Our topic for Spring 1 will be 'People who help us'!

Literacy 

In our upcoming "People Who Help Us" topic, literacy is woven into every activity to make learning both meaningful and exciting. To anchor our learning, we will be diving into two inspiring core texts: "A Superhero Like You" by Dr Ranj and "Real Superheroes" by Julia Seal. These stories are wonderful for helping children expand their vocabulary as they discover that "superpowers" like kindness, bravery, and care are used every day by doctors, teachers, and refuse collectors.

To bring these lessons to life, we use purposeful role-play where children practice writing in real-world contexts—such as scribbling "prescriptions" in a play hospital or writing thank-you letters to local heroes. A highlight of this topic will be our guest speaker sessions, where we welcome parents into the classroom to share insights about their own jobs. These visits provide a fantastic literacy opportunity as the children will prepare by writing interview questions to ask our parent volunteers. By connecting reading and writing to real people and their daily lives, we help the children see literacy as a powerful tool for communication and discovery.

Phonics

Phonics is a fundamental skill for learning to read and write and this year, we will be introduce your child to the world of reading and writing through our fun and engaging phonics program, "Floppy's Phonics." This systematic approach will help your child learn the sounds that letters make, which is the essential first step in decoding words. Phonics is all about teaching children the sounds that letters make, rather than just their names. We started in September with the most common sounds, known as 'phonemes', and showed them how to blend these sounds together to read words (e.g., c-a-t makes "cat"). We have then taught them to 'segment' words, breaking them down into their individual sounds to help with spelling. This is a crucial first step in building a strong foundation for literacy. We will now be moving from words to sentences which is a big milestone! We use the Floppy's Phonics scheme to make this transition smooth and successful for the children.

Here is how we progress:

1. Building the Bridge

We start with captions (e.g., "a big red dog") to bridge the gap between single words and full sentences. This helps children practice reading multiple words in a row without the pressure of a long story.

2. Learning "Helpful Words"

Sentences need words like the, said, and was. Floppy’s Phonics calls these "Helpful Words." Since these can't always be sounded out, we practice them until children recognise them on sight, ensuring they don't lose the "flow" of a sentence.

3. Reading and Tracking

We use Decodable Books where every word matches the sounds the children have already learned.

• Finger Tracking: Children point to each word to stay focused.

• Re-reading: We read a sentence once to "crack the code," and a second time to read it "like a storyteller."

4. Writing Sentences

To help children write their own sentences, we use a simple three-step routine:

   1. Say it: We repeat the sentence aloud until they can remember it.

   2. Count it: We count the words on our fingers.

   3. Write it: They use their phonics to spell the words and their memory for the "Helpful Words."

During this half term for phonics we will be learning the first sounds from the Floppy Phonics scheme. These will be j, v, w, x, y, z, zz, qu, ch. 

Mathematics

This half term, we are continuing our journey with the White Rose Maths scheme, focusing on three exciting blocks of learning: ‘Alive in 5’, ‘Mass and Capacity’, and ‘Growing 6, 7, 8’. Rather than just learning to count, the children will be diving deep into what these numbers actually mean. We will be exploring the composition of 5 (knowing that 5 can be made of 3 and 2), and then moving on to recognise and build numbers up to 8. Alongside this, we’ll become "maths investigators" by exploring measurement—comparing how heavy objects are and experimenting with how much liquid different containers can hold. Our goal is to build confident mathematicians who love to explore, talk about, and play with numbers every day!

What the Children Will Be Learning

To give you a better idea of what happens in the classroom, here is how the blocks break down:

How You Can Help at Home

• Subitise in the Wild: When you see a small group of birds or pieces of fruit (up to 5), ask your child, "How many can you see without counting?"

• Kitchen Science: During bath time or when baking, talk about containers being "full" or "empty." Ask, "Which one do you think holds the most water?"

• Spot the Number: Look for the numerals 6, 7, and 8 on front doors or bus stops and ask what comes "one more" or "one less."

• Numbots practice every day: aiming for at least 5 games a week. 

Communication and Language

To build on our 'People Who Help Us' topic, we are thrilled to invite parent visitors into our classroom to share insights into their daily jobs! This is a powerful way to enhance the children's listening and attention skills as they hear first-hand accounts of different roles in our community. Meeting a "real-life" helper turns abstract concepts into concrete experiences, providing a rich context for children to practice asking inquisitive questions and using new, specialised vocabulary. These visits don't just teach us about careers; they create meaningful "conversation starters" that encourage children to describe what they’ve seen and heard, further boosting their confidence in expressive language.

