Computing Creations
Our topic for this half term is Computing. We’ve been using Scratch to help with our learning.
So far, we’ve learnt…
- what a computer is
- what inputs and outputs are
- what a sprite is
- what a program is
- what logical reasoning is
…and we’ll continue our learning by using sequencing, decomposition and logical reasoning to create programs on Scratch.
Help at home: See which of our vocabulary (below) for this topic your child can remember.
Growing and changing
Our beanstalks are growing! The children have been fascinated over the last few weeks as they have watched and waited for their seeds to grow. We’ve talked about the shoot and roots as they have appeared.
This week we have explored vegetables and herbs. In the creative area, we did some observational drawing of different vegetables and looked at the shape and colours as we drew. The sensory area had lots of herbs to explore, we smelt, looked closely and touched thyme, basil, mint, rosemary and coriander.
We got busy in the Nursery garden too, tidying the planters ready for planting some of our own seeds in the coming weeks.
We have been completing our Spring checklists too, so far we have spotted daffodils, birds, blossom, green leaves, buds and snow drops.
What signs of Spring can you spot when you are out and about?
The children have been practising their counting skills and have been trying to make sure that they count carefully, saying one number for each item as they touch it or point.
Help at home: Practise counting different objects during play and in everyday life. Make sure children say one number for each item; it often helps to move each item as you count or line them up so that children only count each object once. Can they remember how many they had in total without counting again?
1,2,3 there are 3
Next week
Nursery rhyme of the week – Hickory Dickory Dock
Sound of the week Bb for bear.
We hope that you have a happy and healthy weekend and thankyou for your continued support.
Living and Learning – Friends and Family
Celebrating friendships and family in Year 3/4
This week, we’ve been focusing on the Living and Learning statement: “I recognise that friends and family are important.” We’ve had thoughtful discussions about what makes friendships special and why family support is so valuable.
Through discussion, we have shared examples of times when our friends and family have helped us and talked about ways we can do the same for others.
It has been wonderful to see the children reflect on the positive relationships in their lives and think about how they can continue to build strong friendships.
Help at home: Ask your child what is a happy and healthy relationship.
The 100 Decker Bus
The Hundred Decker Bus
This week, we’ve been reading another ‘Hundred Decker’ story by Mike Smith. The Hundred Decker Bus.
Top tip for watching YouTube with your child: go to the settings cog along the play bar and turn off autoplay – this avoids an inappropriate clip coming up automatically, and helps to discourage your child from passively watching clip after clip.
In this story, a driver who is bored of his daily routine decides to take himself and his passengers on a long ‘adventure’. As more people get on the bus, more decks need to be built!
Linked to the story, we’ve been comparing cities/towns to the countryside and discussing the similarities and differences. Countryside is our ‘word of the week’.
Maths
In Maths, we’ve been comparing numbers and noticing whether change creates a number that is more or less than another. In provision, we used the ‘bus stop’ number story to explore subtraction (creating less) and recorded our number stories.
Phonics
Spring 2 week 3 has been a review of phase 3 sounds, reading words with two or more digraphs (2 letters that make 1 sound). We review tricky words (a word you can’t sound out – you just have to know it) daily.
Tricky words can be just that-tricky! We’ve previously introduced a few fun games you can play at home to practice tricky words. Here’s another you could try…
Tricky word stick person (a modified version of the ‘hangman’ game)
We often play this game in class. Write the correct number of dashes for your chosen tricky word and let your child make guesses. Encourage your child to use letter names rather than sounds for spelling tricky words. Draw a part of the stick man for each incorrect guess- you can give extra chances by adding a hat, shoes, gloves etc. to the stick person!
Poetry Picnic
Each week we learn a new poem and recite this poem every day. By saying the poem out loud, we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line. We talk to children about how this can help us become better readers. This week’s poem is the traditional nursery rhyme Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake.
We talk about how a poem sometimes has rhyming words and sometimes doesn’t. Can your child tell you the rhyming words in this week’s poem? We also talk about how a poem can have a fast rhythm or a slow rhythm.
