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have a listen to our stories form this half term.

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Have a listen to our stories from this half term.

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All of the topic books for this half term are linked in this document.

Enjoy listening to these with your children.

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Our overall aim by the end of Reception is for pupils to hold a pencil effectively in preparation for fluent writing – using the tripod grip in almost all cases and to write recognisable letters, most of which are correctly formed.

We will practise writing each grapheme as they are taught throughout the year. The children will also participate in a range of fine and gross motor activities to help develop their handwriting skills.

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We are really looking forward to our Dinosaur Day on Thursday 9th July. We will welcome in some special visitors to teach us all about dinosaurs and their living relatives.

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Have a look at our plans for the Autumn 1 half term.

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Aston Clinton Autumn 1 - Medium Term Plan

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Have a look at our plans for the Autumn 2 half term.

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Aston Clinton Autumn 2 - Medium Term Plan 2023

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Have a look at our plans for the Spring 1 half term.

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Aston Clinton Spring 1 - Medium Term Plan 2024

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Have a look at our plans for the Spring 2 half term.

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Aston Clinton Spring 2 - Medium Term Plan

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We will go on a trip Waddesdon Manor on Friday 15th May 2026. Whilst we are there, we will participate in the garden explorer workshop.

All children will need a packed lunch for this day. We will send more information out nearer the time.

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Have a look at our plans for the Summer 1 half term.

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Aston Clinton Summer 1 - Medium Term Plan

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We are very excited to welcome you for our FUDGE  (Fathers, Uncles, Dads, Grandad's, Everybody else) on Friday 6th March. Please could you arrive at school for 1:20pm ready to start in the hall for 1:30pm. When you arrive you will need to sign it at the office and get a visitor sticker.

The idea of FUDGE Day's is for the male role models in the children's family to get actively involved in their children's education. Obviously, we are keen for all the children to work alongside a member of their family so please let us know if there are any problems.

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This is the PowerPoint that we use to teach the letter formation using the Little Wandle rhymes.

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Help your child spell the words for the picture cards.

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Help your child to spell the words on the picture cards.

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Have a look at the books we will be reading this half term.

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Watch as the letters of the alphabet tell stories and make words using phonics. Play the learning game, watch clips and print colouring pages.

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Forest School sessions are on Friday. Please send your child into school in their PE kits and with appropriate outerwear.

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All the topic books for this half term are linked in this document. Enjoy listening to these with your children.

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We expect the children to demonstrate our school values.  We model our values and teach the children to follow the 4 R's: Aspire - be ready to learn; Care - be respectful; Succeed - regulate and repair.  During their first year in Reception we begin to explore how we show care to one another.  We look at what kind words and kind actions are.  We then begin to build our understanding of being ready to learn and what emotions look like using the book 'The Colour Monster'.

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Please send your child into school with hats, gloves and warm coats. We go outside every day.

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We have learned different ways of breathing to help us relax. Try Whale Breath from the Go Noodle Website.

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Calm down when you’re angry with these deep whale breaths.

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Have a listen to the books we have focussed on this term. They are all listed below.

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The animated adventures of friends who can always count on each other.

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Black history

Showing your child special objects can be a great way of bringing history alive for them. These families are marking Black History Month, but you can use anything that's significant to you to start a chat about your own family's heritage.

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Hair

Taking time to ask your child what they like about themselves (and letting them know you're proud of them) helps to build confidence and resilience. Sharing experiences from your own childhood can be a good way to start a conversation about self-image.

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Family and Food

Sharing special family recipes and stories with your child helps to give them a sense of who they are and where they come from. You could even try coming up with a new tradition to start yourselves - especially if you're a new family that's come together from different places.

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To enjoy the CBeebies website at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on.

For more help please visit the CBeebies Grown-ups FAQ

Black History Month lasts the entirety of October. Find more resources from across the BBC here.

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Watch these dads and daughters discussing everything from Rosa Parks to the Jamaican football team together during Black History Month.

