Willow Class Learning
Reception pupils
Spring 1 - From Dinosaurs to Me
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Expressive Arts & Design
Reception use hands on experiences to investigate different materials and explore and make what they want.
The children also get an oportunity to use paint on the paint easle, junk modelling and chalk. They also enjoy dancing on our stage using the musical instruments and making up their own songs.
Communication & Language
This term Reception are working hard to use their words to investigate and discuss the past.
They have lots of different oportunities every day to talk to their friends through play and work.
This term they will be answering the following questions:
Why are dinosaurs extinct?
Which animal am I?
Where do I live?
What were Dinosaurs?
Which animals lived on earth a long time ago?
Physical Development
In Reception we use our fine and gross motor skills everyday during continuous provision.
The children have access to funky fingers, writing, art and investiagation areas in the classroom where they will use thier fine motor skills.
We have handwriting everyday and this term have started to use our handwriting books, focusing on our pencil grip and pencil control.
We also have PE every week, this term we have Gymnastics in PE. The children will learn new movements such as 'pencil, star, ball' etc and we will also learn how to saftely use equipment with the help from an adult.
The children will also learn how important it is to warm up our bodies before exercise and cool down after exercise.
Personal, Social & Emotional Development
In PSED we learn all about our feelings, rules and school values.
PSED is taught through Dinosaur School in our reception classes, the puppets are super friendly and we get to discuss what wally should do to make right choices. Dina discusses with us how and why we have rules and helps us understand our feelings.
Our Continuous Provision
Year 1 - Spring Term
Understanding the World
This term we learn all about winter through our forest school sessions, we go on a winter walk too and discuss what has happened to the trees and plants. The children really enjoy our Forest schools.
This term the children will cover:
- Forces
- Commenting about the past
- Natural habitats
- Animal habitats
- Animals that lay eggs
- Facts about dinosaurs
- Spring
- Ipads/computers
We also look at different celebrations around the world. This term we learn about:
Chinese New Year
Valentine’s Day
Eid
Literacy
'From Dinosaurs to Me' is our topic for this term.
We look at ourselves, animals and dinosaurs. This term we explore fiction and non fiction texts.
We learn stories and new vocabulary using our 'Talk for Writing' Scheme.
This term we will be sharing the following books:
How to spot a dinosaur (Suzy senior and Dan Taylor)
Never let a Diplodocus draw (Rashmi Sirdeshpande)
Leilongs too long (Julia Liu)
Dinosaur Roar (Henrietta Stickland)
We also join in our whole school writing week and this term it is based on our school value 'Teamwork'. The children will learn the story 'Teamwork make the dremwork'. Reception children will be given the oportunity to order the story and write short phrases about the story.
This term we also start our Phase 3 phonics. Reception are taught phase 3 phonics every day.
Reception children get lots of different writing oportunies throughout the year.
Mathematics
In the Spring term Reception learn all about comparing numbers to 5, weight and capacity, length and height, 6,7 and 8 and time. We use different resources for counting and enjoy a daily maths carpet session with our teacher.
We find numbers and maths in every area within our provision.
We also enjoy maths outisde during forest schools.
Our Christmas Parents Morning
Maths
We will start the term focusing on fractions. This will involve finding a half and a quarter of a shape and an amount up to 20. Our learning will involve lots of practical activities and opportunities to develop children's problem solving skills.
We will move on to explore the value of numbers to 50. We will be counting forwards and backwards from any given number 0-50, as well as comparing numbers to further our knowledge of place value. Later in the term, our maths learning will focus on multiplication and division.
During all lessons we will focus on fluency, problem solving and reasoning to allow children to utilise their skills in various ways.
Science
In science, we will be learning about life processes and different types of habitats. This topic allows for pupils to get hands on in our school grounds by looking at local habitats and designing bug habitats for our allotment, During this topic there will be lots of investigating work including pupils creating their own presentations about a world habitat that they will deliver to the rest of their class.
English
In English, we will be starting the term with a whole school writing project centred around our school value, teamwork. Next, we will be writing instructions inspired by the book, ’The Pirate Mums’. After this, we will be writing a recount based on the book, ’The Proudest Blue’. We will be learning when to use a capital letter in a sentence and how to use different punctuation marks to make our writing more exciting. The children also participate in 3 adult led guided reading sessions each week.
All children will continue to access Little Wandle phonics sessions every day and small group reading sessions 3 times per week.
We welcome parents and carers into school for 'Come read with me' sessions every Monday at 8.45-9am.
Foundation Subjects
Our geography topic for the Spring term is 'What is the weather like in the UK?' We will explore the four seasons and discuss the weather changes across the UK. We will also be finding out how people prepare for the weather. We will finish the topic by learning about compass directions.
In history, we will be exploring our local area. We will be finding out more about Milnrow Park and how it has changed since it first opened. We will learn about the significance of the war memorial and find out who Cec Abrahams was.
Our design technology topic is textiles. We will be designing and making a puppet. We will need to design, make, decorate and evaluate our product.
Our art and design topic this term is sculptures and collages. We will use clay to make snails and use etching tools to decorate them with different patterns. We will design and make junk model animals and explore the work of Andy Goldsworthy. Towards the end of term we will work closely as a team to create a large sculpture… exciting.
In music, we will be focusing on dynamics and tempo through classical music.
Our PE topics this term will be Games and Dance.
In PSHE we will be discussing how to stay safe and caring for others. We will also learn about looking after the environment and different jobs in the community. Using the internet and internet safety will also be delivered this term.
In RE we will be learning about places of worship for Christians, Jews and Muslims.
Our computing topics this term will be computing skills and online safety. The children will learn to use computer software for design purposes. They will also be taught about how to use the internet safely and the impact of posting online.
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