A snapshot of what we got up to in Autumn 2.
In the Early Years Foundation Stage children learn through a balance of both teacher led and child initiated activities. Everything we do is based on careful observations of the children so that we can tailor the learning environment and plan activities that are engaging, motivating and exciting.
The theme for Spring 1 is Amazing Animals
This term our topic is Amazing Animals.
We will begin with animals in winter and animals from polar regions, then learn about African wild animals, followed by learning about pets and vets. We will also learn about the Chinese New Year festival and hear the story of the animals of the Chinese zodiac. If you have a well-behaved pet that wouldn’t be terrified by a class of four and five-year-olds, we’d love to have visitors! Please let me know and we will arrange a date for your visit.
Please see the class newsletter for further details.
- Class R Spring 1 Newsletter
- Thank you for your support.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need any help or advice.
Muddy Monday
We spend every Monday morning in our wildlife area. We call this Muddy Monday.
We can supply all the children with a full set of fleece-lined waterproofs but ask that parents provide a pair of wellies to keep at school.
In winter months it is a good idea to send in extra layers, welly socks and a hat.
We will supply hot chocolate to help keep away the winter chills.
PE
We have two PE sessions each week. This term we will be working on rolling, pushing, pulling and sliding in our indoor gymnastics sessions and expressive movement to music and patterns in our dance sessions. PE this term will be on Thursdays and Fridays.
Please ensure that all PE kit is clearly labelled with your child's name. PE bags should be brought to school on Monday and taken home for a wash at the end of the week.
Reading is a high priority at our school. We want our children to develop a love of books and become life-long readers. In Class R we tell stories and share books several times a day and the children have daily opportunities to develop and practise their reading skills.
The children will bring home books from our class library and from the pop-up library (an extension of Thirsk Community Library). These books are for you to read and share with your child. The children will also bring home reading books for them to read to you. These books are designed to help them practise their developing reading skills and will be carefully matched to the phonics we are learning in class.
In order to build confidence and fluency it is really valuable if children can read the same book several times.
It is best to study and chat about the picture BEFORE reading the words. We don't encourage the use of pictures as a way of guessing words (always use phonics for unknown words) but pictures are great for enhancing the enjoyment of the books.
Can your child talk about the characters? How are they feeling? What might they be saying?
Can your child talk about the events? What has happened so far? What might happen next?
Can your child talk about the setting? Where is the story taking place? What time of day is it?
Click here for further information about reading in Class R.
Please visit our Bedtime Stories Page where you will find lots of stories to enjoy.
We follow a scheme called 'Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised.'
Click the links for more information.
How to pronounce each sound demonstration video.
Each week we will learn four letters and the sounds they make. We will immediately start blending sounds together to make words.
We are now moving on to Phase 3.
How to pronounce the Phase 3 sounds.
We will also learn some more tricky words.
Phase 2
is the I
as and has his her go no to into she he of we me be he
Phase 3
was you they my by all are sure pure
This is a great way for your child to practise their phonics skills.
Please see your child's reading record for login details for our spelling scheme.
Our maths is mostly active and practical. We follow a programme called Mastering Number.
We are using the Numberblocks to build up a deep understanding of numbers and number composition.
Visit Topmarks Early Years section and explore these counting games.
Click here for a number formation video.