Reading reminder
Children should be reading fluently by the time their book is issued on-line at the end of the week. Your child will have read their book at least 4 times at school – this is where the teaching of reading happens. The aim of reading sessions at home is to celebrate their reading and to showcase what they have learnt during the week. It’s a great way for your child to recognise themselves as a ‘reader’.
If you believe your child is reading from memory you can ‘spot check’ particular words in a sentence or play games with the e-book (such as spotting tricky words).
Remember to encourage reading for pleasure through sharing library books, magazines and other texts at home.
Reminders and Dates
‘Number’ Stay and learn – Tuesday 18 March 9:00am
Our Stay and Learn sessions are a chance to find out more about your child’s journey through Reception. You can observe some teaching and learning, and pick up some tips to support your child at home. This session is all about Number.
Computing
We have had another week where we have been able to enjoy using the laptops and the micro:bits. Micro:bits are like small computers that can be programmed to create different outputs. They contain an LED screen and can also make sounds. We love them!
This week, the children built algorithms that made the micro:bit act like a Magic 8 ball. It would randomly, when shaken, display yes or no on the screen. In the next lesson, the children were able to turn the micro:bit into a counter. When one button is pressed, it adds 1 to the total. When a different button is pressed, it subtracts 1. The children built their algorithms well and are showing more confidence at debugging when something isn’t working. They were also fantastic at supporting each other.
Pancakes and Books
We’ve had another exciting week at Nursery with lots happening. On Tuesday, we talked about ‘pancake day ‘and the reasons why some people celebrate Shrove Tuesday. We read ‘Mr Wolf’s Pancakes’ and found out how to make our own pancakes. We enjoyed smelling them as they cooked and we enjoyed eating them even more!
Outside, children have started to notice some changes in our garden; they spotted snowdrops, crocuses and other plants and flowers starting to grow.
We LOVE reading in Nursery and we’re always excited to join in with celebrations for World Book Day. Thank you for bringing some of your favourite stories for us to share together in Nursery. The children from Y5/6 came to nursery to read our stories to us. We had a lovely time sharing the stories together.
Next week, we’ll continue with our ‘growing theme and will listen to ‘Oliver’s Vegetables‘ by Vivian French. We’ll be talking about the different foods that we eat and where they come from.
Nursery Rhyme of the week Hey Diddle Diddle
Sound of the week Hh
Thanks to everyone who sent in a photo of their child as a baby. We have really enjoyed looking at these and talking about how we have changed. If you get chance come in and have a look at our baby photo gallery in Sunshine room.
We hope that you have a happy and healthy weekend and thankyou for your continued support.
Railways, Reading and Rockets!
The National Railway Museum
On Monday, the children had a fantastic time at The National Railway Museum. They were very excited to go on their first ever school trip – especially travelling there by coach! We were super impressed with how well-behaved the children were. Well done, Reception class.
The children enjoyed looking at different trains and making comparisons of old and new. They had lots of fun watching the miniature railway and it led to lots of great discussions about trains, tunnels and transport. The children especially enjoyed sitting on the Japanese Bullet train.
To end our wonderful visit, we drew our favourite train of the day!
Literacy
We’ve been reading The Hundred Decker Rocket, by Mike Smith.
This story is about a girl called Ivy who sets off on an expedition to space- expedition is our word of the week! On the way, she meets some very messy aliens. When her rocket breaks down, the aliens help to fix it and make their own deck.
The story inspired lots of discussion around keeping our planet clean and why this is important.
In our writing, we designed our very own rocket deck that we will be making next week- this is where we need your help…
Please send your child into school with an empty shoebox next week. The children will be creating their very own deck, based on their designs.
Computing; Beebots
We’ve continued exploring Beebots. Beebots are a fun, early coding resource. We program the bee using directional buttons. The children had to pre-plan the algorithm they needed to enter, to successfully get the bee to its intended location (for example, a specific spot on the carpet)
Living and learning; Celebrating differences
Our living and learning statement this week is: I know we’re all the same and we’re all different.
