Reception
Spring Term
Friday 9th May 2025
Dear Parents and Carers,
What a fabulous week we have had! The children have continued to amaze us with their growing independence and perseverance across many areas. We have particularly been impressed with the kindness the children have been showing to one another this week. They have been reaching out to each other, offering support and showing genuine care for their peers. We have had many discussions about how kindness can influence one another. We have all developed an understanding that being kind to each other definitely makes our classroom a happier place!
Outside Day
This week during our PE session, the children have been working on their speed, agility and travel skills. They have had lots of fun exploring different ways to move, including travelling forwards, backwards and sideways at speed. We have also been working on changing direction quickly and safely, helping to build their coordination and confidence in movement. It has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and energy during each session.
For our second activity, the children took part in a colour matching activity. Each child was given a specific colour and challenged to find something in the natural environment that matched it. They explored their surroundings with curiosity and excitement, comparing leaves, flowers, stones, and other natural items to their colour swatches. This activity encouraged observation, attention to detail and a deeper appreciation for the variety of colours found in nature.
Maths
This week during our maths lessons, we have been exploring subtraction. To help the children with understanding this concept, we have been using a range of manipulatives. A key focus has been on using bar models to support our thinking. The children have been learning how to use bar models to represent subtraction problems and find the missing part in a subtraction scenario. This approach helps them to visualise the relationship between the whole and its parts, deepening their understanding of how subtraction works. We have been impressed with how well the children have been engaging with these strategies.
How you can support at home:
- Use everyday objects like buttons, pasta or toys to practise subtraction practically (e.g. You have 5 grapes, you ate 2, how many are left?)
- Talk through subtraction stories using real life situations (e.g. We had 6 apples, we gave 2 to grandma. How many are left?)
- Draw simple bar models together to show a total and parts being taken away.
These every day moments make a big difference in helping children see how maths is part of the world around them!
Phonics
This week in our phonics lessons, we have been revisiting some of the sounds we’ve learned so far. The children have enjoyed recapping the following sounds:
- oi as in coin
- ear as in hear
- air as in chair
- ure as in manure
We’ve been practising reading and writing words containing these sounds through fun activities, games and group work. You can support your child at home by spotting these sounds in books you read together or playing simple word games.
We have also learnt the phase 4 tricky words: what, little, out and like. These are words that cannot be sounded out and they must be recognised by sight. The phonics play online resource is available for your child to use to consolidate their learning at home.
Username: Forest01 Password: Newlaithes01
We love being active at Newlaithes, therefore if you would prefer a more active approach to your child learning their tricky words, please find some ideas below!
- Spelling Hopscotch: create a hopscotch grid with letters instead of numbers. Call out a tricky word and encourage your child to hop on the correct letters to spell it out.
- Spelling scramble: Write the letters of tricky words on separate pieces of paper and scatter them around the room. Players have to race to find the letters and assemble them in the correct order to spell a word.
- Word toss: write tricky words on pieces of paper and scatter them around the room. Call out a word and players have to toss a beanbag (or soft toy) onto the correct word.
Skelton Grange Visit Next Week
Just a reminder that our Reception classes will be visiting Skelton Grange next week!
- Oak 1 will go on Wednesday
- Oak 2 will go on Thursday
Please ensure your child brings a water bottle and a packed lunch unless you have requested a school lunch.
A big thank you to those who have kindly volunteered to help on the day. When you drop your child off at school, please use the path around school and make your way to the main office, where we will ask you to read and sign our risk assessments before the visi begins.
Thank you again for your support!
Baby Pictures
As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, we are asking for baby photos of the children to support our learning about changes and the past. So far, we’ve only received a few and we’d love for every child to be included in the activity.
If you haven’t already done so, please send in a physical baby photo of your child by the end of this week. Unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity to print out digital photos for everyone, so we kindly ask that you send in a printed copy.
These photos will be used to help spark conversations about how we grow and change over time.
Thanks in advance.
Kind regards,
The Reception Team
Elizabeth, Ella, Justine, Natalie, Sophie and Halima