus on a big book each week. These texts will include traditional stories, rhymes and non-fiction. We will also be working on an additional text selected from favourite class books. These will be a starting point for most of our topic work. We will be concentrating on reading, listening to stories, making books and skills that develop personal response to stories. We will want the children to understand the connection between print and pictures. The Ruth Miskin literacy programme will encourage your child to learn letter sounds, names and to attempt independent writing. If you want to know more about our whole school phonics approach to literacy please speak to a member of the reception team.
We will be holding a P.A.T.C.H meeting for parents to explain how you can help your child read at home later this half term. Please look out for further information.
Later in the term we will be holding a book-making day. All parents are invited to this event and encouraged to make a book with their child. Without your help, this event will become quite a challenge for us, so look out for further information so that you can come and take part. It will be fun for both you and your child.
Here are some of the books we will cover this term:
- The 3 Little Pigs
- Goldilocks and the 3 Bears
- The Three Billy Goats’ Gruff
- Chinese New Year
- My Gumpy’s Outing
- Whatever Next
You can borrow the above books from your local library.
Library Visits
We will continue to visit Manor Gardens Children’s library every fortnight.
How to Help
Please remember to read with your child every day, as it reinforces what they have learnt in class. This support is vital to your child’s development. Please encourage your child to learn the letter sounds by finding objects around the home which start with 1 particular sound and break words down into sounds. These activities are really useful and can be great fun. There are also other things to read cereal packets, street signs, comics and anything else your child is interested in. The library is a really good place to visit. Make it fun and exciting. Your interest and enthusiasm will stimulate your child’s learning.
Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
This term we will continue to focus on counting number, shape & space and making comparisons.
In number we will be counting to 20, recognising the written numbers to 10 and use words to compare things, such as more, less, greater, smaller, heavier and lighter. The 2D shape names your child needs to learn are circle, square, triangle, rectangle, hexagon and star. The 3D shape names your child needs to learn are cube, cone, pyramid, cylinder and sphere.
How to Help
Count regularly with your child. Use the things that you see around you to help you like cars in the street or biscuits on a plate! Use the number cards in the homework pack. Put them in order or take one away and see if you can work out which one is missing. Number rhymes, shopping and cooking are all excellent ways of developing your child’s interest in numbers and can be done at any time. Look for numbers around you. What numbers do you see on the way to school? What number bus do you travel on? What number is your house?
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
We will also be using favourite books to teach science. We will be planting and observing the growth of bean seeds, cooking to see how materials change and floating and sinking Mr Gumpy’s boat! We will focus on history through our topic on toys.
We continue to develop keyboard and mouse skills by using a variety of language, mathematical and creative based computer programmes. The children will also be learning to use audio equipment in the form of the CD player and programmable toys such as the roamer or pixie.
Creative Development
Creative activities happen on a daily basis in reception. Again we will be using favourite books to inspire our work. We will explore a wide range of techniques and materials including collage and paint. We will be doing close observational drawing and mask making. Music is a fantastic way to help your child to learn to concentrate, develop listening and thinking skills as well as look for patterns as well as the basic elements of music. Paul will work for two sessions a week with each class.
Physical Development
In P.E., we will be using the soft play equipment to develop skills in sequencing, balancing and ways of travelling. We will be using Let’s Move lessons based on Jack and the Beanstalk and Toys as stimuli for expressive movement. Our P.E. days are Mondays and Thursdays for yellow class and Tuesdays and Thursdays for green class. PE kit of shorts and t-shirt is optional. In the cold weather the children are usually asked to take off just their shoes and socks.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
This area of learning is taught through all areas of the curriculum and on a daily basis. We will also be cover aspects such as food hygiene, caring for plants, looking after themselves and each other, stranger danger and road safety.
Don’t Forget
Please return P.A.T.C.H folders regularly. We change the books on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
There is a charge of £5.00 for lost books.
Books are expensive to replace. Please encourage your child to look after the books and not to damage them. We will be holding a P.A.T.C.H meeting for parents to explain how you can help your child read at home later this half term. Please look out for further information.
If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to talk to Alison or Maria at the end of the day. We are here to support your child and you.
Happy 2009,
Maria Evaghoras
Green Class Teacher
Alison Veal
Yellow Class Teacher
