English & Maths

English

The English curriculum lies at the heart of everything we do in Reception.

Each day usually starts with a story introducing the day or week's topic. Children's language skills are promoted through partner talk, nursery rhymes, songs and poems. 

The Reception class is a buzz of purposeful chatter.

The teaching of reading begins through promotion of a love of reading and learning new 'wow' words. Phonics is taught daily and displays reinforce and celebrate learning. See below for link to our school phonics scheme.

The classroom has a cosy book corner with topic books, non-fiction books, favourite story books and phonic readers to choose from. Included in the book area are puppets and a range of soft toys to retell and create,  bringing stories to life.

Mark-making activities are explored through a range of kinesthetic learning.

Children have access to drawing and writing materials.

Reading and writing are encouraged through creating labels for models and in role-play scenarios such as lists, recipes and instructions.

In the outdoor area chalkboards, whiteboards as well as clipboards of paper are used to give purpose to children's writing, for example, builders make lists of materials needed, scientists design rockets and children display rules for games they have created.

At the end of every day is story-time.

Reading, writing and language are interweaved through everything we do.

Mathematics

We use the mastery approach in teaching of mathematics. Please see link below for further information.

The classroom has a designated maths display with a number line, maths books, counting manipulatives and key mathematical vocabulary.

Children develop mathematical concepts through a hands-on and contextual way.

Maths is a part of daily routines, such as counting pencils into pots, counting out correct number of cups at milk time and using appropriate mathematical vocabulary, for example, there are two children absent in green group today so I need to take away two cups.

We use a puppet called 'Muddles the Monkey' who "gets everything muddled up". The children enjoy supporting Muddles by identifying numbers, shapes, patterns and explaining their reasoning and problem solving to him.

Children are encouraged to identify and recognise patterns and make connections.

The maths objectives of the day are purposefully planned into the continuous provision where children can practise and consolidate their mathematical learning. For example, with the composition of 5 children can draw numerals in chalk balloons, count out five pinecones in the garden and using pennies in the role-play shop make 5 in different ways. 

Children enjoy developing their maths skills through counting, matching, sorting, weighing, measuring, adding, subtracting, identifying numerals and shapes, recognising and creating patterns, estimating and explaining their thinking. 

Again, in the Reception classroom using the appropriate mathematical language to show understanding is interweaved in everything we do.