The Seaside
This week, we have explored differences and similarities between cities and the seaside.
Literacy
In our writing, we reflected on our own experiences of visiting a seaside.
Maths
We have focused on deepening our understanding of numbers to 10, including the composition of each number.
Phonics
This week, we have continued to focus on phase 4 words with long vowel sounds.
In provision, we’ve been reading words and matching them to the correct picture.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite this poem each 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 is called I Have a Little Frog.
Art; Observational drawing and Artist focus
We followed an art tutorial to support us to draw a crab.
We also continued our project based on our focus artist; Alexander Calder. We’ve been cutting shapes from card, which will be used over the next few weeks to make mobile sculptures based on Calder’s work.
Check out our other learning…
Reminders and Dates
Swimming
Rainbow- 21 June, 5 July, 19 July
Sunshine- 28 June, 12 July
Wake Up Shake Up!
We have been enjoying the sunshine in Early Years and KS1 over the past two weeks. It has been great to dance along to our favourite songs together every morning on the playground! We have been dancing to ‘Green, Green Grass’ by George Ezra recently, one of our favourites! Why not ask your child to show you their moves and learn some of our special WUSU dances?
Where in the World?
Can you believe we are in the last half term of the school year? We have lots of great things coming up in Summer 2. This half term’s theme is ‘Where in the World?’ We’ll be exploring maps to identify which country and city we live in, thinking about coastal habitats and sealife and preparing to move into year one.
As we prepare the children for their transition, you may hear them talking more about ‘getting ready’ for year one. Thank you to parents and carers who’ve already started to support with this, by encouraging children to come into school and complete their morning jobs independently.
One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab
We’ve been reading One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab by April Sayre and Jeff Sayre.
This book, which is set on a beach, has a maths link. It describes how many legs you can see when combining different animals, insects and humans!
In our writing, we’ve used images from the book and described what we can see.
The book has also inspired lots of talk around seaside locations we have visited before.
Help at home- To continue our discussions around seaside locations, it would be lovely to have some pictures up around the classroom of the children visiting a beach. Please email these over to the usual address below:
Geography- Where do we live?
In our non-fiction reading, we’ve been looking at maps of the United Kingdom. Country is our word of the week. We’ve learnt that there are many countries across the world and that our country is called England.
The children enjoyed looking at a map of the United Kingdom, locating Leeds and having a go at reading other town and city names on the map. We’ve also been creating our own maps by copying images and place names or using our imaginations. We focused on adding a coastline to show which areas are land and which are sea.
Help at home- Next week, we’ll be focusing on our city; Leeds. Please have a chat with your child about their favourite places to visit in the city, as we’ll be asking about this in class.
Maths; counting and arrangement of shapes
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be revisiting mathematical skills learnt across the year. This week, we’ve been counting collections of objects from larger sets.
We made collections of 20 and shared some great maths reasoning when talking about ways to group our objects to make it easier to see there is 20:
“we put one Numicon peg on each finger and did it twice… we did that because we know that 10 add 10 makes 20!”
“put one counter under each finger of one hand…we need 4 groups of 5”
“we made 2 groups of 10”
“we made a tower of 20 with multilink cubes because they are easier to count in a row than when they are spread out”
In provision, we’ve been using Tangram pictures to match position, orientation and arrangement of shapes.
Art; Observational drawing and Artist focus
We’ve been making observational drawings of real-life objects that have washed up on beaches.
We also began a project based on our focus artist; Alexander Calder. We’ve been cutting shapes from card, which will be used over the next few weeks to make mobile sculptures based on Calder’s work.
Phonics
Summer 2 week 1 has focused on phase 4 words with long vowel sounds.
In provision, we’ve been having a go at ‘sentence substitution’; reading a sentence and replacing one word with a different word, making sure the sentence still makes sense.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite this poem each 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 is called Thunderstorm
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.
Click below to watch Reception recite this week’s poem!
Pictures of outdoor learning this week…
Reminders and Dates
Swimming
Rainbow- 7 June, 21 June, 5 July, 19 July
Sunshine- 14 June, 28 June, 12 July
My body
We have finished our topic ‘Life on Earth’ by exploring human bodies.
Using Non Fiction books, we were able to share our known facts as well as learn new ones.
