Reception Parent meeting September 2017

Start of day routines A great start to the term with lots of smiley faces in the morning! Please encourage your child to come in with increasing independence. How you can help: Say good bye at the cloakroom door (watching to ensure they have entered safely) Encourage your child to bring in their own belongings- coats on pegs, book bags and water bottles in the classroom. This transition is important not only for the safety of the children but also as a learning experience; independence skills are a key theme of the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum!

Lunchtimes There is a new online lunch booking service to order your child’s meal. Please try to do this as it makes the morning routine quicker for the children. If a lunch isn’t ordered online, we remind the children of the lunch options for the day. The children tell us which meal they are having and these are ordered electronically. If you have a specific request for lunches, please order it online. Reception staff support children as they eat their lunch (before handing over to mid-day supervisors). We encourage children to eat a reasonable amount of food before going out to play. Water is provided in jugs on every table.

Timetable 1:30 1.30-1.45 Monday Short input for Phonics Registration   8:50 - 9:20 – 10:20 10:40 11:00 11:00 - 11:45 11:45 12:00 1:15 1:30 1.30-1.45 1:30 - 2:45 2:45 3:15 Monday Short input for Phonics  Registration Choose our Learning time Group snack Short maths input Story or number songs then get ready for lunch LUNCHTIME Daily Mile Register and Topic input Songs/ review of learning Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS) Our children learn through playful, hands on experiences. Adults work with small groups of children on set tasks that are closely linked to our assessments. Meanwhile, other children can ‘choose their learning’. They can select from the planned, purposeful activities set up in the room and outside. The Reception day is full of opportunities for children to explore, wonder, investigate and persevere! We take into account each child’s interests and motivations. When children are engaged, we can hook them into high-quality learning which is memorable and FUN!

Phonics and Reading We follow the Read, Write Inc. phonics teaching programme. Over the next few weeks, the children will learn new letter sounds and will have lots of practice of reading and writing these. Once the first set of sounds have been introduced, each child will receive a ‘Sound Book’ containing sound sheets, a letter formation guide and handwriting rhymes. Please use these to practise reading and writing the new letter sounds at home. The sheets will not be formally marked but we regularly check in to see how the children are getting on. Practice makes perfect! Why not try spotting the new sounds around the home or in books? You can also purchase the Set 1 Speed Sound cards from Amazon or WHSmith. Remember to use PURE SOUNDS- check out some tutorial videos for examples of correct pronunciation. See our power point on RWI for more information.

Phonics and Reading Over the next few weeks we will also begin to introduce reading activity sheets to help children develop their ability to sound out and ‘blend’ words to read: e.g. c-u-p  cup When children are confidently blending the sounds they know in words, we will begin sending home reading books and a reading record. We aim to change books and read with children individually on a weekly basis. You will be informed of your child’s reading day later in the term. Why not visit www.phonicsplay.co.uk and play some fun reading games. Most children begin on Phase 2 letter sounds.

Tapestry We use an electronic Learning Journal called Tapestry to record and monitor children's learning. You will have received some information about this system and how it is used in school. Once a permission slip has been returned for your child, we will create an online learning journal to track their progress. Shortly you will receive more information about how to access Tapestry and view your child’s profile. In the meantime, we are adding photographs and observations about the things your child has been doing. If you have any questions or issues surrounded Tapestry, please let us know. If you do not have access to a computer at home, we can arrange time for you to log in at school.

Reminders… Children DO currently need a PE kit in school. We take part in lots of physical learning activities in our Reception outdoor area and on the field. Please remember water bottles, trainers and coats every day. Please remember to check book bags every day. Please name EVERYTHING!

Thank you for coming.