🌼 Our Reception Learning This Half Term – Summer 1

Little Wandle Phonics

Each morning, children continue to build their reading skills through Little Wandle phonics. We have now learned all Phase 3 digraphs, allowing children to read and spell a wide range of words with increasing confidence. Sessions focus on applying phonics to reading simple sentences, oral blending, and developing fluency as early readers.

✏️ Ready Steady Write – Literacy

In literacy, we are enjoying our class text The Extraordinary Gardener. Children have been exploring the story’s rich vocabulary and imaginative ideas.
We are learning to:

• Write instructions on how to grow a big, beautiful tree

• Retell the story using clear, simple sentences

• Use sequencing language and revise sentences verbally before writing

These activities support children in becoming confident storytellers and early writers.

Maths

Maths learning remains practical and engaging. This half term, children are exploring:

• Odd and even numbers

• Double facts

• Strengthening number bonds to 5 and 10

Children apply their understanding through hands‑on activities and real‑life problem‑solving, helping to secure their number knowledge and reasoning skills.

😊 Personal, Social and Emotional Development (Jigsaw)

Through the Jigsaw PSHE programme, children are learning about Relationships. Sessions focus on friendships, families, teamwork, and showing care and respect for others. Children explore how to communicate feelings, make kind choices, and work together positively.

🌍 Understanding the World

Our learning in Understanding the World is broad and enriching. This half term, children are discovering:

• The Great Fire of London, learning about the past through stories, images, and discussion

• Special places, linking to RE and children’s own experiences

• Seasonal changes and living things around us, observing how plants and animals grow and change over time

These experiences help children build curiosity about the world and begin to understand history, nature, and communities.

🎨 Expressive Arts and Design

Creativity flourishes as children experiment with joining materials, choose tools for a purpose, and express ideas through art, music, and role‑play. Children design, build, paint, sing, and perform—developing imagination, creativity, and fine motor skills.

🧸 Free‑Flow Play

Throughout the day, children enjoy free‑flow play indoors and outdoors. This supports exploration, collaboration, and independence, allowing children to apply their learning in meaningful, self‑chosen activities and follow their own interests.

Our text this half term is Juniper Jupiter! Juniper Jupiter by Lizzy Stewart follows the thrilling adventures of a real‑life superhero: brave, smart, able to fly…but missing one crucial ingredient—a perfect sidekick.

Children will build foundational writing skills through this half term, progressing from speaking to writing with clear structure and creativity.

PE

On Thursdays, your child should come to school dressed in their PE kit and trainers. Please see the uniform page on our website (https://www.eaves.st-helens.sch.uk/page/school-uniform/161792) 

• Please make sure PE kit is weather‑appropriate so children can stay comfortable during both indoor and outdoor activities throughout the rest of the day.

Reading/ Homework

Reading books are changed every Friday, so please ensure your child brings their book bag and current reading books to school so they can be swapped. Our reading expectation is that children read at least four times a week at home to help build confidence and fluency.

• Children will begin with wordless books, which support storytelling skills and book‑handling confidence. Once they are confidently blending sounds, they will move on to reading books with words.

  For parents | Letters and Sounds

What are Early Learning Goals?

Early Learning Goals are the expected levels of development for children at the end of the Reception year. They cover key areas such as communication and language, physical development, personal and social skills, literacy, maths, understanding the world, and expressive arts. ELGs help teachers understand what your child can do and what support they might need as they move into Year 1.