In writing, we wrote our facts.
Science
This week, we have explored how to keep our teeth healthy by using eggs and different liquids we might drink.
We started by putting toothpaste on half of each egg and then putting them in milk, water, cola, and fresh orange juice. When looking at the sugar content, the children were able to make sensible predictions as to which drink might be the healthiest for our teeth.
It’s stained. (cola) Jack
On one side it’s dark and one side it’s light. (cola) Alyzah
It had too much sugar. (orange juice) Zachary
We also discussed the benefits of some of these drink for our whole body.
Milk is good for your bones and teeth. Ellie
Milk has calcium. Keira
Maths
We have continued to develop our subitising skills using familiar images and objects while introducing a new piece of equipment (Rekenrek) that allows us to explore the structure of small numbers and deepen our number sense.
Butterflies
Everyone was very excited to see the newly hatched butterflies on Monday morning. Throughout the week, the children have observed them closely and looked at the details on their wings and bodies.
On Thursday, it was time to release them outside. It was wonderful to watch them fly around our garden and even on one of the children!
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite this poem each 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 is called Monkey Babies.
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.
PE; Foot-Tech Academy
A big thank you to Food-Tech Academy for the donation of new balls. We can’t wait to use them to develop our skills next half term!
Click here to see Rainbow class enjoying using the new balls.
Reminders
Sun cream – Now that it’s hot, please remember to bring in a labelled sun cream. As your child will need to independently apply their sunscreen, please practise this at home.
Swimming
Rainbow -7 June, 21 June, 5 July, 19 July
Sunshine – 14 June, 28 June, 12 July
Farmyard Hullabaloo!
Our ‘Life on Earth’ explorations have taken us to the farm this week!
Farmyard Hullabaloo
We’ve been reading Farmyard Hullabaloo– our second collection of animal poems by Giles Andreae.
We’ve continued to identify rhyme by predicting missing words and continuing rhyming strings.
In our writing, we’ve been writing facts about farm animals.
Herd is our ‘word of the week’- we learnt that ‘herd’ is used to describe a group of hooved animals.
Help at home- Ask your child if they can remember some of the rhyming words to finish these word strings or they could even create their own rhyming word string.
Maths; comparsion, number order and identifying missing numbers
In Maths, we’ve been using the staircase pattern and number tracks to compare numbers and describe how we know where to place each number in a sequence:
I know that 7 goes next, because 7 is one more than 6.
I’ve already got 10 on the track, so I know that 9 is missing. There is a space next to 10 and 9 is one less than 10.
In provision, we’ve continued to tell and create our own number stories.
PE; Foot-Tech Academy
On Monday’s training day, the early years and KS1 teaching staff had a fantastic training session with Foot-Tech Academy, where we learnt some new approaches and games that we can apply to our current PE teaching.
The children continue to thrive in their Foot-Tech sessions, through games that allow them to explore a range of movement skills and encourage them to be active and enjoy exercise. Most of all, they have so much fun and can’t wait to share what they’ve been doing.
A mini bug ball!
We’ve had some creepy crawling crazy fun, at our mini bug ball today! We enjoyed singing and dancing along to minibeast themed songs in the hall and played ‘collect the pollen’ during our outdoor PE session.
The children loved dressing up and talking about their costumes. Thank you for your support at home, getting the children ready for our bug-tastic day!
Phonics
Summer 1 week 5 has focused on root words ending in:
–ing, –ed /t/, –ed /id/ /ed/ –est. We’ve learnt the tricky words; out, today
We’ve now learnt all of the phase 4 tricky words and completed the tricky words we will learn in Reception! For the rest of the Summer term, we will review all of the tricky words we have learnt.
In provision, we’ve been reading ‘facts’ and sorting them into ‘yes’ or ‘no’ depending on whether the statements were true or false.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite this poem each 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 is called The Fox
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.
Click below to watch Rainbow Class recite this week’s poem!
More pictures of our learning this week…
Reminders and Dates
SWIMMING DATES- Summer 1 and Summer 2
Rainbow Class- 24 May, 14 June, 28 June, 12 July
Sunshine Class- 7 June, 21 June, 5 July, 19 July
Rumble in the Jungle
This week our focus book has been Rumble in the Jungle.
