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Autumn 2 Curriculum - Light and Dark Reception

Topic Summary

  • Where can our imagination take us?
  • What adventures can we have?
  • How does it make us feel?

In this topic children are invited to use their senses to investigate light and dark, night and day. As the dark nights draw in and the run up to winter celebrations gets closer, we are investigating the similarities and differences between light and dark. The children will use their imagination to visit worlds of fantasy. Learning to retell the story of the week in their own way, forms a big part of the half term. We use imaginative play to transport ourselves to the fictional worlds that are created through our key texts. We get a unique chance to stargaze and experience the magic of the night sky when the mobile planetarium visits school. Our Nativity adds music and performance to the curriculum and the addition of a mischievous gnome helps us focus on the real meaning of Christmas!

In the topic we will be teaching the children the following key concepts:

  • Faith
  • Creativity
  • Fear

Week 1

This half term starts with a celebration of Diwali through the book The Best Diwali Ever. The children explore the similarities and differences between religions, cultures and communities using a colourful story that draws on the experiences of a small girl and her family.

Week 2

In week two we will focus on the book Night Pirates and encourage the children to use their prediction skills. Who could the shadows be? Where could their adventure take them? What is a disguise?

The children will have lots of opportunities for imaginative play and storytelling as the week progresses.

Week 3

We look at differences using Night Monkey, Day Money by Julia Donaldson (and it is one of Mrs Moore's favourite stories!) The children develop their gross motor skills through lots of climbing, swinging etc on big apparatus in role as the main characters. The children also have a chance to create their own fireflies and butterflies using expressive arts and design.

Week 4

This is a whole-school text which focuses on the importance of using our imagination and with a little sparkle, anything is possible. We will also have an opportunity to meet the author, Vashti Hardy.

In Reception, we will be taking an imaginary trip to the North Pole, designing new toys and discussing the importance of our safe place.

Week 5

This week we focus on the book The Girl Who Stole the Stars and the mobile planetarium arrives at school. We get a chance to stargaze and experience the magic of the night sky.

In the classroom a magic ladder to the sky will appear – where could it take us and what adventures could we have?

Week 6

Using the well-loved book 'The Jolly Christmas Postman' as a starting point, our role play area transforms into Santa’s mail room allowing the children lots of time to explore mathematical concepts such as shape, weights and measures as well as fine motor skills of cutting, folding etc.

Week 7

The rhyming book 'The Mischievous Gnome' follows the adventures of a well-meaning Christmas gnome who is forever getting himself into sticky situations. Can the children help him spread Christmas cheer across the land without any mishaps?

The following section gives you some more details about the different areas of learning your child will cover this half term.

Communication and Language

  • Learn new vocabulary.
  • Use new vocabulary during the day.
  • Ask questions to find out more and to check they understand what has been said to them.
  • Articulate their ideas and thoughts in well-formed sentences.
  • Connect one idea or action to another using a range of connectives.
  • Describe events in some detail.
  • Use talk to help work out problems and organise thinking and activities explain how things work and why they might happen.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

  • See themselves as a valuable individual.
  • Build constructive and respectful relationships.
  • Express their feelings and consider the feelings of others.
  • Show resilience and perseverance in the face of challenge.
  • Identify and moderate their own feelings socially and emotionally.
  • Think about the perspectives of others.
  • Manage their own needs.

Maths

  • Count objects
  • Link the number symbol (numeral) with its cardinal number value.
  • Compare numbers and quantities (more than/fewer than).
  • Understand the one more than/less than relationship between consecutive numbers.

Physical Development

  • Develop the overall body strength, co-ordination, balance and agility needed to engage successfully with future p.e. sessions and other physical disciplines including dance, gymnastics, sport and swimming.
  • Develop their small motor skills so that they can use a range of tools competently, safely and confidently.
  • Use their core muscle strength to achieve a good posture when sitting at a table or sitting on the floor.
  • Further develop the skills they need to manage the school day successfully (lining up and queueing, mealtimes, personal hygiene).

Literacy

  • Read individual letters by saying the sound for them.
  • Blend sounds into words, so that they can read short words made up of known letters.
  • Read some letter groups that each represent one sound and say sounds for them.
  • Read a few common exception words matched to the schools phonics programme – Read Write Inc.
  • Re-read books to build up their confidence in word reading, their fluency and their understanding and enjoyment.
  • Form lower-case and capital letters correctly.

Understanding the World

  • Understand the effect of changing seasons on the natural world around them.
  • Recognize that people have different beliefs and celebrate special times in different ways.

Expressive Art and Design

  • Explore and engage in music making and dance, performing solo or in groups.
  • Create collaboratively sharing ideas, resources and skills.

If you would like to know anything else about the reception curriculum this half term please speak to a member of staff.