Click here to see what Reception have been learning about this term:

Personal, social and emotional development: 

The children have explored the meaning of 'screen time' and how spending too much time on a screen can take you away from the present moment and even nature! 

The children were also put into situations that may present feelings such as frustration and stress. For example, they were asked to tidy up lots of toys in less than two minutes because the headteacher would be coming down for a visit. Another one was building towers in a group of three but only being given blocks that were rounded. 

Through modelling given by the teacher and strategies provided, the children could then look to use these to help them moderate and assess their on going progress. This helps to develop the children's self-regulational skills and promotes characteristics such as perseverance and motivation to keep going!

The children also had a go at learning the hand breathing technique which can be used to help calm feelings of stress. 

Communication and Language 

Through role play, circle times and everyday activities with an adult the children have the chance to develop their language skills. For example, this term we have been looking at castles and naming the different parts of one. We have also explored the difference between 'past' and 'present' and have looked to use this in our play and at show and tell times when asking questions. 

Physical Development

This term, we have been focusing on developing the children's gross motor skills (their larger muscles). The children have engaged with yoga and whole body balancing activities in the classroom. They have also been using the large wooden bricks outside to build obstacle courses with as well as castles. 

Literacy

The children have been engaging with their new topic story 'The Magic Paintbrush'. The story revolves around a little chinese girl called Shen who is gifted a painbrush by a stranger who asks her to use it to paint items only for the poor and not for the rich. Little does Shen know that any picture she paints using the paintrbush comes to life! A greedy emperor finds out about the paintbrush and asks Shen to paint him a tree of golden coins. Shen refuses and the emperor seeks out to find her and the magic paintbrush. The emperor is in for a nasty suprise when the girl paints a dragon which scares the mean emperor away, never to be seen again. 

The children in reception class were asked to put themselves into the role of Shen and decide what they think would be a good thing to paint for the poor. After, they had a go at writing their own simple sentences to show what it was they had decided to paint.  

Mathematics

Last term, the children explored circles and triangles and the characteristics of these shapes. This term, the children have built on their shape knowledge and looked at shapes that have four sides and four corners such as squares and rectangles. They have also looked at how triangles, squares and rectangles can be combined to make other shapes. 

The children enjoyed taking part in a shape hunt around the school to look for shapes with four sides and corners. 

Understanding of the World 

The children started off by looking at 'old' and 'new' everyday concepts such as cars, telephones etc. They had a go at sorting these concepts out into what they thought were 'old' and 'new'. 

With this prior knowledge of ’old’ and ’new’ the children were then introduced to the terms ‘past’ and ‘present’ by looking at building materials used to build a house now compared to what was used in medieval times to build a castle or a poor persons house. 

The life of the princesses St Edith known to the area of Kemsing was explored as well as visiting a castle site believed to have been visited by the princess herself many years ago. The children were amazed to find the original castle well and they all had a go at rubbing chalk on tracing paper over one of the bricks of the well. 

Lastly, the children looked at environmental differences between other countries and ours and the ways in which they live. Furthermore, becoming more aware of how castles around the world look different to those in England. 

Expressive Arts and Design

After the children had learned about castles and some of the distint features of a castle and their uses, they all had a go at making their own castle bricks. Here, they used clay and decided on what tools and strategies they were going to use to make, for example, the battlements or the rectangular shaped windows. 

The children also enjoyed playing in their castle and poor peoples house role play area. Here, they had the chance to consolidate in their play what they had previously learned about the differences between how rich and poor people lived in the past.