Welcome to EYFS

We are looking forward to working with you and your child to ensure they have the best start to their education. During the first few weeks at school, we play games and play alongside your child whilst they are settling into their new classroom. Your child will learn the routines of school and together we will discuss how we can make sure we are all safe by following the rules inside and outside. 

Phonics 

Reading opens the door to many possibilities. We will be reading lots of stories together and singing rhymes everyday. From Monday 6th September, we will begin RWInc where your child will learn a sound a day. Please help your child at home by practising the sound of the day. We will begin with 's' and then move onto 'a'. Correct pronunciation of these sounds are crucial. Please watch this video of how to say the sounds. More information about RWInc will be sent out in your child's reading pack next week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkXcabDUg7Q

Stories and Rhymes

Sharing stories from an early age can help your child learn new words, story structures and develop a love of reading. In the first two weeks of school, your child will bring home a reading diary and a phonics activity. We will also be sending home a story to share. 

Sharing a book with a child is fun. It's a time for affection, laughing and talking together. And it can also give children a head start in life and help them become lifelong readers.

Reading for at least 10 minutes every day is great for your child’s happiness, wellbeing and, of course, for improving their reading and writing.

Making time to regularly read with your children can help them to:

• Relax and unwind.
• Escape from the pressures of life.
• Improve memory, concentration and focus.

Physical activity

Every morning, your child will begin with 'Wake and Shake'. This is used to encourage your child to be active through songs and actions. We will use the same songs every morning for two weeks before changing them so that your child becomes familiar with the actions and words. We will also be promoting physical activity through the use of bikes, trikes and scooters, large climbing equipment and the Daily Mile. In the Spring term, we will also introduce a PE lesson. All children participate in Squiggle Wiggle and Dough Disco sessions to develop gross and fine motor skills ready for writing. 

Maths Mastery

We will have a maths mastery lesson every day. Our first topic is sorting and comparing objects in the classroom and outside. Encourage your child to notice similarities and differences in the environment. We will also be counting daily and reading maths stories. In Nursery, our children work on early mathematical experiences and learn about numbers within 5. We have written our own Nursery Maths Scheme of Learning which then feeds into our whole school Mathematics Mastery programme. 

Speech, Language and Communication

As children begin school, their speech, communication and language skills develop rapidly. Most of our curriculum is built around developing these key skills in preparation for phonics, reading and writing. Below are some links for you to use as parents/carers to develop this area at home;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/activities/zjh8hbk

https://wordsforlife.org.uk/activities/take-10-to-read-every-day/

https://ican.org.uk/media/1770/teaching-children-new-words.pdf

https://ican.org.uk/media/1775/using-books-to-develop-language.pdf

https://ican.org.uk/media/2386/talk-together-2020.pdf

Tiny Talkers website - Speech, Language and Communication support for parents

https://tinytalkers.co.uk/parents-carers

Our EYFS unit is carefully planned to develop children as independent learners and inspire a curiosity of learning. EYFS has had a significant transformation over the last 2 years and we are continually looking at best practice and recent research to ensure our children have the best start to their education.