On Wednesday, were were visited by Lindsey from Diversity Role Models.
The children listened to the story Mixed by Arree Chung
a charming and thought-provoking picture book with characterful illustrations and humour. Follow the colours as they overcome their differences in this sweet tale of acceptance and celebrating difference.
The children loved the story and it introduced us to some new, important vocabulary; diversity, harmony, vibrant.
The children had some thoughtful answers to Lindsey’s questions:
Why is being different good? “’cause we all like different things”-Lola
What would happen if we were all the same? “it would be confusing”- Robyn, “it would be boring”-Delilah
World Book Day
Thank you to the parents and carers who were able to join us for our stay and read session on Thursday, for World Book Day.
As part of our celebrations, the children enjoyed talking about their favourite books from home.
Another highlight of the day was when our friends from years 5/6 came to class to read with us!
On Tuesday, the children took part in a live story and draw-along with the author (Swapna Haddow) and illustrator (Aditi Kakade Beaufrand) of The Night Before Holi
As well as an opportunity to enjoy a new story, the children learnt about this Hindu festival, which welcomes the arrival of springtime.
Phonics
This week, the children have reviewed air, er and longer words that contain double letters.
Help at home; phonics challenge
Write these words on paper and ask your child to underline the double letters before reading them.
hammer shimmer cannot chatter muffin
Tricky words can be just that-tricky! We’ve previously introduced a few fun games you can play at home to practise tricky words. Here’s another you could try…
Secret password
Write different tricky words on paper and stick them next to different doors around the house.
Each time your child enters or leaves a room they must press and say the tricky word password.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we learn a new poem and we recite this poem every day. By saying the poem out loud, we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line. We talk to the children about how this can help us become better readers. This week’s poem was Pancakes by Christina Rossetti
We talk about how a poem sometimes has rhyming words and sometimes doesn’t. Can your child tell you the rhyming words in this week’s poem? We also talk about how a poem can have a fast rhythm or a slow rhythm. Can your child re-tell this week’s poem to you?
We hope you enjoyed watching the children recite this week’s poem aloud, in LIVE ACTION during our stay and read on World Book Day!
Dates for your diary
Reception’s Class Assembly- Thursday 13 March, 2.45pm
Stay and learn: Number Session 2- Tuesday 18 March, 9-10am This is an opportunity for you to come into school to find out about the Early Years Curriculum and watch your child learning in school. This session is our second with a focus on maths.
These dates are also stuck to your child’s classroom door or window to view whenever needed.
World Book Day – shared reading with 1,2B and 3,4C
We had a lovely time yesterday afternoon sharing books with children from different classes. 3,4C visited 1,2B and we partnered up to read to each other. There were lots of lovely conversations and some new friendships made whilst reading together.
Year 3,4 Class News – World Book Day
World Book Day 06.02.25
Yesterday, we enjoyed celebrating World Book Day by:
- reading extracts of our favourite books
- sharing books with each other
- designing a new book cover for our favourite books
- reading and sharing stories and books with Mrs Latham’s class
- joining in the BBC World Book Day assembly
- listening to our class novel ‘The boy at the back of the class’
Well done to everyone who has completed their reading record challenge at home this week! Help at home by continuing to read with your child regularly.
World Book Day in 1A
Wow-what a day! 1A have set themselves the challenge of reading every Julia Donaldson book that we can find and we think that we have found a lot! The class have read one of their favourite JD books and created their own front cover for it. We took our JD book and school reading book to join up with 3/4A and read with them. Such a pleasure to enjoy books together!
1A have joined in a live web chat with the author Laura Baker in which we got to listen to her book ‘The full stop that got away’. In the session we even go to join in an art session to create her main character. We did this with 2C which was great!
Lots of reading, lots of fun and lots of sunshine! A perfect world book day.