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[Special Effects] The Rainbow Fish | Read Aloud Books for Children

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The Color Monster, A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas | Children's Books | Storytime with Elena

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16 Charming Color Monster Activities for Young Learners - Teaching Expertise

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Best-selling author, Anna Llenas, is best known for her book about an adorable monster who, with the help of a friend, learns to name and navigate his

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If you're looking for a great science experiment, you've come to the right place. Science Sparks™ is bursting with easy science experiments for kids of all ages. Discover our fun facts, cool science experiments, FREE science printables, awesome science fair projects and super STEM challenges!

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These remarkable female scientists changed the world with their discoveries, paving the way for generations of women to follow their dreams.

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Read a book and try a science activity related to the story. These imaginative, creative science investigations are suitable for kids of all ages.

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Exciting and easy science experiments for kids of all ages. STEM challenges, science facts, science fair projects and more awesome science

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Animations of some of the best-known traditional nursery rhymes, many sung by BBC Children's TV presenters, with music that your children will love! They're an ideal resource to support a range of Early Years objectives, whether used in a nursery, reception class, or at home.

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Animations of some of the best-known traditional nursery rhymes, many sung by Cbeebies TV presenters, with music that your children will love! They're an ideal resource to support a range of Early Years objectives, whether used in a nursery, reception class, or at home.

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The benefits of Forest School sessions

When we think of teaching and learning, an image of a teacher standing over pupils in a classroom springs to mind. We know however, that this is no longer the case, that over centuries, teaching methods and styles have evolved and are now a lot more interactive and learner based. Forest school sessions offer the chance to take learning out of the classroom and into the great outdoors. Children are given an opportunity to learn in a new way and within a new environment. Forest school introduces a whole new dimension to teaching and learning, with new experiences for both the children and teachers.

What are forest school sessions

Forest school sessions allows children to take risks and attempt new challenges they would not face in a classroom. There are opportunities for children to try more risky activities such as tree climbing and building fires. This adds a sense of excitement and adventure for the children, who are free to explore and manipulate the environment around them using all of their senses. The weather has no impact upon forest schools, whether it be rain or shine, snow or winds, the children will be outside making the most of the experience. This is especially fun for children who tend to be sheltered in bad weather as they are given the chance to get mucky and wet!

The environment in which forest school takes place will have been risk assessed and a high number of adults will be around to supervise and to ensure safety is paramount. A high adult: child ratio is essential in order to maintain the children's safety, but will also help the adults to get to know children individually and to learn and understand their unique learning styles.

Forest school promotes all aspects of children's development and can even add new benefits that learning in a classroom doesn't offer. It also allows children to be physically active throughout the duration of their lesson, enjoying the fresh air and the new experiences the outdoors can offer. Over the course of forest schools, children's stamina will build and children will become physically fitter, thus providing a healthier lifestyle.

What does forest school sessions offer children?

Forest school offers an excellent opportunity for play and exploration, however, practical tasks linked to the national curriculum and EYFS are designed to enhance children's development are what drives the forest school initiative. Many of the activities within forest schools are child-led, and the activities will follow the direction in which children choose to take them. They may decide to work independently, working on developing their own problem solving skills and creativity, or they may join up with other children and work within teams. This is excellent for children's social development, as they will learn how to collaborate within a team, and how to share their ideas and to listen to others.
As previously mentioned, forest school activities are child-led, and adults are there to support and guide the children, but not to direct their learning. This gives the chance for children to really develop their imagination and creativity when carrying out tasks. There are no limitations to forest schools and children are free to let their imaginations run wild as they attempt problem solving and exploration of their surroundings.

In terms of emotional development, a child's confidence will grow significantly through forest schools, and this confidence can then be carried into other areas of their lives. Teachers may find that some children who struggle to work within a classroom excel within forest school, and they can take aspects of forest school back into the classroom to help support these children.

Forest schools can help to promote a healthier lifestyle for children. Technology is becoming more advanced and more available to children as time progresses, and many parents will know the difficulties of separating their children from their beloved computer games and televisions! Children who enjoy their forest school experiences may ask their parents to take them on outdoor and woodland experiences in their free time.