Physical Development

In PE we will be using the Get Set 4 PE scheme to deliver the curriculum, which is designed to develop the "whole child" by focusing not just on physical skills, but also on social, emotional, and thinking skills.

Our focus for this half term will be on Gymnastics and Dance.

Gymnastics 2: Exploring and Scaling

In this block, the children move from floor-based movements to exploring how their bodies interact with different levels and equipment.

• Key Focus: Using low apparatus (such as benches, mats, and blocks) to develop confidence at height.

• Physical Skills: We will be practicing different ways of travelling (scuttling, crawling, and walking), performing stable balances, and learning safe landing techniques from small heights.

• Creativity: Children will begin to link two or three actions together—for example, a "tuck" shape, a crawl across a bench, and a controlled jump off—to create their first mini-gymnastics sequences.

Dance 2: Telling Stories through Movement

Our Dance units are theme-based to capture the children's imaginations. This term, the focus is on "Places" and the world around us.

• Key Focus: Using the body to express feelings, moods, and characters.

• Rhythm & Timing: We introduce the concept of counting to music (usually in 4s or 8s) to help children stay in time and move in unison with their peers.

• Expressive Qualities: Children will explore "dynamics"—learning the difference between moving heavily like a giant or lightly like a falling leaf.

• Social Skills: A big part of Dance 2 is cooperation. Children will work with partners to mirror each other’s movements and share their "performances" with the rest of the class.

Personal Social and Emotional Development

This half term, our PSHE lessons will focus on the "Dreams and Goals" unit from the Jigsaw scheme, which centers on developing a growth mindset and personal resilience. Through interactive activities and mindfulness, the children will explore how to set realistic goals, stay motivated when facing "stumbling blocks," and work collaboratively to achieve success. We will be teaching them that while disappointment is a natural part of any journey, a positive attitude and persistent effort are the keys to overcoming challenges. By the end of the unit, students will not only have celebrated their own personal achievements but also learned how to authentically support and celebrate the successes of their peers.

Understanding the World

In our "People Who Help Us" topic, we will explore the Understanding the World Early Learning Goal by investigating the vital roles within our local community and comparing them to our favourite superheroes. We will begin by learning about the diverse range of "real-life superheroes" such as doctors, firefighters and police officers, helping children understand how these individuals support our daily lives and the bravery it takes to help others. This approach helps children make connections between their own community and the stories they love, encouraging them to ask questions about what makes someone a "hero."

Expressive Arts and Design

This term, our "People Who Help Us" topic provides a wonderful foundation for children to explore their creativity. We will be focusing on the Expressive Arts and Design Early Learning Goal, specifically "Creating with Materials" and "Being Imaginative and Expressive." By blending real-life community roles with the world of superheroes, we encourage the children to express their ideas through several exciting projects:

• Clay Animals: Sculpting 3D animals to learn about the vital work of vets and animal rescuers.

• Hero Gadgets: Using recycled materials to build emergency vehicles and superhero tools.

• Masks & Badges: Designing custom uniforms to explore the identity of a hero.

• Action Role-Play: Bringing "save the day" stories to life in our classroom hospital, fire station, and superhero HQ.

Our topic for Autumn 1 will be 'Marvellous Me'!

Some of the texts that we will be reading and exploring are: 

Literacy 

In our "Marvellous Me" topic, we will use a variety of key texts to help achieve the early learning goals for literacy. These books will be the foundation for developing comprehension, vocabulary, and spoken language. By reading stories about individual identity, families, and feelings, we will encourage children to talk about the characters and make connections to their own lives. This process helps them to retell stories in their own words and use and understand new vocabulary, such as words to describe emotions or body parts. Furthermore, these texts provide a rich context for developing early writing skills. We'll use the books as a springboard for activities like drawing self-portraits and labelling body parts, or writing about their families, which links directly to the goal of writing recognisable letters and representing sounds with letters.

In the first term of Reception, our primary literacy goal is to build a strong foundation in phonological awareness and early decoding skills. We'll focus on helping children recognise and differentiate between the sounds in spoken words. This is the first step in linking sounds to letters. We'll start with Phase 1 of our phonics program, which involves lots of games and activities centered around listening skills, like identifying environmental sounds and rhyming words.

