Reception - Snowdrop Class - St Mark's C of E Primary School

Welcome back Snowdrop Class!

We are now in our third and final term of the year!

At St Marks, we provide both a rich and bespoke EYFS curriculum, which encourages our young learners to fulfil their full potential amongst their schooling.

When considering the curriculum in the EYFS, it is important to think about their knowledge, their different starting points and experiences the children may already have. During this term we will continue to explore and learn all about ourselves, families, our local community and the world we live in whilst continuing to develop strong relationships with our key adults at school.

This term we will be continuing to observe, interact and build strong relationships with the children and their families.

The children have been amazing settling in and have returned happily to class with confidence and a positive love for their learning. The team are looking forward to working with the children this term and helping them flourish and develop their independence as we begin their transition to Year 1.

This term will be the creepiest term of all!

To begin the summer term, we have chosen the topic of ‘Nature Detectives’, focusing on ‘minibeasts’ and ‘life cycles’.

The children will be learning about and exploring a variety of different insects, natural habitats and the life cycles of caterpillars, frogs and flowers.

Children will have the opportunity to use their creative skills to create their own mini-beasts and habitats. They will also continue to develop their phonic knowledge and handwriting development through daily writing and phonic activities.

During this term, children will explore and build on their existing knowledge of mini-beasts and natural habitats. We will also be supporting our Maths learning through the use of insects and nature.

Communication and Language

To being to ask questions about familiar aspects of their environment and their learning.
To be able to order a range of life cycles.
To describe habitats.
To name and sort a range of living things.
To be able to talk about different habitats.
To engage in meaningful conversations with others.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

We will be learning:

To describe a range of different habitats around the world.
To talk about the world that we live in and how there are similarities and differences when looking at different aspects.

Physical Development

We will be learning to develop skills in:

To use a pencil effectively to form recognisable letters, most of which are formed correctly.
To show good control and co-ordination in large and small movements.
To know how to form letters correctly.
To know how to use scissors effectively.

Literacy

This term we will be focusing on the stories such as ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle. In addition to reading and exploring core texts we will also be covering;

To think of and write a short, simple sentence.
Listening to and hearing sounds in CVC and CVCC words.
Identifying sounds, including phonemes and other digraphs on a sound mat.
Checking written work and making any changes where necessary.
Listens to stories and is beginning to anticipate what may happen next.
Knowing the sounds that the taught phonemes make.
Knowing what the taught phonemes look like.
Knowing how to write the taught letters.
Recognising taught HFW in text.
To know that a sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop.
Knowing that sentences can be extended by using a connective.
Uses learnt words and phrases to discuss familiar stories or during role play.
Knows how to spell some familiar words.

Maths

We will be learning about:

To know that addition and subtraction problems can be solved by counting forwards or backwards on a number line.
To know that to double a number is to add the same amount.
To know that to halve a number you have to split it up into two equal parts.
To use rulers to measure length, scales to measure weight and jugs/containers to measure capacity.
To read the time to O’clock on a digital and analogue clock.
To know that the word ‘more’ indicates that the group is getting larger.
To know that the word ‘less’ indicates that a group is getting smaller.
To be able to count, order and recognise numbers to 20.
To count forwards and backwards to 20.
To know that length, weight and capacity can be measured using standard units.
To know that halving means splitting a quantity in two and doubling means having two quantities of the same amounts.
To know that sharing equally means everyone has the same amount of an object.
To know that the long hand represents the minutes and the short hand represents hours.

Understanding the World

In the area of ‘Understanding the World’, we will continue to guide children to make sense of their physical world and their community. Learning goals to be taught are:

Making treasure maps to direct friends to a ‘goal’.
Exploring maps of the world.
Talking about the life cycle of plants and animals and what they need to survive.
Exploring a range of habitats, looking at why the animal lives like that.
Understand key features of events.
I can explain why geographic changes occur.
I can ask questions about their familiar world (where they live or the natural world).
To select appropriate materials according to their properties.
To name and identify a range of different materials and to know how they are used in familiar environments.
To explain why geographic changes, occur.
To begin to understand that things change over time.
To begin to understand that things happened a really long time ago.
To know that dinosaurs no longer exist.
To know what they ate and where they lived.
To know how to use a keyboard and a mouse effectively.

Expressive Art and Design

The children will continue to explore and use a variety of media for pleasure and purposely:

To use what they have learnt about media and materials in an original way and be able to explain their choices.
Selects appropriate resources and adapts work where necessary
To move along to the beat of a familiar song.
To know the different uses and purposes of a range of media and materials.
For children to be able to safely construct with a purpose and evaluate their designs.
To learn a range of songs from around the world.
Express feelings in music by responding to different moods in a musical score.
Choose different instruments including the voice to create sound effects in play.
Experiment performing songs and music together with body movements to a steady beat.
To know many songs and be able to sing them off by heart using actions.
To understand sounds can be changed and to experiment changing them.

Religious Studies

In Religious Studies, this term children will continue to learn about the many different faiths around the world. This term, children will be focusing on;

Why do Christians believe Jesus is special?
The religion of Islam
What does it mean to be a Muslim?
The 5 Pillars of Islam

We will continue to send home the ‘Family Box’ on a weekly basis, for a child to take home. Here they can put photos and special objects in to share and talk to their class about themselves, the people important to them, their culture and community and then this will be put up on display within the classroom.

During this term, we will be inviting you to come in and support the children with their learning, and if you would like to do an activity with Snowdrop class, which relates to our topics, that would be amazing! We are very much looking forward to working with you this year.

If you have any questions or we can help in any way, please do not hesitate to ask one of us, and we will do our best to help!