🚀 Space Day Magic & Weekly Highlights in Reception

Welcome Families and Friends to another weekly class blog update! 

We have had an absolutely out-of-this-world week in Reception as we rounded off our Space Topic!

Here is a look back at what we’ve been up to this week:

Communication & Language and Literacy

Read Write Inc. Phonics

This week in our RWI Phonics sessions, we introduced five new single letter sounds:

f

e

l

h

r

The children have loved forming these sounds on their whiteboards, practicing their oral blending with Fred the Frog, and using their sound knowledge to begin decoding simple CVCs.

Children have taken home some letter formation worksheets to practise at home. These are completely optional and do not need to be returned to school. We have also created some pathways to support your children with their Phonics at home if you have a spare 5-10mins with your child.

https://schools.ruthmiskin.com/resources/vc-pathways/524412/NsjMRQzQiey1Uh9r

English & List Writing: Man on the Moon

Inspired by our focus text, Man on the Moon, the children stepped into the role of space explorers preparing for a lunar mission! During our English focus sessions and small group tasks, we practiced list writing to note down all the essential items an astronaut might need on the Moon. It has been wonderful to watch their confidence grow as they apply their phonic knowledge to write meaningful words independently.

Understanding the World (UTW)

Our Understanding the World sessions were divided into two exciting themes this week:

The 5 Senses Exploration

Every afternoon, our young scientists investigated a different sense through hands-on table jobs and experiments:

Smell: Sniffing out different scents on Monday.

Hearing: A range of sounds and roleplaying based on sound on Tuesday.

Sight: Exploring Light, reflection, glow in the dark and magnifying on Wednesday.

Taste: Testing sweet, sour, and salty flavors on Thursday morning.

Touch: Exploring textures through mystery object bags and messy play on Thursday afternoon!

Days of the Week Song!

We spent time developing our sense of time and community. During our daily input sessions, we learned the days of the week through songs and interactive discussions. 

We also explored our "Daily Dash" focus, asking the question "Where Do We Belong?" to encourage children to talk about their families, local environment, and school community.

Expressive Arts & Design & Continuous Provision

Adventure Time

"Adventure Time" (our child-led continuous provision) allowed the children to take their learning in whichever direction inspired them. Along with space-themed role-play, building with construction materials, and messy play, the children were busy throughout the week.

🌟 Friday Space Day!

Friday was an absolute highlight of the term as we celebrated Space Day! Wearing their handmade space helmets, the children participated in space-themed maths, rocket launch role-play, and cosmic storytimes.

🚀 A Huge Thank You to Parents!

We want to say a massive thank you for sourcing and sending in all the fantastic cardboard boxes for our space helmet making! Your support in gathering resources makes such a huge difference to our creative projects.

An extra huge thank you for your incredible efforts with non-school uniform day- everyone did such a wonderful job dressing the children up as astronauts and all things space-themed! The children looked out of this world, and their faces lit up seeing each other’s amazing outfits.

Design & Technology: Space Helmets!

On Friday afternoon, our creativity reached new heights! Using recycled materials, craft supplies, and lots of imagination, the children designed and built their very own astronaut space helmets to wear during our Space Day activities.

How You Can Help at Home

To support your child's learning over the weekend, you might like to:

1. Phonics Practice: See if your child can spot objects at home starting with this week's sounds (f, e, l, h, r).

2. Days of the Week: Sing a "Days of the Week" song together to reinforce sequence and time.

3. 5 Senses: Ask your child to describe what they can hear, touch, or smell during mealtimes or outdoor walks!

Thank you all for your ongoing support. Hope you have had a wonderful weekend!

Warm regards,

Miss Godden and The Reception Team