Spring

This Term in Reception: Weekly Overview

This term, we’ll focus on settling back into routines, building essential skills, and exploring a range of topics to support learning across the curriculum. Here’s a breakdown of what we’ll be doing each week:

Week 1: Settling In 🏫😊

• Revisiting rules and routines to create a calm and productive learning environment.
• Introducing Riley’s Rights 🤝, focusing on respect and responsibility.
• Starting Dene’s Dream Reads 📚 and exploring new classroom resources.
• Supporting emotional development by helping children recognise emotions 🥰 and make positive choices.
• Art activity: Exploring emotions through colour and texture 🎨.

Week 2: Emotions and Independence ❤️🧥

• Continuing with Riley’s Rights, focusing on being a kind friend 🤗.
• Practising independence skills, such as getting dressed for school.
• Introducing science concepts like freezing and melting ❄️🔥.

Week 3: Light and Shadows 💡🌑

• Investigating light and dark by using torches 🔦 and creating shadow puppets 🎭.
• Continuing with science experiments on freezing and melting.
• Developing fine motor skills ✂️ through group tasks and creative projects.
• Building vocabulary during story discussions 📖.

Week 4: Exploring Our Local Area 🌳📍

• Taking a local walk to observe and map out the school grounds 🗺️.
• Practising observational drawing ✏️ of local features.
• Introducing mapping skills and using Bee Bots 🤖 for navigation.
• Focusing on ball skills in PE ⚽, such as aiming and throwing.

Week 5: Maps and the Wider World 🗺️🌍

• Exploring the local area by mapping out Peterlee 🏘️.
• Learning about aerial views and using Google Maps 🌐.
• Comparing our area to London 🏙️ and the coast 🌊.
• Learning about road safety with a visit from the lollipop lady 🚸.

Week 6: Creative and Cultural Learning 🎨🎎

• Celebrating Chinese New Year 🧧 by exploring traditions and creating crafts with origami techniques.
• Designing and sculpting a local landmark 🏛️.
• Continuing science activities on melting and freezing ❄️.
• Practising ball skills in PE, focusing on catching small and large balls 🤾.

Week 7: Special Celebrations 🥞🎉

• Marking Pancake Day 🥞 with fun activities and learning about its traditions.
• Reviewing and consolidating skills learned this term 📚

🌟 Reception – Spring 2 🌟

👫 Week 1: Exploring Patterns & Different Jobs

• PSE Monday: “My friends’ feelings matter too!” – We discussed how our actions can affect others and practised kindness 🤝.
• Maths: Identifying and creating repeating patterns using colours, shapes and actions 🔁.
• Topic: Different Jobs and Professions – Learning about various careers and what we might want to be when we grow up 👩‍⚕️👨‍🚒.
• For World Book Day, we enjoyed a day filled with stories, dressing up and celebrating our favourite books 📚🎭. We explored The Remarkables and dressed up as something that makes us remarkable!

🧱 Week 2: Measuring, Art & Professions

• PSE Monday: “How can we make the right choices?” – Talking about making good decisions and thinking about consequences 💭.
• Maths: Comparing lengths using everyday objects 📏.
• Topic: We made insect sculptures using clay, developing fine motor skills through creative, hands-on activities 🐞.
• Artist Focus: Observational drawing of daffodils and exploring abstract art inspired by Georges Seurat 🎨🌼.

🌱 Week 3: Capacity & Plants

• PSE Monday: “What can I do with my big feelings?” – Exploring ways to manage emotions in a positive way ❤️.
• Maths: Learning about capacity, using terms like ‘full’, ‘empty’ and ‘half full’ 🥤.
• Topic: Plants and Life Cycles – Discovering how plants grow and what they need to survive. We planted our own seeds and are watching them grow!
• Spring Walk: Exploring the outdoors to spot different flowers and signs of spring 💐

🔺 Week 4: Shapes & Animal Life Cycles

• PSE Monday: “What do I do if I am worried?” – Learning who we can talk to and ways to feel better 💬.
• Maths: Exploring 2D & 3D shapes through hands-on activities 🟠🟦.
• Topic: We’ve been learning about the life cycle of a frog – we even learnt a song and watched frogspawn develop into tadpoles and then frogs! 🐸🎶

🙏 Week 5: Respect, Easter & Celebrations

• PSE Monday: “How do I show respect?” – Discussing how we respect ourselves, others and our environment 🌍.
• Maths: Building with 3D shapes and recognising their properties through construction play 🔷.
• Topic: Easter Crafts & Traditions – Creating themed artwork and learning about how Easter is celebrated around the world 🐣✂️.

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