Reception

Reception

Spring Term 1&2

 Vocabulary Focus

Literacy

Our Power of Reading story this term is ‘The Gruffalo’ and the traditional story we will be reading this term will be ‘The Three Little Pigs’. We will also explore the ‘People Who Help Us’ Collection. We will read the texts as well as enrich children’s learning experience by connecting the stories to our Topics ‘Fantasy’ and ‘People Who Help Us’. We will continue to use Read, Write Inc. scheme of work to teach reading and writing.

The aims will be that children can:

• Use vocabulary and forms of speech that are increasingly influenced by their experiences of books.
• Hear and say the initial sound in words.
• Continue a rhyming string.
• Link sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet.
• Begin to break the flow of speech into words.
• Know that information can be retrieved form books and computers.
• Attempt to write short sentences in meaningful contexts.
• Use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately (ELG).
• Use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds (ELG).

Vocabulary for reading - picture, list, photograph.

Say how they are feeling, or how others may be feeling in different contexts (e.g. in response to a simple story) and why they think the person/character might be feeling that way e.g. the boy is sad because he lost his teddy. 

Time words - first of all, next, after that, finally, in the end.

High frequency words – I, go, come, want, up, you, day, was, look, are, the, of, we, this, dog, me, like, going, big, she, and, they, my, see, on, away, mum, it, at, play, no, yes, for, a, dad, can, he, am, all, is, cat, get, said, to, in.

Maths

In Maths, children will be taught a range of mathematical skills. In the Spring Term, we will focus on Numbers, Shape, Space and Measure. We will use Numicon to develop children’s mathematical understanding.

The aims will be that children can:

• Count out up to six objects from a larger group.
• Count an irregular arrangement of up to ten objects.
• Use the language of more and fewer to compare two sets of objects.
• Say the number that is one more than a given number.
• Find one more or one less from a group of up to five objects, then ten objects.
• Describe their relative position such as ‘behind’ or ‘next to’.
• Begin to use the vocabulary involved in adding and subtracting during practical activities and discussion.
• Estimate how many objects they can see and checks by counting them.
• Record using marks they can interpret and explain.
• Begin to use mathematical names for ‘solid’ 3D shapes and ‘flat’ 2D shapes and mathematical terms to describe shapes.
• Order two items by weight or capacity.
• Begin to use everyday language related to money.
• Begin to identify own mathematical problems based on own interests and fascinations.

Vocabulary of movement – forwards, backwards, sideways.

Experience language with the position of themselves e.g. in front, behind, underneath, on top, during play and physical activities.

Experience and talk about shapes e.g circle, square, rectangle.

‘Half’ a bagel, ‘share’ a bagel – explore how something can be changed from a whole, i.e. a pizza cut into ‘triangles’, a sandwich cut into ‘squares’.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)

During this term, children will be encouraged to be more independent while interacting with others and when organising their own activities.

We will encourage children to:

• Take steps to resolve conflicts with other children e.g. finding a compromise.
• Begin to be able to negotiate and solve problems without aggression, e.g when someone has taken their toy.
• Initiate conversations, attend to and take account of what others say.
• Play co-operatively, taking turns with others (ELG).
• Be confident to try new activities, and say why they like some activities more than others (ELG).
• Work as part of a group or class, and understand and follow the rules (ELG).

Vocabulary associated with different feelings – happy, sad, angry, cross, scared, worried, anxious, concerned, upset, thrilled, excites, surprised.

Focus on words reflecting their own development and wider environment – emotions, concepts, places and activities.

Communication and Language

Throughout this term, your children will continue to be supported to develop their communication and language skills. We will plan a range of lessons where we support the children’s listening and attention skills. We will also develop their understanding and will give them enough time to develop their speaking skills.

We will support children to:

• Listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events (ELG).
• Understand humour e.g. nonsense rhymes and jokes.
• Follow a story without pictures or props.
• Introduce a storyline or narrative into their play.
• Respond to what they hear with relevant, comments, questions or actions (ELG).
• Answer ‘how and ‘why’ questions about their experiences and in response to stories or events (ELG).
• Use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences in play situations.
• Use talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events.

Vocabulary for narrative – use language of stories to imagine and recreate ideas in different contexts.

Respond to and answer questions – ‘where’ ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about self and own experiences. Use ‘how’ and ‘why’ in response to stories and events.

Understanding the World

Children will learn about the lives and jobs of people who help us e.g. police officers, firefighters, etc. They will take part in Democracy Week as well as celebrate Mothering Sunday by inviting their Mums to come and visit them in school. 

We will support children to:

• Enjoy joining in with family customs and routines.
• Look closely at similarities, differences, patterns and change.
• Know about similarities and differences in relation to places, objects, materials and living things (ELG).
• Recognise that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools (ELG).
• Make observations of animals and plants, explain why some things occur and talk about changes (ELG).
• Talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members (ELG).
• Know that other children don’t always enjoy the same things, and are sensitive to this. (ELG)

Vocabulary – regular opportunities to experience, develop and use vocabulary related to the world around them.

Listen to adults using vocabulary to describe:

Taste e.g. bitter, sweet, salty, sour, tangy.

Sound e.g. loud, quiet, shout, whisper, hum, ring, bang, rustle.

Texture e.g. soft, hard, spiky, sharp, sticky, gooey, rough, smooth.

Smell e.g. perfume, fresh linen, manure, minty, sweet, flowery.

Physical Development

Children will have a range of opportunities to develop their fine motor and gross motor skills. We also teach the children how to be healthy and safe. Children will be having additional PE sessions to support development of their gross motor skills and wellbeing.

We will encourage children to:

• Show increasing control over an object in pushing, patting, throwing, catching or kicking it.
• Use a pencil and hold it effectively to form recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed.
• Show an understanding of the need for safety when tackling new challenges, and consider and manage some risks.
• Use simple tools to effect changes to materials.
• Show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements (ELG).
• Practice some appropriate safety measures without direct supervision.
• Show some understanding that good practices with regard to exercise, eating, sleeping and hygiene can contribute to good health.
• Travel with confidence and skill around, under, over and through balancing and climbing equipment.
• Show a preference for a dominant hand.

In PE this half term the children will be exploring balancing in a variety of different ways both on and off a range of different apparatus.  Next half term, children will participate in a mixture of different co-operative games, which will focus on the importance of teamwork.

Vocabulary – use daily routine/activities to talk about how exercise can make them feel. Think about how they feel before they run around outside and after e.g. hot, sweating, thirsty, heart beating fast etc.

Opportunities to talk about healthy/unhealthy items that children are familiar with e.g. fizzy drinks, water, fruit juice, chocolate bars, crisps, fruit, raisins etc.

Expressive Arts and Design

Children will be encouraged to share and express their creativity in a range of ways and through fun and creative activities. We will teach and encourage children to:

• Select appropriate resources and adapt work where necessary.
• Select tools and techniques needed to shape, assemble and join materials they are using.
• Play cooperatively as part of a group to develop and act out a narrative.
• Experiment to create different textures.
• Explore the different sounds of instruments.
• Manipulate materials to achieve a planned effect.
• Use simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately.
• Play alongside other children who are engaged in the same theme.
• Sing song, make music and dance, and experiment with ways of changing them (ELG).

Vocabulary for design – talk about ideas, choose resources, tools and techniques.

Talk about what they like or dislike about their models/constructions, say why and how they could change them.