Reception Home Learning – 22.05.20

Hello everyone,

Before I start my home learning activities today, I just wanted to let you know how much I am looking forward to welcoming those children who are able to return to school. 

I will be in touch again to give you more information and some photos of the new classrooms.  Our main priority will be making sure your children are safe and happy.

Here are my suggestions for today and over half term.

This activity is a mixture of communication/Language, maths and physical development.  I know some of your children are already helping to make sandwiches at home.

Making sandwiches

  • Talk to your child about their favourite fillings and healthy options.  Probably best to encourage a filling that will be easy to cut once the sandwich is made.
  • Ask your child to wash their hands before preparing the food.
  • Encourage your child to help you gather together the utensils and ingredients you will need to make a super sandwich.
  • Invite your child to help spread the butter on the bread. Teach your child to take a little butter and to spread it evenly across the whole slice of bread. Top Tip: make sure the butter is nice and soft before you invite your child to start spreading it on the bread. 
  • Finish the sandwich with the filling.

Now for the maths bit:

  • Ask your child to:
    • Cut the sandwich into two rectangles.
    • Cut the rectangles into four squares.
    • Cut each square into two triangles.
    • How many triangles do you have altogether?

Now eat all the triangles!  Maybe try the activity another day and cut the sandwich into different shapes.

Letters and Sounds/Religious Education

Plan a Pentecost Party

Pentecost Day is on Sunday, 31 May so you may wish to try this activity over the half term period.

I have received lots of posts on Tapestry of children enjoying home tea parties and celebrations such as VE Day.  You may wish to plan a home Pentecost party and encourage your child to write a list of either things you will need or activities to do.   As usual, encourage your child to ‘have a go’ and use your child’s sound mat/Letters and Sounds to support their writing.

Pentecost is often named as ‘the birthday of the Church’.  The feast celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit who leads and guides people into communion with God and fills them with courage and energy for Christian life.

It is difficult at this age for children to understand the abstract concept of the Holy Spirit.  We use images such as air, wind and fire to help us explain the power of the Holy Spirit.  Here are some ideas that can help your child explore these elements and have fun on Pentecost Day.

  • Red is the Church’s colour for Pentecost.  You could wear red, eat red food, make decorations in red etc.
  • Make a Pentecost hat.

Make a streamer and write “Share the Good News of Jesus with Everyone” on it. This can be just strips of paper attached to a stick.

  • Blow bubbles.
  • Play with windmills.
  • Dance with the streamer to create a ‘fire dance’.

And, of course, revisit the story of Pentecost, Pentecost prayer and Pentecost song posted on my previous blogs.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Nicola Palmer