Reception – Mrs Turner

Welcome to Reception’s class page

This page will provide you with useful information about our current topic, hints for helping your child at home and important dates that are coming up.

Our current topic is…

 Me and My Community

We are excited to begin our first topic, “Me and My Community”, where children will spend time exploring what makes them special and learning more about themselves and the world around them.

The children will think about how they have grown and changed from being a baby, sharing memories and experiences as they discover how unique they are. They will learn about their bodies, explore their senses and talk about how we use them to understand the world around us.

We will also explore where we live by looking at maps and finding our local area. The children will enjoy a walk into Lichfield to observe and talk about the places, buildings and features that make our local community special.

Throughout this topic, children will develop their confidence in talking about themselves, sharing their feelings, discussing their likes and dislikes, and celebrating what makes every person unique.

To view our curriculum overview for this next topic or to see some important dates that are coming up, check out our useful links section on this page.

How you can help your child at home

• Reading: Reading at home is one of the most powerful ways you can support your child’s learning. Sharing stories together not only builds a love of reading but also helps develop their understanding and language skills. At this stage, it’s really important to talk about the story as you go—ask your child questions about what has happened, why characters made certain choices, and what they think might happen next. These conversations help deepen their understanding and make reading an enjoyable, interactive experience for both of you. 📚
•  Phonics:

  There are lots of simple ways you can support your child’s phonics learning at home and help them build confidence with sounds and words.

  Encourage your child to spot sounds in the environment by listening carefully to the world around them, such as identifying sounds they hear at home or outside. Practising the sounds they have been learning each day will help them become familiar and confident with recognising them.

  You can also play sound games by asking your child to listen for the initial sound in words, for example, “What sound does sun start with?” or “Can you find something that starts with a m sound?”

  Another important skill is oral blending – putting sounds together to hear a word. Try using “robot talk” to say words slowly, such as “c-a-t”, and encourage your child to blend the sounds together to say the whole word.

  Most importantly, keep phonics fun and part of everyday life through songs, stories, conversations and playful activities. A few minutes of practice each day can make a big difference in helping your child become a confident reader.:

• Maths:

  There are lots of fun and simple ways you can support your child’s early maths learning at home and help them build confidence with numbers and problem solving.

  Encourage your child to match, sort and compare objects during everyday activities, such as pairing socks, sorting toys by colour or size, and talking about what is the same or different. Use mathematical language like more, less, bigger, smaller, heavier and lighter to help develop their understanding.

  You can explore measure and patterns through everyday play by comparing sizes, filling and emptying containers, talking about weight and looking for repeating patterns around the home or outside. Encourage your child to create their own patterns using toys, natural objects or household items.

  As children begin to learn about 1, 2 and 3, practise counting objects together and help them recognise small quantities in everyday situations, such as counting pieces of fruit, steps or toys. Talk about numbers regularly and encourage your child to explain their thinking.

  Most importantly, make maths part of everyday life through play, conversations and exploration. Asking questions, encouraging curiosity and celebrating their ideas will help your child develop a positive attitude towards maths.