Overall, forest schools are a brilliant way of taking children and learning out of the classroom, and re-introducing them to the outdoors whilst helping all areas of their development. Children enjoy the freedom of directing their own learning without inhibitions and exploring and experiencing a new environment.

Check out this great book about The Outdoor Classroom in Practice

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Why Forest School Can Help Children's Development - Early Years Careers

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Forest school sessions offer the chance to take learning out of the classroom and into the great outdoors. Read more about forest schools

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Forest School Guide for Parents

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Risk: A Forest School Perspective – Early Education

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Why are opportunities for risk and adventure essential for normal development in the early years? Tim Gill (2007) identifies four arguments:

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Please read and celebrate books at home with your child as often as possible, encouraging them to talk about what they have read.

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Supporting your child with reading
Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home.

There are two types of reading book that your child may bring home:

A reading practice book. This will be at the correct phonic stage for your child. They should be able to read this fluently and independently.

A sharing book. Your child will not be able to read this on their own. This book is for you both to read and enjoy together.
Reading practice book
This book has been carefully matched to your child's current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don't worry that it's too easy - your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.

Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise - celebrate their success! If they can't read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together.
Sharing book
In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The sharing book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together.

Please remember that you shouldn't expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!

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The resources on this page will help you support your child with saying their sounds and writing their letters. There are also some useful videos so you can see how they are taught at school and feel...

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Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you're looking for and rewards you.

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Numberblocks is a fantastic series that teaches counting and early maths skills in a fun and visually attractive way.

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numberblocks "numberblocks full episodes" "numberblocks episodes" cbeebies "learn to count" "learn maths" "maths for kids" "learning cartoons for kids" "cart...

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We are the Numberblocks! Little blocks with big ideas, having a ton of number fun. Learn how to add, subtract and count the fun and educational way! For more, download the official Numberblocks apps; https://www.learningblocks.tv/numberblocks/apps Visit the Numberblocks on; Twitter: @numberblocks Facebook: facebook.com/numberblocks/ Instagram: @numberblocks © 2022 Alphablocks Ltd.

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What is Numicon?

Numicon is an approach to teaching maths that helps your child to see connections between numbers. From Oxford University Press, it supports your child as they learn early maths skills in nursery and primary school. It is a multi-sensory way of learning, which means your child learns by seeing and feeling.

Physical resources like the colourful Numicon Shapes are an important part of Numicon. The holes in the Numicon Shapes represent the numbers 1 to 10. When they are arranged in order, as in the picture below, children can easily see connections between numbers, such as 'one more' or 'one less'.

Later on, your child will be able to see more complex mathematical ideas, like how two fours make eight, three twos make six, and so on. This lays the foundation for their understanding of number all the way through school.

Numicon is often taught in primary schools as a whole-school programme, meaning it is their main way of teaching maths. Teachers use worksheets, physical shapes, online activities, and more to teach using Numicon. As well as mainstream maths teaching, Numicon is also sometimes used as an intervention programme to help children struggling with maths.

If your child's school uses Numicon, they may hold workshops to tell you how it is used in the classroom, and you can always ask your child's teacher if you have any questions.

Can I use Numicon at home?

There are lots of ways you can help your child learn with Numicon at home. Watch our Numicon videos, browse our selection of Numicon at Home kits or download our free Numicon activity sheets, to find inspiration.

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Numicon guide for parents - Oxford Owl for Home

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What is Numicon? Find out what Numicon is and discover activity sheets, videos, and kits to support your child as they learn maths with Numicon at home.

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Chat, Play, Read: Department for Education campaign

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Tiny Happy People is here to help you develop your child's language skills. Explore our simple activities and play ideas and find out about babies and toddlers' amazing early development.

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Children’s language development and parenting advice - BBC Tiny Happy People

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A chatty child is a happy child, so Tiny Happy People is here to help you develop your child’s communication skills through simple interaction and play.

