WELCOME TO RECEPTION OAK CLASS
On this page, you can read about the staff working with your children, what our day looks like in Oak class and find useful information for supporting your child at home. This term, we will be undertaking a series of baseline activities to gain an understanding of your child's starting points. These pages will be updated regularly. You will also find photographs of your children in class!
We have nearly reached the end of our learning journey! We have had a wonderful year, growing and developing. In our last term together, we will be recapping all the amazing things we've learnt to do, whilst reminiscing on special times we've shared together as a class. This term, we have lots of exciting things to look forward to, including our first sports day at Senacre Wood, transition days into Year 1, our trip to Reculver Bay and we are also working towards a water day with ice cream!
Term 1
In Term 1, we explore a range of stories about animals and bears, such as 'Giraffes Can't Dance', 'Oi Frog!' and 'Peace at Last'. These texts have been chosen due to children's familiarity of the characters.
Term 2
We started Term 2 by linking our whole class texts to Halloween, by exploring core texts such as 'Owl Babies' and 'Funnybones'. These texts have been selected to encourage conversations about the children's experiences.
As the term progresses, the texts will follow the genre of food and celebrations. As we move into December, we will be reading classic stories from the 'Christmas Collection', to once again promote conversations about how we celebrate Christmas as a community, and in our families.
Term 3
The whole class texts this term will be guided by our traditional tales enquiry, whereby we will be reading lots of classic books, and books linking to our key characters. These carefully selected stories will ensure that the children get to imagine and create alternative endings, and make connections between plots and characters.
Term 4
Oak class with be sharing a range of stories and poems linked to seasonal change, plant growth and life cycles.
We are hoping that the weather will brighten (and get warmer) so we can share our diverse range of texts in our new outdoor reading area.
Term 5
Spring is here and our learning about the natural world continues with exploring minibeasts. This terms class texts will link closely to our enquiry, and we will be reading all about insects and creepy crawlies! The children will be following the story of 'What the Ladybird Heard', as well as sharing non- fiction texts, and listening to Michael Rosen's collection of poems, 'Minibeasties'.
Term 6
Our final term in Oak class and the stories keep on flowing! Our main line of enquiry this term is learning about life under the sea; this will guide the texts we read in class.
The stories we share will be a combination of fiction and non-fiction, and they will develop our understanding of sea creatures, and their habitat.
We also have a new routine in snack time too - whoever is showing the 'smartest sitting' gets to choose the story to be read!
Term 1
Alongside our English baseline activities, we will be exploring a range of core texts, such as the Elmer series by David McKee, 'The Tiger Who Came to Tea' and 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'.
Whilst exploring these texts, we will be building up the pupils familiarity of stories, so they can retell plots in some detail, and make relevant predictions.
Term 2
Our core texts this term will focus on celebrations and food. We started the term by reading Helen Cooper's 'Pumpkin Soup' and 'A Pipkin of Pepper'. With these stories, we explored all things pumpkins - such as the different colours, shapes and sizes!
We will also be linking our English to our Religious Enquiry, by learning about the festival of lights, Diwali. The story of Rama and Sita will help us to understand this important celebration.
The celebration of birthdays will be a focus for Oak class, alongside the story 'If a T-Rex Crashes Your Birthday Party'.
To finish off the Term, we will be sharing a wide range of Christmas stories, with a focus on 'The Christmas Story' and Julia Donaldson's 'Stick Man'.
Term 3
This term, Oak class dive in to some classic traditional tales, including 'The Three Little Pigs' and 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'.
In conversations about these stories, we will be thinking of alternative endings and character perspectives.
Alongside role play and stories, the storylines will provide us with writing prompts, where we can practise writing labels, lists and short sentences. As a class, we will gradually be learning how to write phrases, as well as learning the structure of a simple sentence.
With Spring around the corner, our focus in English will be recording seasonal change, such as flowering seeds and the growth of our very own bean seeds.
We will be exploring a range of non- fictions texts linked to Spring and plant growth, as well as the traditional tales 'Jack and the Beanstalk' and 'The Enormous Turnip'.
As the term draws to an end, we will be thinking about Easter - and the Easter bunny may come and visit Oak class, but with a phonics and reading inspired egg hunt!
Term 5
We begin this term by sharing well- known stories by Eric Carle, including the classic, 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', and 'The Bad- Tempered Ladybird'. These texts will be the basis of our writing, as we practise writing CVC sentences.
As the term comes to a close, we will be looking at the life cycles of butterflies and frogs, whilst using non- fiction texts to guide and enhance our knowledge.
Term 6
With our 'Under the Sea' enquiry, our core texts will be based on sea creatures, and underwater settings. We start off the term with a Julia Donaldson classic, 'The Snail and the Whale' then move onto 'Tiddler', a tale about a story-telling fish. We use this text to showcase our plot predictions, which we've gained in confidence when sharing. We will also be using information books to enhance our knowledge of life under the sea.
As the school year comes to an end, we will be busy finalising and practising our sentence writing, in order to aid our transition into Year 1.
Term 1
In Term 1, we will be undertaking a range of baseline activities, such as numeral recognition, 1:1 correspondence with counting and creating patterns. These activities are designed to best support your child in their maths learning. All activities will be engaging, hands- on and practical.
Term 2
This term, we will be continuing to build on our number knowledge, by exploring practical word problems, and thinking about the composition of numbers to 5. With our celebration enquiry, we will also be thinking about our own ages, whilst learning how to state one more and one less of numbers.
Term 3
As we approach the half way mark of the academic year, our focus in maths will be enhancing our knowledge of numbers and amounts. Our process of learning the number bonds begins, and we will have the opportunity to showcase our strong understanding of the composition of numbers. Some key characters will star in our maths lessons, such as the gingerbread man and Goldilocks!
Term 4
This term in our number work, we will be continuing to think about our number bonds to 5 and 10. The knowledge we retain about how to make 5 and 10, will be applied to different number problems. In line with our enquiry of 'Spring Growth', we will be bringing a garden centre to Oak class! We will be taking on roles such as customer and shopkeeper, which will enhance our everyday language related to money.
Term 5
As our understanding of number bonds grow, we will be continuing to think about patterns within numbers. Our ladybirds and butterflies will be helping us to learn about doubling amounts, which will then lead onto the pattern between halving and doubling. The concept of odd and even numbers will also be introduced to us, which will be explored practically through sharing.
Term 6
To finalise our mathematical knowledge this year, our primary focus will be recalling the number facts we have been working towards this year, such as subtraction and addition, number bonds to 5, 10, one more and one less. We will also recap the pattern on doubling and sharing numbers; within this, we will be thinking about odd and even numbers.
