Hello and welcome to Reception class 2024-2025!

 

 

 

In Reception, the class teacher is myself, Miss Harter, and my wonderful, dedicated teaching assistant, Miss Wilkinson. We absolutely love working in Eearly Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and consider it an absolute privilege to be working with some of the youngest children in school. We have an amazing and exciting learning environment where children feel calm and happy and we strive to provide the best EYFS learning environment that is possible. 

At Lytham C of E, our Reception curriculum has been designed with our children and their needs at the heart of everything we do. We believe in providing our children with authentic, real-life learning, as well as plenty of rich, hands-on experiences and opportunities to spark their curiosity and to encourage a life-long love of learning.

Our aim is that by the end of Reception, our children are fully prepared to continue their exciting learning journey ahead from Year 1 and beyond, with appropriate foundations and a thirst for learning more!

In Reception, our children will learn through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated learning experiences both inside and in our amazing outdoor area. Our classroom is set up with engaging topic-based provision that is matched to the children’s needs and our learning goals. Children will spend a lot of time learning through play, with adults modelling good practice as well as enhancing their learning experiences to get the best possible learning outcomes. 

Please see our curriculum overviews for each half-term to see what we are learning about and our EYFS policy that explains how EYFS is structured.

 

Important Information

Supporting your child with reading

Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home.

There are three types of reading book that your child may bring home:

A reading practice book - This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently. Sent home on a Friday after 3 group reads in school

This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.

Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together.

A reading for pleasure book (sharing book) - Your child will not be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together. Sent home on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday

In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The sharing book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together.

Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!

A library book – This book is for you both to read and enjoy together. The library book is sent home on a Monday. As a class, we will visit the school library every Monday. Your child will have time to choose a book of their choice that can be shared at home with a family member.

 

Reading Diary and Phonics Homework

Each week the children will bring home some phonics work that they have been learning about in class. See the reading diary for this information. Please support them at home with practising their phonics as this will really help them with their reading journey.

Please sign and comment in the yellow reading record when your child has read as this gives us an idea of how much practice they have had so we can support them if needed.

Please return the reading diary and reading book in their green school bag each day.

P.E. – Physical Development

We will now be getting changed at school for P.E. rather than coming to school in P.E. kit on certain days, so your child needs to come into school wearing their school uniform every day. They need to bring their P.E. bag to school every Wednesday and it will be sent home every Thursday for washing. We will then help them to get changed at school for P.E. at our allocated times (currently our slot is on Wednesday morning and a Thursday afternoon). 

Water Bottles – Please provide your child with a water bottle every day so they can access it whenever they wish to.

Healthy Snack – The children can bring a healthy snack each day which can be a choice of fresh fruit or vegetables.

Class Dojo

Important information and reminders will be sent via class story on dojo. We will also send photos of the learning taking place in Reception. Sometimes we use it to send you any news directly about your child through 1:1 messaging.

 

 

Links/sites/things to watch or play on at home that are super useful for the children, and fun!

 

• Numberblocks: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b08bzfnh/numberblocks
• Alphablocks: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b01cz0p1/alphablocks
• Phonicsplay: https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/resources
• Phonicsbloom: https://www.phonicsbloom.com/
• “Geraldine the Giraffe” phonics with Mr Thorne on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MrTsPhonics
• Counting games on Topmarks: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/counting