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10 reasons why play is important | National Literacy Trust

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Play teaches adults patience and understanding. If you do choose to join in your child's play make sure that you do not try to take it over and force incorporation of your ultimate learning objectives into their play. Structured adult-led activities have their time and place but remember to allow for time for children to control and decide their own play.

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Major studies have shown that talking and playing at home are key factors in a child's development. This sort of activity is sometimes called home learning activity.

"The family represents the first and probably most influential learning context where very young children typically acquire language, knowledge, skills, and behaviours. This has the potential to shape their readiness for school, attitudes toward learning, and their later academic attainment."

The activities listed below have all been shown to boost children's language development at two-years-old and also positively influence their later literacy skills and even their educational attainment.

Sharing books and stories - telling stories and talking about pictures in books helps children to learn and understand new words and also develop a love of reading.

Singing songs and rhymes - singing songs and rhymes together teaches children to predict language structures and develops their vocabulary.

Playing with letters and sounds - playing games with the shapes and sounds of letters is a fun way of introducing children to language and early reading.

Setting up a play date - babies and young children learn through play. Playing together helps children develop the skills they need to communicate well and socialise, especially when they start going to nursery and school.

Getting out and about - when you go out for a walk or you're at the supermarket, help children to spot and recognise the signs and words around them. This encourages talk.

Painting and drawing - making marks and scribbles with a lots of different materials allows children to express themselves, helps their muscles develop and supports early writing.

Using the library - parents and children can borrow books for free and attend storytelling and rhyme groups.

By enjoying these fun activities together at home, you will learn more about your child and you will be greatly supporting the development of their communication, language, literacy, emotional and social skills. Take a look at the downloads on this page for some activities and tips for supporting your child's language development at home.

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Seven great ways to play and learn at home | National Literacy Trust

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Major studies have shown that talking and playing at home are key factors in a child's development. This sort of activity is sometimes called home learning activity.

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What is the walk and talk trail?

The free walk and talk trail is a set of cards designed to support parents and carers of 0 to 5-year-olds to talk and play more with their children while they are out and about engaging in their daily routine. The cards have been produced by the National Literacy Trust to support the Start for Life campaign.

Designed to be used in an urban environment, the cards provide a range of tips and activities that can be completed anywhere outside. The aim being to increase the frequency of interactions and enhance the quality of interactions between parent or carer and child.

The cards include:

Information about why it's important to talk with your baby or child.

Guidance and suggestions of things to do and talk about while out and about.

Talking tips to enhance the conversations and interactions parents have with their children.

The cards are supported and extended on Words for Life, the National Literacy Trust's family-facing website. Here, parents and carers can find further guidance and tips on spending time outside with their baby or child, and quick activities to support their conversations and interactions.

Why use the walk and talk trail?

Parents' lives are busy and despite good intentions, between the school run, food shop, and work, the opportunities to engage their child in interactive conversations and play can be limited. In addition, the ability of many parents to interact with their child will be affected by personal experiences and financial pressures. This trail makes it easy to engage with children without having to think about how to do so.

Supporting parents to find more opportunities to interact with their child within their daily routine, and offering guidance on how best to do this, will support the development of their child's language and communication skills.

The ever-changing nature of the outdoor environment provides a rich starting point for these conversations, creating natural opportunities for new vocabulary to be introduced to children.

Access walk and talk trail resources

Download the Early Years Practitioner Guide to the Walk and Talk trail and a printable version of the trail on this page.

Download the digital version of the Walk and Talk cards on Words for Life.

Download translated versions of the trail Words for Life too. The cards are available in the following languages; Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Czech, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Spanish, Ukrainian, Urdu.

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Walk and talk trail for 0-5 year olds | National Literacy Trust

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The set of cards are designed to support parents and carers of 0 to 5-year-olds to talk and play more with their children while they are out and about.

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Learning to count is fun with this range of free educational games for Key Stage 1 children. Start with the simple counting games and progress to numbers up to 100. There are also matching and sequencing numbers activities.

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Free, interactive, learning to count games for 5 to 7 year olds involve numbers from 1 to 100.

