Religious Education

Religious Education: This week, our Reception children have continued their fascinating journey through the story of Diwali, deepening their understanding of why it is celebrated as the “Festival of Light.” Through storytelling, discussion, and engaging activities, we’ve been exploring the rich traditions and values that make Diwali such a special celebration for millions around the world.

Home learning task: This week, we’re encouraging children to reflect on the meaningful moments in their day by creating a “Special Moments Jar” at home. Each evening, they can write or draw one special moment—something that made them feel happy, proud, or kind—and add it to their jar. At the end of the week, take a few minutes to open the jar together, read through their reflections, and celebrate the little moments that made the week special! This activity helps children appreciate the small joys in their day and encourages them to be mindful and grateful.

Phonics

In the world of phonics: We will continue to work following the Little Wandle scheme. We encourage parents to interact with the Little Wandle webpage to further and deepen their understanding of the process of learning phonics. This week, the children have been learning about the following sounds:

v, w, x and y.

The tricky words we have focused on are: and, the, put, pull, full, her, has. 

Home Learning Task:

Remind children of the meaning of ‘digraph’ encourage them to share digraphs they have learnt. 

Literacy: Communication and Language

In Literacy, we have focused heavily upon our Wednesday police visit! The children used this first hand experience to engage in various independent writing tasks; using their phonetic knowledge to blend words like ‘van’ and ‘hat’ these first hand experiences are fantastic for engaging children with initial writing; as the experience encourages children to reflect on what their senses have been exposed too. 

Home learning task: Encourage your child to write CVC words found within their reading books. 

Maths 

In Maths, Continuing with last week’s focus, we’ll be providing opportunities for the children to practice subitising through games and hands-on activities, such as using dot cards, dice, and everyday objects. As they grow more comfortable with recognizing numbers quickly, they’ll be better equipped to tackle more complex mathematical concepts in the future, like addition and pattern recognition, in a way that feels natural and enjoyable. 

Home learning task: We encourage you to look for chances to practice at home, too—pointing out groups of objects like buttons, pebbles, or toys and asking “How many?” can be a fun way to build this skill together!