SQUIRRELS

Autumn Term 2025

Phonics

We have already started teaching some letter sounds (phonemes) and have been learning the rhymes which help us to form the letters.  You will find the sounds we have taught in your child’s sound folder and these are updated at the end of each week so that you know the sounds that have been taught.  To help reinforce the learning of the letter sounds, please discuss the new sounds with your child and think of some words which begin with that sound, find them in books you read together or when you are out and about on signs and in shops.  We will be encouraging the children to stretch words they want to write so that they can hear all the sounds in the words.

Reading

Your child will bring home a reading book on a Friday, which they will need to read each day at home and then return to school the following Thursday.  Please record the reading sessions at home in your child’s reading record book.  This should be at least 4 times a week to ensure that your child has lots of practice in order to make good progress in reading.  Your comments in the reading record books helps us to pick up on anything your child might be struggling with at home.  We will be using the sounds we have taught to read simple words and sentences.  We will play lots of games to help blend sounds together to read the words.  The children will be using ‘robot arms’ to sound out words, and ‘blending hands’ to push the sounds together to read the words.

Maths

In maths, we will be focusing on numbers to 10 ensuring that the children are able to recognise, count and order to 10.  We will spend time on each number looking at ways that we can make that number, what it looks like and understanding the make up of each number.  For example, number 5 can be made up with a 4 and a 1 or a 2 and a 3, it is 1 more than 4 and 1 less than 6.

Water bottles

Please ensure that your child has a named water bottle to keep in the classroom.

We ask for only water in the water bottles, as any spilt juice or squash attracts ants, and we have some fruit allergies to consider.

Please feel free to ask for a ‘Wow Moment’ to record your child’s achievements from home. These will be shared with the class and put into their learning journal.  You can also share ‘Wow Moments’ by uploading to Tapestry.

We hope all the children enjoy their first term in Reception.

We thank you for your continued support with your child’s learning and development.

If you have anything else you would like to discuss with us, or if you have any questions, please come and speak to us at the end of the school day.

Please ensure all your child’s belongings are clearly named.  

Mrs Turner