Reception
Active Ants & Busy Bees
EYFS Team
Useful Information
PE
Academy lunches
Please see our Academy Lunches page for more information.
Letters
Please see the Letters Home page for copies of important letters that have been sent home.
Phonics/Rhino Readers
Rhino Readers
Books
The new reading scheme we are going to be using at Oasis Academy Marksbury Road is called Rhino Readers. These books are phonetically decodable and follow the pattern of sounds and tricky words children have learnt in phonics. This ensures that children are only being given books with sounds and tricky words they have already learnt. Children will be given a physical book once a week to take home, by keeping the book for a whole week this will allow children to secure the sounds taught in school whilst also building on fluency and comprehension. These books will be called the ‘Learn to Read Books’. Below, you can find some suggestions on how to use these books over a week at home.
Step 1: Look at the first page to practise sounds and Tricky Words.
Step 2: Read the story.
Step 3: Can you find focus sounds in the story outlined on the first page?
Step 4: Re-tell the story in your own words.
Step 5: Re-read the story to build fluency.
Step 6: Tell your adult what you like and dislike about the story. Step 6: Rhino challenge on the last page.
E-Library
If you would like to access another book in the week, children have access to the Rhino Reader eBook library on their iPads or any electronic device. There is a range of fiction and nonfiction texts. Children’s logins can be found on their iPad.
In Reception we expect children to read with their grown-ups every day at home, even if only for 5 minutes. Please remember to write a brief note in their Reading Record each time you read with them. Children will only need to bring in their reading book and record in on their designated reading day.
Patents/Carers are invited to a Reception learning and reading information evening on Monday 17th October at 5:30pm in the academy hall. During this information evening, we will be outlining and explaining how reading looks in Reception and how best to support your child at home with this. We will be discussing reading schemes and strategies that we use in school to support early reading and phonics.
Please note, this event will be targeted towards parents/carers and will be full of information lasting around 45 minutes. Therefore, we do encourage young children to stay at home, however, fully understand this this cannot always be possible.
Sound Mats
Book Wings
What Reception have been up to this term...
Term 4 Update 2022/23
Throughout this term we have been learning all about the season of Spring. We talked about and identified the features of spring and what observational changes that children may notice when they are walking around their local area. In school, we went on a Spring hunt to identify physical features that happen in Spring e.g., blossom on trees and minibeasts come out to play! We continued the term talking about how in Spring new life begins. We explored what animals may live on farms and what we call their young. We finished the term learning about life cycles of both tadpoles and butterflies and even observed the life cycle of a frog in person with our own tank of tadpoles!
In Maths, we introduced numbers to 10! Children practiced orally rehearsing the pattern of counting to 10, representing it in a range of ways and have even sorted amounts into 10 and not 10. As the term has continued, we have taken our knowledge of 10 and started to explore the number bonds within 10. Children have been representing these practically and through the special trick of the ‘Number bond Rainbow!’ Some children have even loved the challenge of writing number bonds in sentences using the addition and equals sign.
Towards the end of the term, we have started learning how to count in 2’s. Children have practiced doing this with the support of a number line, numicon and socks on the washing line!
In Phonics, we have been learning Phase 3 sounds. A lot of our Phase 3 sounds are diagraphs; a term the children were already familiar with due to learning the ‘ck’ diagraph in Phase 2. In every Phonics lesson, a new sound has been taught through a high-quality text and interactive activities that both involve reading and writing. Children have been spotting the new sound in words and have been writing them independently in a range of contexts; on football shirts, whiteboards and with chalk on the floor.
On Tuesday afternoons we have launched ‘Enrichment afternoons.’ These sessions have been thoroughly enjoyed by the children and have given children extra opportunities to develop cultural capital and develop the learning of the curriculum area ‘understanding the world’ and ‘people and communities.’
In small groups children have visited Marksbury Road library. The children walked to the library, understanding the importance of road safety. When at the library, children had the opportunity to explore the range of fiction and non-fiction texts and read these with the adults supporting. Children could talk about and copy their favourite illustrations/characters from stories and draw these on paper provided.
Additionally, we have been lucky enough to have visitors in Reception to talk about their chosen topic. We had a parent visitor talk about Pakistan and another to talk and show us musical instruments and the sounds they make!
We have had a lovely term! Children have been continuing to face the challenge of reading and writing weekly with adults. It has been great to see how children have progressed throughout this term and we can’t wait to continue learning in the Summer Term.
Term 3 Update 2022/23
What a great term it has been in Reception! Children have got ‘stuck in’ to the topics that we have been exploring this year and have shown an increasing about of independence in everyday routines and in their learning.
