Children in class Oaks have really immersed themselves in our Enquiry into Victorians since returning from Christmas. They were shocked to learn that there were no P62’s and that they were supposed to be seen and not heard in Victorian times. Despite enjoying learning the game of marbles they thought that life might me quite tough as a child back then. Elsewhere in Literacy the class have had a go at retelling the story of Jack and the beanstalk using the new colourful semantics cards. I have been most impressed with the progress that they have made with their letter formation. The daily handwriting tasks which have included exercises for developing core stability and tracking skills are really paying off. We have been lucky enough to have discovered that one of the seeds that we have planted for Science seems to be a magic bean! Children are hoping that it will grow tall enough to climb up to the clouds. In Art we have been exploring mixing the primary colours and painting a seascape. They loved using potato stamps for boats! In PE we have been developing a jungle dance and children have been sharing their ideas and working with a partner. In Numeracy the class has been introduced to a Mastering Number scheme developed by NCETM and they have been working really hard on their subitizing skills (seeing a number without having to count each item). We have also had a lot of exciting special days including celebrating Chinese New Year, the Queens Jubilee and internet safety day.
I have also been very impressed with how many children are handing in both their handwriting homework and adding to their ‘adventure’ books. These are great to reflect on in our Key Worker time at the end of each day. It would be great to see the Year 1’s beginning to write a sentence independently of what their photographs or pictures show as we are working on this in Literacy.
Thank you for your support with reading daily with your child. It is lovely to hear your comments each week on the progress that you feel that they are making. After half term we will be introducing more ways for parents of Reception children to let us know your child’s ‘wow’ moments whether it may be them learning to ride a bike or learning to swim so that we can acknowledge and add these achievements in their learning journals.
I have been asked by a couple of parents how they can further support their child with their reading and writing. I am more than happy to discuss this in greater depth either at pick-up time or if you wish to arrange a meeting.
Please note; next term we will be trying to work outside for PE. Please ensure that children have a black tracksuit top and bottoms as well as trainers (ideally without laces).
Many thanks for your continued support
Mrs Miller
