2. Children will have opportunities to; * Daily teacher-led phonics teaching in small groups through Bug Club. * Share books together in their play * Have shared and guided reading sessions in their key groups * Weekly ‘Special Book’ sessions where children can bring in a special book from home to share with their key group

3. Sharing books with your children means: * Reading with your child * Pointing to the words to show directionality * Talk about what’s happening in the book * Question them about their likes and dislikes Not all children may chose to share a book so use their interests so encourage them! Remember comics, magazines, leaflets, newspapers, TV magazines

4. * Respecting books * Turning pages * Pointing at words * Thinking about likes and dislikes

5. * Children are encouraged to choose a book from our class library to take home and share and then bring back and change for another!. * Street library have a lovely children’s section and story sessions. * In September your child will be given a Bug Club account where they can access e-books online linked to the sounds we are learning in Bug Club. These books are fun and have ‘games’ at the end where children can earn online rewards!

6. * We will only be sending reading books home when children are ready! * To begin with children may bring home picture books. Encourage your child to ‘tell’ the story from the pictures. This helps them to: * Develop new words and vocabulary * Ask questions to develop understanding (comprehension) and prediction; ‘What do you think will happen next’ * Sequence stories; beginning, middle, end * Once upon a time’, next, ‘lived happily ever after’ * Every child is different and books home will depend on each individual child. Please do not compare children on the basis of books going home!

7. In addition to reading books we give children words for them to learn at home. Words will be phonetically decodable and linked to sounds we are learning in Bug Club eg; in, at, it, is. They will include ‘red alert’ words. These are non- decodable and children just have to remember them! Eg; the, me, I, you, he, she, we etc.

8. Talk about the size of objects, compare them which is bigger/smaller, taller/shorter, longer/shorter e.g. look at an adults and child’s shoe/clothes, cutlery, different sized tower, trees etc Talk about shapes, identify them in your environment, match them, make models/pictures with shapes Introduce them to weight through cooking – heavier/lighter Talk about the position of objects – e.g. it’s on the chair, under the table, next to the table etc. Create patterns using blocks, hanging washing out, cutlery, socks etc. Everyday activities you can do to help your child’s Mathematical skills

9. Everyday activities you can do to help your child’s recognition of numbers Look at the calendar, talk about the date Point out numbers on signs when you are out Look at house numbers Talk about prices when you are out shopping Number puzzles/blocks/cards – order the numbers Match a number of objects to the number card Numbers pairs/snap

10. Count the toys as you put them away Count the stairs as you walk up and down them Count the number of buses that pass you in the street Count the lampposts as you walk down the street Count the trees/flowers in the garden Count the clothes on the washing line Count the cutlery as you lay the table Everyday activities you can do to help your child’s counting skills

11. * All we ask is that you continue to enjoy and share books with your child. * NO PRESSURE to sit with them for hours or for the children to be reading when they arrive in school. * We expect children to have respect for books and an enjoyment of sharing them! * Enjoy everyday practical maths problems in the home and the environment! And Finally……….