We started the term learning about Castles and Knights. We explored this topic through the high-quality text ‘Leo and the Knight.’ Children were describing Leo the knight using adjectives and were including these in orally rehearsed sentences. We continued this topic into the second and third week of the term where we looked through a non-fiction lens; what are knights, what characteristics do they have, what was their role and who did they protect. We identified features of castles and during independent tasks children labelled these using their phonetic knowledge. Using the knowledge of features of a castle children constructed their own castles in groups using junk modelling! A very fun activity!
After the topic of Castles and Knights, we started our construction topic. We explored this through the texts ‘On sudden Hill’ and ‘Stanley Stick.’ Children were using their imagination to turn these everyday objects into something else. Children loved the re-telling of the story of ‘On sudden Hill’ using role play actions and loved it when they acted out what their box would be. Some were pirate ships, ‘Dino-cars,’ and clown cars! Children even had a go at writing a sentence during their carpet sessions to explain what they had turned the box into!
In Maths, we started term consolidating our knowledge of 5 and delving deeper into the construction of 5 and how two numbers when added together can make 5. Children explored this through practical resources and the use of a part, part whole model. As the term continued, we then introduced numbers 6,7,8 and 9! We looked at how these can be represented in different ways, how they can be constructed, counting to this amount and even began answering trickier ‘Exit Tickets’ to end our Maths lessons!
In Phonics, we have continued to consolidate Phase 2 sounds in our lessons. We have been practicing reading these sounds in CVC words and in short captions/sentences. It has been lovely to see how the confidence children have has developed because of consolidating these sounds. Children have also practiced applying their knowledge of sounds to writing. Daily writing of CVC words in the morning choosing session and during carpet sessions has developed a deeper understanding of letter formation, pencil grip and ability to write short words and even captions with the support of the sound mat. We are now learning Phase 3 tricky words.
Throughout the six weeks children have had numerous opportunities to develop skills and knowledge through carefully planned child-led learning. We have seen some amazing creative masterpieces, problem solving and conflict resolving amongst friends. Children are engrossed in the activities that they have chosen and are showing great development in their areas of learning!
We look forward to welcoming the children back for the new term after a short break! Have a lovely half term!
Miss Kitchen and Miss Betts
Term 1 Update 2022/23
The Active Ants and the Busy Bees have had a fantastic first term of school. It has been wonderful welcoming the children at Marksbury Road and watch them settle into the rhythm and routine of Reception so well.
It was great to see the transition and baseline period go so well for the first three weeks of term. Children had great fun getting to know their teacher, classroom environment and the other children through play-based learning and small group activities. It was lovely to see some real friendships blossom through sharing a book or even much fun in the water area!
The first section of formal teaching started in Week 4 where we began the topic ‘Houses and Homes.’ We began with a fiction link ‘The Three Little Pigs.’ Children used the lens of touch to explore the different materials that the Three Little Pigs build with. Children then had the opportunity to get creative by collaging their own house made out of straw and sticks! Children loved using the construction bricks outside to build their house of bricks!
During these taught sessions, children took part in a whole class activity by drawing a house of straw, sticks and bricks, drawing 2D shapes to structure their pieces. It was lovely to see children begin mark making in preparation for writing!
Following this, we then explored the Houses and Homes topic through a non-fiction stance. Children looked at physical features of real life homes; noticing roofs, gardens, windows, doors and other specific features like letter boxes and doorbells. Using SeeSaw, children shared how their own home looked with their peers and even created a house with lollipop sticks to explain who lived inside their home. There were some valuable discussions happening between the children and a real developing range of vocabulary! To finish off our topic, children embarked on a walk around the local area, looking closely at the homes and confirming their knowledge of the features of these.
We continued the term learning about families. We discussed who was in our families, what activities children do with their families and how our families help us. We talked to children about how families all look different with various set ups; however are all important and special to us.
Our final topic this term was Autumn. Children brought in Autumnal Treasures and explored these using vocabulary like ‘spiky,’ ‘jagged,’ and ‘shiny.’ Children practised describing these treasures and getting creative with them also. There was a lot of leaf printing, leaf necklaces and hedgehog collages made!
During this term children have started Phase 2 phonics. Using the scheme of ‘BookWings’ children have been able to learn, apply and practice the sounds in a fun, multi-sensory way. Children practised writing the ‘s’ grapheme with chalk on the playground, using the Sparkle Mark to help them. Additionally, we have been able to apply our knowledge by reading sounds that have been placed around the environment. Children have loved the magic that BookWings brings, and we are looking forward to more deliveries from the Phonic Fairy with more sounds to learn!
In Maths, children have learnt all about numbers 1, 2 and 3. During Maths lessons, we have explored each number in a practical way by showing representations of this number on fingers, tens frames and with counters. Children have been applying their knowledge of number during carousel activities during our Maths carpet session in fun, practical activities.
It has been a great first term with the children and we look forward to welcoming the children back on Monday 31st October for another term of great learning!
Miss Kitchen and Miss Betts
Reading
Please read with your child for 10 minutes every day!
Homework
Currently there is no homework set for Reception