The book is a collection of fun animal poems. Whilst reading, the children enjoyed listening for rhyming words and noticing the patterns made with the words.
The letters are slithering like a snake.
They match the shape of a snake.
That’s how a snake moves.
Maths
In maths this week, we have continued to develop our understanding of the composition of numbers to 10. Using the rhyme ’10 Fat Sausages’, we have found different ways to represent 10.
We have also used 10 frames and dice patterns to show ‘5 and a bit’ numbers to 10.
Help at home
Use the language – First, then and now to create a number story to match the picture.
Phonics
This week we have continued to read longer words as well as compound words such as windmill, handstand and lunchbox.
We’ve learnt the tricky words; there, when, what and one.
Help at home- Please continue to work through the weekly learn at home phonics sheets. We’ll continue to send these home each Friday.
Poetry Picnic
Our poem this week was A Little Shell.
Other learning
Reminders and Dates
Monday 15 May- School Closed: Training Day
Friday 19 May – Mini Bug Ball: Please don’t go to the expense of buying anything new – creative adaptations of something you’ve already got will be fantastic. Outfits need to be suitable for school, safe and warm enough to be worn all day.
SWIMMING DATES- Summer 1
Swimming in cancelled on Wednesday 17 May. Therefore, Rainbow will swim on the final week of the half-term Wednesday 24 May.
Walking through the jungle
This week we’ve gone WILD exploring animals! We’ve been constructing animal habitats, making animal artwork and sorting images of deserts and rainforests.
Walking through the jungle
We’ve been reading Walking Through the Jungle by Julie Lacome.
This repeating story was great for retelling from start to finish, as we recalled the ‘action words’ used throughout the story: walking, running, leaping, swinging, creeping and wading.
In our writing, we’ve been re-writing parts of the story in our own words.
Design and Technology; using a tool
Last week, we shared pictures of our ‘bug hotel’ project. This week, we’ve been adding to our construction by filling the structure with lots of hiding places for our minibeast friends. We looked closely at designs of existing minibeast homes and noticed that we needed to add holes to our pieces of wood. We’ve been carefully using the hand drills to create holes, holding the tool firmly in place and using our strength to wind the handle.
Maths; composing 5
In Maths, we’ve been composing 5 and using the song ‘5 little monkeys’ to explore the parts that make the whole number.
We’ve been using full sentences to explain what we can see on our fingers, as we move through the song:
“There are three monkeys on the bed, there are two monkeys that have bumped their head, there are five monkeys altogether”
We’ve represented our parts on a Hungarian frame (or ‘die frame’):
Help at home- Use 5 toys or teddies at home, to sing and act out your own version of ‘5 little monkeys’ (ie. ‘5 little teddies jumping on the bed…’) Pause after each object is removed (fallen off the bed) and encourage your child to describe the parts of 5 they see, using the full sentences described above.
Market stall maths!
Over the past two weeks, Rainbow and Sunshine class have enjoyed ‘paying’ for snack at the ‘market’ The children had to choose the correct coin (1p or 2p) depending on whether they wanted snack or snack and milk. The shop keeper had to collect the coins and give change if needed and then we counted the coins together- we even did a fantastic job of counting in 2’s, adding the 2p coins first! We recorded how much the market stall had taken each day.
Phonics
Summer 1 week 3 has focused on phase 4 words with short vowels and longer words. We’ve learnt the tricky words; were, here, little, says
In provision, we’ve been playing the game ‘Please Mr. Crocodile’ to revisit the phase 4 tricky words that we’ve learnt so far.
Help at home- Please continue to work through the weekly learn at home phonics sheets. We’ll continue to send these home each Friday.
Poetry Picnic
One week in every half term, we focus on a traditional nursery rhyme. This week we’ve been reciting Sing a song of sixpence
More pictures of our learning this week…
Reminders and Dates
Monday 8 May- Bank Holiday for The Coronation of King Charles III
Monday 15 May- School Closed: Training Day
Friday 19 May – Mini Bug Ball: Please don’t go to the expense of buying anything new – creative adaptations of something you’ve already got will be fantastic. Outfits need to be suitable for school, safe and warm enough to be worn all day.
