Autumn 1

Welcome to Reception! This term, we will be settling into school life, developing our confidence and independence, and beginning lots of exciting new learning. Our topic this half term is ‘I Am Special’, which gives us lots of opportunities to learn about ourselves, our families, our local environment and what makes each of us unique.

Phonics

In Phonics, we begin each lesson with our alphabet chant, practising both letter names and sounds. This half term, we will learn the following Grapheme-Phoneme Correspondences (GPCs):

s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d, g, o, c, k, ck, e, u, r, h, b, f and ff.

Children will learn to recognise and write both lower- and upper-case letters. They will develop their ability to blendsounds together to read words and segment words into sounds for writing. We will practise applying our new phonics knowledge in lots of different ways throughout the school day.

Reading

In Reading, children will apply their developing phonics knowledge when reading shared books containing the GPCs they have been taught.

We will practise green words (decodable words) and red words (tricky words) regularly. Children will also develop their comprehension skills by talking about what they have read and answering questions about the text.

Writing

In Writing, children will begin to apply their phonics knowledge through a range of purposeful and exciting writing opportunities.

Using familiar and much-loved stories, children will begin to write words, labels and captions using the GPCs they have learned. We will develop children’s ability to orally retell and sequence familiar stories, while introducing and exploring new vocabulary from the books we share together.

Rhyme Time

Our daily Rhyme Time sessions provide opportunities to develop children’s communication, language and literacy skills through singing and enjoying familiar rhymes.

This half term, we will be learning:

• Five Little Ducks
• Wind the Bobbin Up
• Five Currant Buns
• Jack and Jill

Maths

In Maths, we will develop children’s understanding of early mathematical concepts through practical, hands-on experiences.

Our learning will include:

• Matching and sorting
• Exploring measure
• Creating and continuing patterns
• Subitising – recognising small quantities without counting
• Counting
• Understanding cardinality – knowing that the final number counted tells us how many there are
• Understanding ordinality – knowing that numbers have a position in a sequence
• Exploring the composition of 3 and 4

We will encourage children to use mathematical language and explain their thinking as they explore numbers and quantities in everyday situations.

Topic – I Am Special

Our topic, ‘I Am Special’, encourages children to explore what makes themselves, their families and the people around them special and unique.

Children will:

• Talk about their families and name the different members of their family.
• Explore the different types of families and celebrate the diversity of families.
• Talk about what makes their family special and unique.
• Explore similarities and differences between family members.
• Look at how they have changed and grown from being a baby to now.
• Learn that life was different when their parents and grandparents were children.
• Compare aspects of childhood in the past with children’s experiences today.

We look forward to inviting parents and family members into school to share their experiences of being a child and how they have grown and changed.

Religion and Worldviews

Our Religion and Worldviews focus this half term is ‘Being Special: Where Do I Belong?’

Children will explore what it means to feel special, valued and that we belong. They will have opportunities to talk about special occasions and experiences in their own lives, sharing memories of times when they have felt special or celebrated.

Through stories and discussion, children will explore how babies are welcomed into different religious communities. They will learn about Christian infant baptism and dedication, recalling some of the things that happen during these special ceremonies. They will also learn about how babies are welcomed into a religion other than Christianity, developing an understanding that different families and religious communities have different traditions and ways of celebrating important moments.

Children will retell religious stories and make connections between these stories and their own experiences. They will talk about and record special occasions in their lives and begin to recognise similarities and differences between the ways people celebrate and welcome new babies into their communities.

PE

In PE, we will explore different ways of using our hands to move and control a ball. Children will develop their coordination, control and confidence through a range of fun and practical activities.

Art

Our Art learning will focus on mark making and self-portraits.

Children will:

• Explore making different types of marks.
• Experiment with a range of materials and mediums.
• Explore and describe different textures.
• Create simple observational drawings.
• Explore colour and different materials.
• Use their developing skills to create a self-portrait.

Music

In Music, we will learn and sing a range of nursery rhymes and songs, building our confidence to sing them independently and from memory.

These will include:

• Pat-a-Cake
• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Once I Caught a Fish Alive
• This Old Man
• Five Little Ducks

Children will also learn to listen and respond to music and explore finding and keeping the pulse using body percussion.

Oracy

Our Oracy focus this half term is:

‘What makes me special?’

Children will have opportunities to develop their confidence in speaking and listening, sharing their ideas, experiences and interests with others.

Please see the email sent to parents for further information, including details of the week when your child can bring in a special item to share with the class.

Knowledge Organisers

Our Knowledge Organisers are designed to support children’s learning both in school and at home. They outline the key knowledge and vocabulary that children will develop throughout each topic and show how their learning connects with what they have learned previously and what they will learn in the future.

They are a useful point of reference for families and provide ideas and guidance for supporting your child’s learning at home. We encourage you to use them alongside the experiences and conversations your child has in school so that we can work together to support their learning and development.