Welcome to Foundation Stage 2!

The team is Mr Sharples, Miss Gyte,  Mrs Hussain& Mrs Haq.

Welcome to Foundation Stage 2. We are really happy that all of the children have settled in to Foundation Stage 2 really well and are eager to learn. Mr Sharples, Mrs Haq, Mrs Hussain and Miss Gyte are looking forward to getting to know you more over the next few weeks and are excited to be your teachers.

Autumn 2

It has been such a positive start to the year.

Most children have settled happily into FS2 and are beginning to make friends. The children have enjoyed their first half term and are becoming independent in their learning.

Learning Journey

Following on from our ‘Who are we?’ topic we will be exploring the question ‘How does the world celebrate?’ alongside the story of ‘The gingerbread man’ and the ‘Christmas Jolly Postman’. The children have many exciting opportunities this half term, including baking!

Maths

In the first half of this term we will be deepening our understanding of numbers to 5. We will learn the composition of numbers to 5 and look at 4 sided shapes. We will also begin to look at time using the book ‘Peace at Last’ by Jill Murphy.

In the second half of the term we will be introducing zero, comparing numbers to 5, comparing mass ad capacity.

Phonics and English

We will continue to revisit our Phase 1 oral blending and segmenting. We will be continuing to build on our phonic knowledge to read and write new words using Little Wandle.

Over the half term we will be exploring narrative writing with lots of different stories based on our topic. We will also be using lots of story language, such as ‘Once upon a time..’, ‘A long time ago…’ ‘Right in the middle of the dark, dark night…’ to create our own stories. We will also explore non-chronological reports, create poems and be involved in Nursery Rhyme Week.

Books to support Literacy at home.

Other activities in the classroom

Dough Disco - To promote fine motor skills we watch the 'Dough Disco' on Youtube. If you would like to do this at home with your child you will need a small ball of Playdough!

Squiggle While You Wiggle – Squiggle while you wiggle is an activity to engage children in developing the motions needed to prepare them for writing. They learn to write by doing circles, semi-circles, horizontal lines and the vertical lines they will use to write a letter whilst dancing along to our favourite music. This also helps focus on developing their gross and fine motor skills to imitate lines and circles in order to write each letter of the alphabet.

Helicopter Stories - Helicopter Stories involves scribing stories from children and supporting them to act out their narratives. While simple, this approach seeks to nurture and enthuse children of all backgrounds and abilities, using the power of story. This approach also enhances speaking and language skills, and an increased eagerness to write.

Show and Tell –Show and Tell is on a Tuesday. Your class teacher will send a little list of when it is your child’s turn. Show and tell sets the stage for children to become comfortable when speaking in public. In addition, show and tell can be a great tool to help English Language Learners, giving them a chance to practice academic vocabulary, pronunciation and other basic skills they need to succeed. Show and Tell will start in Week 2.

PE

For your information

• PE is on Monday’s (Class 1) and Wednesday’s (Class 2)
• Correct PE uniform must be worn to school that day: plain white top/plain black bottoms

• Please make sure that your child has a water bottle in school.
• Please make sure your child has a coat.
• Please make sure your child attends school as every day counts.     

Home Learning

• Reading 5 times a week and record it in the planner.
• Practise counting forwards and backwards to 20 starting at different numbers.
• Number bonds to 5 and 10
• IXL
• Phonics play online (free resources)
• Spelling Shed/ Spelling Frame
• Purple Mash
• Name writing
• Check dojo for more home learning activities.

Please speak to Miss Gyte if you need log in details.

Please speak to Miss Gyte if you have any questions.

Tooth Brushing Club

Every year there are 60,000 school days lost to tooth extractions and poor oral health. Tooth decay affects a staggering 25% of 5 year olds. It remains the leading cause hospitalisation in children aged 5-9.

We are taking part in an NHS funded tooth brushing club.

Every child will be given their own new toothbrush each term, which is stored under controlled conditions All children are supervised while brushing their teeth.

Children need parental permission to join the club. Speak to your child’s teacher for more information.

Year group expectations

I promise to always try my best

I promise to always have kind hands and feet

I promise to listen

I promise to share

I promise to say please, thank you and sorry when I need to

Autumn 1

Learning Journey

Our learning journey this half term will be to look at who we are, who we want to be and our heritage. During our topic, we will be discussing the question ‘Who are we?’ Through this question we will be developing many of the children’s personal social skills, including building confidence when talking in groups, talking to friends about own wants and needs and developing the children’s vocabulary to talk about their own homes and communities, likes and dislikes. We will also be exploring seasons and are starting with autumn and Harvest.

Maths

In maths, we will be matching and sorting objects and numbers and comparing amounts, sizes, mass, capacity and patterns. We will also begin looking at representing and understanding numbers up to 10. We will be focusing on circles, triangles, and positional language too.

Phonics and English

We will be using the Little Wandle scheme and be revisiting our Phase 1 oral blending and segmenting of the letters and sounds scheme. These skills are the foundation for all future reading and writing. 

Over this half term, both you and your children will be learning a lot of new skills and vocabulary through reading and through imaginative play. We will encourage children to act out their story ideas and together we will begin to write our own class stories using all of their wonderful imaginative language.

We will also be looking at books that are written by Julia Donaldson and will study vocabulary, rhyming words, characters as well as enjoy the story lines.

PE

PE is on Monday’s (Class 1) and Wednesday’s (Class 2). Correct PE uniform must be worn to school that day: plain white top/plain black bottoms. No jewellery allowed.

Home Learning

• Reading 5 times a week and record it in the planner.
• Practise counting forwards and backwards to 20 starting at different numbers.
• Number bonds to 5 and 10
• Phonics play online (free resources)
• Spelling Shed/ Spelling Frame
• Purple Mash
• Name writing
• Literacy Planet
• Check dojo for more home learning activities.

Log in details will be sent in Week 3.

Please speak to Miss Gyte if you have any questions.

Year group expectations

I promise to always try my best

I promise to always have kind hands and feet

I promise to listen

I promise to share

I promise to say please, thank you and sorry when I need to