Cinnamon Brow CE Primary School

Literacy

We are looking forward to sharing some interesting fiction and non-fiction texts during this autumn term. Here is an introduction to the books we will be studying together:

Hello Friend!  tells the story of one big-hearted and enthusiastic little girl who is insistent on making friends with a certain little boy. And why wouldn't he want to be friends with her? She's very good at sharing – even if it's a sandwich that he doesn't like. And she's certain that playing outside is their favourite thing to do, even if he is not so sure. But while he doesn't seem keen on many of the things that she loves to do, there is one thing he's very keen on after all . . . being friends. The children in Reception class will be exploring what makes a good friend, what makes us special as an individual, celebrating our differences and writing labels/words.

The Little Red Hen has found some grains of wheat, but who will help her plant them? The cat, the rat and the duck are all sitting in the farmyard, enjoying the sun. Surely one of them will join the Little Red Hen as she grows the wheat and mills it. And what happens when she bakes a crusty golden loaf with the flour she has made? The children in Reception will be making bread, following instructions and writing labels.

A modern classic named one of the best culturally diverse picture books in the UK, this is the story of Handa, who's part of the Luo tribe in south-west Kenya. Handa decides to take seven pieces of delicious fruit to her friend, Akeyo, who lives in the neighbouring village. But as Handa wonders, I wonder what fruit Akeyo will like best?, a series of sneaky animals steal something from Handa's basket, which she's carrying on her head... When Handa reaches Akeyo, will she have anything left to offer her friend? In Reception the children will be finding out about different cultures, tasting different fruits and making lists of fruits.

Stanley's stick is not just a stick. With a stick in hand, Stanley's options are endless - he flies to moon, writes in the sand, goes fishing, plays a whistle and rides a dinosaur - and his imagination takes over as the magic begins. Stanley shows that seeing truly depends on the ability to believe in the possibilities. The children in Reception will be mark making with sticks and writing labels for their creations.

Squirrel is so cross. Yesterday there were loads of beautiful leaves on his tree, but today? Today some are missing, and Squirrel is convinced that someone has stolen them... there's a leaf thief on the loose! Join Squirrel on a mission to find the culprit, and meet so many fun animals on the way, while you find out how the world takes on different colours as the months pass by. In Reception, the children will be going on a senses walk, writing a list of their observations and investigating the change in seasons.

Reading Books

Please ensure that you bring your child's school reading book bag back into school daily as this will be used to bring home important letters and it will keep our reading books safe. Reading books are changed every Thursday and returned Friday.

Reading

We will be exploring new graphemes (letter sounds) each week and teaching your child how to identify these when reading. Through games and activities, we will model techniques that allow your child to bring these graphemes together to develop their reading. We want the children to develop a love of reading through story time and exploration of high-quality books. We will experiment through writing for different mediums. This could be pencil and paper, pens, blank greetings cards, whiteboards, outdoor chalks, labels etc.  We will encourage and guide your child to apply the graphemes they learn in Phonics to write for a variety of purposes such as shopping lists, labelling their drawings, writing their name/the name of familiar people, writing simple captions.

Maths

This term in Reception we will learn about:

• Place value of numbers 1-5
• Identifying one more/one less of a given number
• Number bonds to 5
• Addition and subtraction of numbers between 0-10
• Money
• Counting on and counting back
• Recognising and describing common 2D and 3D shapes
• Pattern

P.E

PE will take place each Wednesday for Edinburgh and Cardiff. We are requesting that on their PE day children come to school dressed for PE with appropriate outdoor PE kit: black jogging bottoms, white/black plain T-Shirt and outdoor trainers. During colder periods your child can wear their school jumper or cardigan to take part in outdoor activities. 

Outdoor Learning

Children will have access the outdoor area frequently throughout the day.

We are requesting that on their Forest School day (Thursday), children bring into school appropriate trousers for outdoors, a waterproof coat/jacket and wellies or walking boot style shoes / old trainers in a named carrier bag.

Outdoor learning for Reception class will take place on Thursday afternoons, these sessions will be Thursday 28^th September, Thursday 12^th October and Thursday 26^th October 2023.

Please bring a change of bottoms for your child to change into (leggings, joggers or shorts).

Snack and Water Bottles

Fruit, milk and water are available to your child throughout the school day.

Your child should bring in a water bottle that is sent home to be thoroughly cleaned each evening.