Beeston 2/ Reception Class- Autumn term 2023

We hope you’ve had a wonderful summer break and are refreshed and ready for a fun filled autumn term! We are looking forward to sharing new experiences together and developing our learning further.

Overview

Our main themes for this term are ‘I wonder what is special about me?’ (Autumn 1) and ‘I wonder how people celebrate?’ (Autumn 2). Our mini themes include feelings, family and friends, my local environment and the seasons of Autumn and Winter. We will be reading and exploring the stories: Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes, The Colour Monster, The Leaf Thief, All are Welcome, How do Apples Grow and many more of course! We will also be exploring other texts and some key celebrations, including. Birthdays, Harvest Festival, Halloween, Bonfire Night, Remembrance Day, Diwali, and Christmas. We will be exploring these topics and exciting stories through all areas of learning and developing the children’s knowledge and skills through exciting and engaging activities. However, these books and topics may change as we adapt our planning to the current needs and interests of the children.

Communication, Language and Literacy

This term, we will be reading a range of books, with a key focus on new routines, rules and feelings. We will be learning lots of new songs and rhymes, singing these together to introduce the children to new words and sound patterns, as well as developing their listening skills. We will be spending lots of time discussing our families using photos sent in from home and our summer scrapbooks. We will be learning the names of our family members and will talk about the things we like to do with our families, as well as the special events we may have shared together. We will learn lots of new vocabulary when discussing different celebrations and festivals all over the world, and we will be encouraged to use these in our play. 

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

This term, we will be forming strong relationships with our new peers and teachers. We will learn the school rules and routines, as well as making lots of new friends. We will begin to take responsibility for keeping our classroom smart and will learn to put things back where they belong, showing respect to others. We will talk about friendships and the importance of being kind and helpful to others, as well as things we may like and dislike, which may be different to others. We will be learning and exploring the different feelings we may feel throughout the day and will learn how to identify and express these. We will learn about the importance of hand washing and how to wash our hands independently.

Expressive Arts and Design

This term, the children will arrive to our wonderful home themed role play area. The children’s interests and topics will then inspire what role play transformations will happen next. Within Art, we will focus on drawing and painting. We will explore our faces and facial features using mirrors, and we will create our own self-portraits using different media. We will also explore the paints and we will create pictures by printing with different objects we find in and outside of the classroom. We will explore colour mixing and experiment with paints to make new colours. The children will be involved in designing and creating their own Christmas decoration for our Christmas fair (date to be confirmed). The children will take part in singing and music sessions every week. They will learn lots of new songs and actions and play lots of different musical instruments (in response to music).

Understanding of the World

This term, we will spend lots of time exploring the people who are familiar to us, such as our friends and families. We will look at photos of our families and discuss their similarities and differences together. We will take a walk around our school and school grounds to find out about the adults who work there and make simple maps. We will explore Autumn and Winter using our senses to learn about these seasons and talk about the environmental changes we can see. We will learn about contrasting locations and will locate India and China on a map.

Mathematical Development

This term, we will begin with a strong focus on counting slowly and accurately. We will be encouraging the children to touch each object as they count, saying each number loud and clearly. We will be exploring matching, sorting and comparing different amounts and shapes through exciting activities both within our indoor and outdoor classroom. We will also be exploring the numbers 1 to 5 and will practise forming these numbers with our special numberblocks number rhymes! We will also have a close focus on subitising (recognising a set of objects without counting) using dice and card games.

Literacy / Phonics

This term, the children will begin Phase 2 phonics where they will learn the sounds that letters make. The children will learn to read CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words and to spell them out. They will also be taught to read and write some harder to read and spell words, including I, the, no, put, of, is, to, go, into, pull, as and his (words which are read by sight and are not sounded out). You can support your children with these at home using their hard to read and spell word keyring on their book bags.

We will also practise recognising and writing our names, forming the letters correctly.

Physical Development

This term we will be focused on developing our gross and fine motor skills. We will be taking part in dough disco to develop our fine motor skills, using dough to practise squeezing, rolling and pushing the dough in different ways. We will be practising to form wavy lines, zig zag lines and arches too. We will be playing listening and attention games in PE, which will involve the children negotiating the space around them and carefully changing direction. We will be developing our walking and running and will learn to hop around a space. We will begin to develop our pencil control when writing our names and letters in phonics, as well as developing those important scissor skills to cut in a straight line. We will be learning to line up and queue patiently for lunchtimes and singing.

Wow moments

We would love to hear about any significant events your child takes part in at home or when they do something amazing. If you have any pictures of significant events or have amazing moments you would like to share with us, please post these on your child’s 2Evidence me account.

General class Reminders

• Fully named school PE kit needs to be in school everyday.
• BOOK BAG, READING BOOK and READING RECORD need to be brought into school everyday.
• Read everyday at home with your child and make a short note of this in their reading record.
• Support them in reading and writing their ‘harder to read and spell’ words (found on a keyring on their green book bag).
• Don’t forget to sign up and share photos and WOW moments of your child using your child’s Evidence Me account. 
• Sign up for our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages to be kept up to date with what’s going on!

Twitter - @CastleView_PS   

Facebook – Search Castle View Primary School and join our group.   

Instagram- @castle_viewps

Your child’s attendance in school is extremely important.  Time missed is learning that can’t always be made up.

Please ensure your child attends school for 8:40 each day unless there is a very good reason for them to be absent

If you have any concerns or issues, please do not hesitate to speak to me after school.

Mrs Johnston