This week we have been noticing signs of Autumn. The children have been, “learning to explore the world around them” (Development Matters 2021). The tree in our Reception garden has been helpfully dropping sweet chestnut cases which we have been opening with different tools as they are very prickly for our fingers. We have used the sweet chestnuts to subitise groups of 3. Some children have been keen to bring them home – sorry!
We have also been practising our fine motor skills in Fiddly Fingers lessons. The children are learning to, “Develop their small motor skills so that they can use a range of tools competently, safely and confidently. Suggested tools: pencils for drawing and writing, paintbrushes, scissors, knives, forks and spoons.” (Development Matters 2021)
In the Forest we have been making an Autumn Wreath. We have collected leaves and objects that have fallen from the trees as the seasons change.
Phonics
This week we have been assessing all the children’s phonic retention in order to assign 100% decodable reading books to everyone. We sent these out during Parent Consultations. Please remember to write in the orange reading record when you have read the book.
This week we have learned “ss”.
The mnemonic to help with forming this correctly is:
Sunbathing snakes.
Maths
We have been using our subitising skills to identify which of 2 groups has more or fewer than than the other.
We have practised the stem sentence ” _____________ has more than ____________,” and ” ____________ has fewer than _____________.”
We have learned to write the numeral 5. Here is the rhyme we have used:
How you can help at home:
Don’t forget to use your grapheme tiles at home to keep generating 2 and 3 letter words. Using just the first 6 phonemes, s, a, t, p, i, n, you can make all of these words:
We teach SATPIN words first because this combination allows students to blend sounds to create a large number of words. Plus the S and N are continuous sounds or sounds that can be held, which can be useful when teaching students to segment and blend sounds.
Some common SATPIN words are:
- nap
- nip
- pan
- pat
- pin
- pit
- sap
- sat
- sap
- sip
- tap
- tip
These are arranged in alphabetical order, but you can teach similar sounds—at, pat, sat and nap, sap, tap—together.
This week’s nursery rhyme is 5 currant buns. You can find it here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-five-currant-buns/zm4nmfr
Please continue to practise writing numerals. You could use bath crayons, write in flour or rice, or use a paintbrush and water to write on different surfaces outside.