SWIMMING DATES- Summer 1
Rainbow Class- 17 May
Sunshine Class- 10 May, 24 May
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
This week, we have been reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Using story props and sequencing cards, we have been able to retell the story.![The Very Hungry Caterpillar [Board Book]: Eric Carle : Carle, Eric, Carle, Eric: Amazon.co.uk: Books](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81seu48cujS.jpg)
In our writing, we have been composing sentences to retell main events of the story.
Maths
This week, we have continued to develop our subitising skills (see the quantity without counting) in complex arrangements.
We have explored creating arrangements of 6.
Phonics
This week, we have continued to learn phase 4 words such as frog, shift, chimp and drum.
We’ve also learnt more phase 4 tricky words; some, come, love and do
Help at home- Please continue to work through the weekly learn at home phonics sheets, throughout the Summer term. We’ll continue to send these home each Friday.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite this poem each 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 is called Under a Stone.
Other learning areas
The children have loved creating their own bug houses in the model area as well as building a bug hotel outside for real minibeasts.
The children have been amazed at the rapid growth of the caterpillars. Each day, we have observed how they have changed and recorded what we noticed.
They have got bigger!
One has a white stripe now.
They look spiky.
Reminders and Dates
Friday 5 May – Non-uniform day with everyone invited to dress in red, white and blue to mark the coronation of King Charles.
Friday 19 May – Mini Bug Ball
Please don’t go to the expense of buying anything new – creative adaptations of something you’ve already got will be fantastic. Outfits need to be suitable for school, safe and warm enough to be worn all day.
SWIMMING DATES- Summer 1
Rainbow Class- 19 Apr, 3 May, 17 May
Sunshine Class- 26 Apr, 10 May, 24 May
We know that Rainbow class missed a swimming session in Spring 2 due to the pool closure. This should be made up in Summer 2, which is a 7 week term.
Summer 1- The fun has begun!
The sun is shining and so are we! We’re excited to be back together for a happy and healthy Summer term.
This half term is called Life on Earth. We’ll be exploring minibeasts, wild animals, farm animals and the human body.
The Bad-Tempered Ladybird
This week, we’ve been reading The Bad-Tempered Ladybird by Eric Carle.
There was lots to explore in this story; feelings and appropriate behaviours, clocks/time and the comparative sizes of animals.
Frustrated is our ‘word of the week’. In our writing, we’ve been wondering what went wrong in the ladybird’s week, to make it behave so badly!
Art; clay modelling
We’ve been using clay to make minibeasts. We looked at pictures and photos of minibeasts, before making our models. We had spiky caterpillars, wiggly worms and crawly spiders to name just a few. Clay is great for our fine motor skills. We have to work hard to mold, pull, press and shape. We’ve also been making ladybirds out of dough.
Maths
In Maths, we’ve been counting beyond ten, to twenty. We’ve been suggesting ways to make counting easier, when we are faced with a lot of objects to count.
You can put them in another pile after you’ve counted them- Grace
You can line them up so it’s easier to count- Alfie
We’ve also been counting things that cannot be moved, or things that cannot be seen (such as sounds/actions)
In provision, we re-visited the doubling ladybirds and recorded our doubles.
Help at home- Challenge your child to count more than ten objects. Can they count the pegs on the washing line? Can they count toys in their toy box? Can they count books on a book shelf? Don’t forget to send in photos of counting at home!
Phonics
Summer 1 week 1 has been an introduction to reading phase 4 words. We’ve also learnt our first phase 4 tricky words; said, so, have, like
Help at home- Please continue to work through the weekly learn at home phonics sheets, throughout the Summer term. We’ll continue to send these home each Friday.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite this poem each 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 is called Pitter Patter
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.
click below to watch us recite this week’s poem!
More pictures of our learning this week…
Reminders and Dates
SWIMMING DATES- Summer 1
Rainbow Class- 19 Apr, 3 May, 17 May
Sunshine Class- 26 Apr, 10 May, 24 May
We know that Rainbow class missed a swimming session in Spring 2 due to the pool closure. This should be made up in Summer 2, which is a 7 week term.
FOSP Easter competition
Miss Hague came to our assembly and awarded the prizes to the Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 winners of the Easter competition. Well done to everyone who entered.