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Maths at Home

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This section provides some ideas for how you can raise awareness and share mathematics using everyday experiences and resources found around your home. It includes ideas for supporting your children's learning in all areas of mathematics: geometry, measurement, statistics, algebra and number.

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This section provides some ideas for how you can raise awareness and share mathematics using everyday experiences and resources found around your home. It includes ideas for supporting your children's learning in all areas of mathematics: geometry, measurement, statistics, algebra and number.

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A site packed with interactive phonics games, phonics planning, assessment ideas and many teaching ideas and resources to help children to learn to hear phonemes, recognise graphemes and develop the blending and segmenting skills that are vital for learning to read and spell.

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Practise counting with the Numberblocks Number Track. Grasp the concepts of greater and less, adding and subtracting,  higher and lower.

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Phonics Bloom create interactive online phonics games to help teach children the relationship between letters and sounds and develop the skills needed to read and write. All our resources are designed by an experienced team of teachers and parents.

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Phonics Games for the Classroom and Home - Phonics Bloom

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Play a range of online phonics games, helping teach children the relationship between letters and sounds and develop the skills needed to read and write.

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The children take home reading for pleasure books from our class library.  We change these books every Friday so please can you make sure your child brings their book back on a Wednesday.

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https://www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/spookySpellings/index.html

You can have fun reading and spelling Common Exception Words.  Click Year 1 and click on a book to choose a set of words.

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Spooky Spellings

Practise spelling common exception words.

(Ages 5 and up)

Children in school learn to spell some word through the use of phonics. Some common words are 'tricky' and children need to learn them by heart.

This game uses the words listed in the UK National Curriculum as being 'Common Exception Words' i.e. tricky words.
Choose a year group, then choose bird box to select your word list. Arrange the letters in the correct order to spell each word. The bats will take the letters away when you get it right.

iOS iPad App:
If you'd like a similar game but want to add your own words, why not have a look at this App... Please note, LCWC is paid, not free.

Build on the learning with
these games:

This game is © copyright 2018, J.Barrett, ictgames.com All Rights Reserved.

Made using the and libraries.

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(Ages 5 and up) Children in school learn to spell some word through the use of phonics. Some common words are 'tricky' and children need to learn them by heart. This game uses the words listed in the UK National Curriculum as being 'Common Exception Words' i.e. tricky words.

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If you are looking for ideas of what books to read, then please have a look at the attached ist. there are some fantastic books, which we are sure you will enjoy.

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PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, Economic education) is taught continually each week across the year.

Our PSHE Jigsaw friend in Reception is Jigsaw Jenie. Our PSHE topic for Autumn 2 is 'Celebrating Difference'.

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If you have any questions please email your teacher through the office email account: office@astonclinton.bucks.sch.uk

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Free eBook library | Oxford Owl from Oxford University Press

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Browse our library of free children’s eBooks to read with your child including Oxford Reading Tree adventures with Biff, Chip and Kipper.

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P.E. is on Thursday. Please send your child to school in their P.E. kit on these days.  As the weather becomes cooler children will need a warm tracksuit, as we do go out in all weathers.

Forest School is on Friday. Please send your child to school in their forest school clothes. Please also ensure that the children have named welly boots and waterproofs each week as we do not have enough spares in school for each child.

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A Clearly Named Book Bag
(no rucksacks/backpacks please)
Water bottle (named)
This should be brought filled with water and will be sent home each day
Spare Clothes (Named)
Forest School Clothing (Named)

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Write your own Storybook

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Create your own storybook online. Make writing and publishing a book more fun with our picture book making tool!

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Is your child a fan of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's wonderful picture books? Now you can download a range of home learning activity packs to complete as you read the books!

Reviews

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free julia donaldson and axel scheffler home learning packs

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FREE Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler Home Learning Packs

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Is your child a fan of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's wonderful picture books? Now you can download a range of home learning activity packs to complete as you read the books! Is your child a fan of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's wonderful picture books?

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This is the terminology we use and encourage the children to use in class during our daily phonics sessions.