Phonics

Phonics is a fundamental skill for learning to read and write and this year, we will be introduce your child to the world of reading and writing through our fun and engaging phonics program, "Floppy's Phonics." This systematic approach will help your child learn the sounds that letters make, which is the essential first step in decoding words. Phonics is all about teaching children the sounds that letters make, rather than just their names. We'll start with the most common sounds, known as 'phonemes', and show them how to blend these sounds together to read words (e.g., c-a-t makes "cat"). We will also teach them to 'segment' words, breaking them down into their individual sounds to help with spelling. This is a crucial first step in building a strong foundation for literacy, and we are thrilled to be guiding your child on this important part of their learning adventure. Through songs, games, and interactive activities, Floppy's Phonics makes learning a multisensory experience that your child will love, building a strong foundation for their literacy journey. During this half term for phonics we will be learning the first sounds from the Floppy Phonics scheme. These will be s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d, g, o, c, k. 

As well as phonics the children will be learning 'tricky words' which cannot be spelt using the Reception phonics, so they will be learnt as 'sight words'. They will learn 1 tricky word a week and during the first half term these will be I, no, to, the, into and go.

Mathematics

The White Rose Maths scheme is designed to help children build a deep understanding of mathematical concepts by introducing new ideas in small, manageable steps. It follows a "mastery" approach, ensuring children are confident with a concept before moving on. In the first half term of Reception, the curriculum focuses on fundamental early number skills and shapes. Children will start with a block called "Just Like Me!", which focuses on matching, sorting, and comparing objects to develop early reasoning and classification skills. The next block, "It's Me! 1, 2, 3", will introduce the numbers 1, 2, and 3, and help children understand their value by representing them with concrete objects and linking them to their corresponding numeral. Finally, the "Light and Dark" block will extend their understanding to numbers up to 5, introducing the concepts of "one more" and "one less," as well as exploring shapes and time. This approach ensures a strong foundation is laid through hands-on, practical, and playful activities.

Communication and Language

In our "Marvellous Me" topic, we will use a variety of activities to develop your child's communication and language skills. The focus will be on building their confidence to express themselves, listen to others, and use a rich vocabulary. A key activity will be sharing their Marvellous Me boxes, which will contain items that are special to them and their family. This will provide a fantastic opportunity for children to speak in front of a small group, describing their objects and answering questions from their peers and teachers. We will also encourage conversations about family members, traditions, and feelings, helping them to use a wider range of vocabulary and express their thoughts more clearly. This focus on turn-taking in conversations, active listening, and storytelling will lay a strong foundation for all areas of their learning.

Physical Development

In PE we will be using the Get Set 4 PE scheme to deliver our PE curriculum. The "Introduction to PE" unit in the Get Set 4 PE scheme is specifically designed to meet the Early Learning Goal for Physical Development. The unit focuses on a range of fundamental movements that children need to master, helping them to develop gross motor skills and coordination. It provides structured, fun activities that help children improve their balance, agility, and spatial awareness, which are the building blocks for more complex physical skills. Through a series of engaging lessons, the scheme ensures that children are not only physically active but also learn to control their bodies in a range of ways, preparing them for confident and safe movement both in the PE hall and in the wider environment. This systematic approach ensures that all children, regardless of their starting point, can progressively build the core strength and skills required for a healthy, active life.

Personal Social and Emotional Development

Through the "Marvellous Me" topic, we will foster a strong foundation in Personal, Social, and Emotional Development. The curriculum is designed to help children develop a positive sense of self, build respectful relationships, and manage their feelings. A key part of this is encouraging children to talk about what makes them unique and special, which helps build their self-esteem and confidence. We will also focus on lessons about understanding and respecting differences within our class and community, learning about various family structures and traditions. By engaging in collaborative activities and discussions about their feelings, children will learn to express their emotions constructively, resolve conflicts peacefully, and develop the empathy and social skills needed to thrive in a group setting.

Understanding the World

In our "Marvellous Me" topic, we will explore the Understanding the World Early Learning Goal through several engaging and personal avenues. We will begin by learning about our own personal and family histories, creating simple family trees to help children understand the concept of time and their place within a family. This approach helps children make connections between their personal lives and broader concepts of community and history, and encourages them to ask questions and develop their curiosity about the world around them.

This will be followed by looking at the human body and our five senses. We'll use hands-on activities to explore how our bodies work and how we use our senses to experience the world.

Expressive Arts and Design

Our "Marvellous Me" topic provides a rich context for teaching the Expressive Arts and Design Early Learning Goal, which focuses on both "Creating with Materials" and "Being Imaginative and Expressive." Children will be encouraged to explore their identity and feelings through a variety of creative mediums. For instance, they might create self-portraits using paint, collage materials, or even natural objects, experimenting with different textures and colours. We'll also provide opportunities for role-play and storytelling, where children can act out family routines or invent narratives about what makes them special. Through these activities, your child will not only learn to safely use and explore a range of materials but also develop their ability to communicate their ideas, thoughts, and feelings in original and imaginative ways.