We will be learning: To recognise double letter sounds, such as sh, ch, th, qu, ng, nk, ll, ss, ck. These ‘special friends’ have two letters but only make one sound. They are very useful to know when blending sounds to read more complex words such as fish, chip and shop. We will enjoy listening to a range of stories attentively and write for pleasure using phonetic sounds (Fred fingers) with increasing accuracy. 

You could support your child by:  Sharing home reading with them every day, supporting them as much as necessary for them to increase confidence and fluency. Help them to break down unfamiliar words to sound them out. Help with words that can’t be sounded out phonetically, e.g. the, I, we. Read other fiction and non-fiction books for pleasure. Encourage your child to write as part of their play. Encourage development of finger skills by playing with Lego and play-doh. Practise writing letter shapes in mud and glitter..

We will be learning: To count, compare and understand the composition of numbers to ten and then start to order teen numbers. We will begin to explore patterns and start to add and subtract simple numbers. Also, we will learn the names for basic 3D shapes.

You could support your child by: Getting your child to help you count our the right number of knives and forks etc, Get them to estimate and then check if they were right. Look for teen numbers on houses in your street. Go on a 3D shape hunt at the supermarket and in your kitchen. 

We will be learning: To talk about seasonal change. To  know how to make healthy choices. To share family traditions and discuss how we celebrate at home.

You could support your child by: Talking about family traditions and sharing photos of family life when they were younger. Encourage healthy eating at home. Go on a nature walk and look at how evergreen and deciduous trees are changing.

We will be learning: To use different equipment and resources to build and join materials effectively. We will experiment with different media - from pencils, to pastels to paint - to express ourselves artistically. We will join in with songs and create our own. 

You could support your child by: Encouraging fine motor skills such as using scissors, drawing and colouring in. Upcycle boxes and bottles with creative junk modelling.

We will be learning:  To share our thoughts and feelings and know how to be a good friend.  To talk about how to keep ourselves safe e.g. when we are online. To develop the ability to take turns, share and solve conflicts and understand the other person’s point of view.

You could support your child by:  Playing games with turn taking. Discussing that it’s OK not to win every time. Establish home rules for online usage and what to do if they feel unsafe.

We will be learning:  We will also be developing our gross and fine motor skills in our weekly PE and Forest School sessions. The children should come to school in their school uniform on PE days and will get changed in school.  On Forest School days they should come in dressed in their kit but spare clothes, especially socks, are very useful. PE kit will remain in school and it will be sent home half termly for washing. Wellies will stay at school unless you request otherwise.

You could support your child by:  Playing on the equipment in the park, riding bikes and scooters and playing throwing, catching and kicking ball games. Small construction toys, such as LEgo are great for fine motor skills.