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Interactive curriculum plans

Teaching resourcesTeaching resources

Curriculum plansCurriculum plans

AI ExperimentsAI Experiments

Join over 100k teachers and get free resources and other helpful content by email. Unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy.

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Explore thousands of high-quality resources for lesson planning and curriculum design. All optional, adaptable and free.

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2. Are you sitting comfortably?

When your child is writing, make sure they are sitting comfortably with their feet touching the floor (or a footrest). Writing is easier when you have a stable body.

3. Match the school

Be sure to find out what handwriting style your child is learning at school. Consistency is key, so it is important not to correct something that you think is an error but that is actually part of the style your child is learning.

4. Write in the sand

Give your child opportunities to do some non-permanent writing. This takes the pressure off early writers - if their handwriting isn't perfect, they can just wash or brush it away and start again.

Write in the sand at the beach. Write in the mud at the park. Fill a clear sandwich bag that closes with some washing-up liquid and glitter; get your child to write (gently) on this. Ask your child to write letters or words on your back with their finger - can you guess what it is?

5. Get crafty

Continue to encourage your child to draw, colour, paint, and do crafting activities at home using a range of different materials. These activities all provide opportunities to develop control, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.

Add some writing to the crafts - can they write with chalk, paint brushes or crayons? Can they make an attractive sign for their door or books?

6. Practice makes perfect

Good handwriting needs lots of practise. Practise handwriting with your child a few times every week - perhaps using the week's spelling words. This will help them to develop good habits and strong muscles in their hands (and good spelling). Use special handwriting paper to check the position of each letter.

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Everything you need to know about how handwriting is taught at school and what you can do to support your child at home, from the early years to Year 6.

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PE Kit

Please remember that children are expected to wear: ACS fleece or plain navy tracksuit top or hoodie; a plain white t-shirt; navy shorts or skort; plain navy tracksuit bottoms or plain black leggings.  They are need trainers for outdoor PE.

PE days

Thursday for everyone.

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Please monitor your child's activity on YouTube

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From the team behind the YouTube series SciShow comes SciShow Kids! Join host Jessi, her robot rat friend Squeaks, and all their friends at the Fort as they explain fun, complex science concepts for young, curious minds. Whether conducting experiments, researching new questions, or talking with experts, there’s always something new to discover with SciShow Kids, no matter what your age! SciShow Kids is streaming on Peacock and Roku! Just search for SciShow Kids to watch a special selection of our favorite compilations. New episodes of SciShow Kids will continue to be posted on YouTube. SciShow Kids is ideal for early-elementary learners, Grades 1-3, and most episodes are structured around the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) curriculum.

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The Leaf Thief - An Autumn Animated Read Aloud with Moving Pictures

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Supertato - Veggies in the Valley of Doom

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Supertato - Veggies in the Valley of Doom

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Supertato - Books Alive! Read Aloud book for kids

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Supertato - Books Alive! Read Aloud book for kids

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Story Time: "The Tree" by Neal Layton | Our story is a little fable about how cutting down one tree can negatively affect the different forms of life that use the tree for their needs and... | By Tarpon Springs Public Library | Facebook

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Our story is a little fable about how cutting down one tree can negatively affect the different forms of life that use the tree for their needs and...

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Supertato Evil Pea rules - Books Alive! Read Aloud book for children

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Storytime for Kids Read Aloud: Stickman by Julia Donaldson

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Thursday is our PE day. Please send your child into school in their PE kit.

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Our aim is to positively praise children who are following our school values. Every classroom has a recognition board where we share each other's successes.
We recognise this in a variety of ways:

Eye contact and a smile

A dojo point

Stickers

Recognition certificates

Post it notes with a message

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Children will be given a new individual decodable reading book (which is matched to their phonic knowledge) on a Friday.  We encourage you to listen to your child read the text three times (1st read to decode, 2nd read for fluency and 3rd read to answer questions about the book) as we do with the guided reading books in class.  Please do let us know how your child is getting on with their reading at home either via Tapestry or in their reading records. Please return your child's reading book each Wednesday along with their reading record.