(Click on our Photo to add us to your favourites)

• Children will begin to learn about letters and sounds. Each sound will have an action that the children carry out as they say the sound. You can help by asking about the sounds they know and encouraging them to find things beginning with each sound. A good game for this is ‘Eye spy’. These sounds will begin to be used in their reading, firstly when looking at initial letters. For children that are confident with some sounds already, we will begin to build them up into simple words.

• At first we will be focusing on number work. Children can be encouraged by seeing how you use numbers. I.e. when shopping, they could collect 3 yoghurts, or when cooking tea, they can see you count out fish fingers for everyone, etc.

• We will also be looking at shape and time. Noticing what time they get up, go to bed or other routine times would help them get used to the vocabulary used.

• We have already begun to hear children read. Children will read and change their reading books once or twice a week in school. It is good for children to read a book more than once at this stage to help build up their confidence and so they can enjoy retelling the story. Therefore, children will bring these books home for you to hear.         

• Children will also bring home some other scheme books with coloured stickers on – pale blue at first. We would like to stress the importance of reading every day and encourage you to come into the classroom between 8.45 and 9.00 a.m. to help your child select these books, which can be changed every day. We want to get good reading habits from the start. Ten/fifteen minutes a day is much better than thirty minutes three times a week. You are also welcome to take home a book from our book boxes for your child to share with a grown-up or brother/sister.

• On Wednesday 27^th October 6.30-7.30 pm there will be a literacy and numeracy evening where we will be discussing what happens at school and ways that you can help your child. This is a very important meeting and we would like a representative for each child. There will be opportunites for answering any questions you may have. Please let us know on the slip provided if you require child care during this meeting.

• Please ensure that children have a bottle of water to put in our class blue drinks box. This is in addition to drinks they have with their packed lunch. Also please make sure that children have a coat in school every day.

• If any of you feel that you would like to come and help in the classroom we would value your support. Please let me know as soon as possible so we can make arrangements for when the children are settled and full time.