In Willow Class this year we have Mrs Duncan and Mrs Duke.

• Explorers
• Investigators
• Artists
• Readers
• Mathematicians                             
• Scientists
• Writers  

Most of the learning in Reception is child initiated, where they have access to a range of play based learning opportunities including role play, small world, creative jobs, construction, maths and writing. The children have access to both Reception classrooms as well as our outdoor learning area, The Den.

Reception will start their Phonics lessons soon, they will start to learn the sounds ‘m,a,s,d,t’ and how to write them. You could practise recognising these sounds and see if you can find objects beginning with them, for example, m for monkey, a for apple, s for sausage, d for dog and t for top.

The following video will help you to say the sounds correctly:

Phonics help video

They will also be starting to learn our ‘Pencil Pick Up’ song. This will help us to hold pens and pencils correctly. You can practice the  Pencil Pick Up song at home.   

Our PE day is Fridays, and will start on 27th September.

Please remember the children are to come into school wearing their PE kit on their PE day.

This should be their normal school top half uniform with leggings or joggers and trainers/plimsolls.

We would encourage you to go with your child’s interests when they are learning at home and use play as a means to learn. There is huge value in playing together as you can create opportunities for turn taking, number skills, speaking and listening…the list is endless! Sometimes we will send home extra paper based homework such as Phonics which we would ask for you to do together.

Your child will also come home with a reading book and a library book.

The reading book is to share together, encouraging your child to talk about what is happening and join in with some words if they can read them. Library books are chosen by the child for you to read to them at home.

We do not have a homework book in Reception but instead would love to see photos or videos of what your child has been doing at home; these can be sent to admin@theavenue-inf.northants.sch.uk. Alternatively if your child has created some art or a model, they are welcome to bring it in to show us.

Please use your 'Fred Frog' puppet to play some of these games;

Speaking like Fred helps children to understand that words are made up of sounds.

Use Fred Talk throughout the day to help children practise blending sounds together.

Fred Talk follows a consistent routine:

1. Say the word in sounds as Fred e.g. c-a-t. Ask children to repeat. Pause to allow children to ‘jump-in’ with the whole word.
2. Say the word in sounds followed by the whole word e.g. c-a-t, cat. Ask children to repeat.

Use Fred Talk for single syllabic words at the end of sentences throughout the day e.g. it is time for l-u-n-ch…lunch, come and sit on the f-l-oor…floor.

There are three games you can play using Fred.

Fred Talk words at the end of the sentence and keep the words short and simple.

Words below are spelt in a way to help you say them in Fred Talk.

Animal Fred

Put out a few toy animals.

1. Say: c-ow. Ask children to repeat. Pause to allow children to ‘jump-in’ with the whole word cow.

2. Say: c-ow, cow. Ask children to repeat, and then find the cow.

Repeat with: sh-ee-p, h-e-n, d-o-g, h-or-s, h-e-n, c-a-t

Fred says…

1. Say: Fred says put your hands on your h-e-d. Ask children to repeat. Pause to allow children to jump in with the whole word and do the action.

2. Say: h-e-d, hed. Ask children to repeat.

Repeat with: b-a-k, t-u-m, l-e-g, h-a-n-d, f-u-t, n-ee, r-u-n, s-k-i-p, h-o-p, s-t-o-p

Fred I spy

1. Say: Fred says ‘I spy something r-e-d’. Ask children to repeat. Pause to allow children to ‘jump-in’ with the whole word and point to something red.

2. Say: r-e-d, red. Ask children to repeat.

Repeat with: b-l-oo, g-r-ee-n, b-l-a-k, b-r-ow-n

Farmer Fred

“Farmer Fred he has a farm, E I E I O, and on that farm he has a p – i – g  “

Repeat with the different animals – you say the sounds to make that word, child has to try and say the word)

Fred’s Fridge

1. In Fred’s Fridge he has got some m-i-l-k. Children to jump in with word.
2. Repeat with other words – j-a-m, h-a-m, j-oo-s, f-r-oo-t etc.

Fred’s bag

As Fred’s Fridge but fill a bag with different objects.