Ash Class
Year R
Class Teacher: Mrs Mann
Teaching Assistants: Mrs Upham and Mrs Morley
Reading books
Please ensure that books are returned every Monday and Thursday to be changed.
Wordless books and reading information
At first, you will notice these books are wordless. Wordless books are the first stage of your child's phonics journey. It gives you the perfect opportunity to establish a routine together without the pressure of actually 'reading' words. Every family will have a different space and time that works best for you to read together we just ask that you record it in their reading record. You can record any reading practice, it doesn't need to be the book we send home we also love to know when you have read a recipe, a magazine or even the instructions of a game, any reading is beneficial. Of course they will usually find the reading books from school easier to read as the words have been specially selected to match their current phonic development.
Wordless books are really important to develop oracy skills and support language development. It is important you spend time together looking at the illustrations and images and discussing the possible story. Encourage your children to ask questions and share their ideas but also to listen to you or others about their ideas. Wordless books are fantastic at supporting children's vocabulary. Vocabulary is a key predictor to later academic success. Check that your children know different objects within the book and help them identify anything they are unfamiliar with. If they describe something as 'small' maybe next time you read the book you can introduce the word 'tiny' instead to extend their vocabulary. Wordless books still have a beginning, middle and end structure and usually a problem and resolution. Can your child identify any of these parts of the story or who the characters are what is the setting? Is this story familiar to anything they've read before? Can they predict what might happen next?
Other ideas when reading with your child:
- Play I spy using the book
- Find objects which start with focus sounds
- Find things that rhyme
- Clap the syllables in words
- Can the adult can model segmenting a word such as 'can you find the c....a.....t' your child will then use their blending skills to bring these sounds together to make the word cat.
- Can your child discuss the facial expressions of some of the characters can they use their inference skills and discuss why they might be feeling that way? Have they ever felt that way?
- Can they retell the story in their own words to you a pet or a teddy bear?
- Can they share their story over facetime with a family member?
- Can they role play the story or act parts out?
Reading is a life long skill we want to foster in all children in our care so please make reading a priority in your children's routine.
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need further support.
Thank you to those who have signed up to our open phonics mornings, some spaces are still available the sheet is up on the classroom door.
Mrs Mann
Please help your children to look after these books they are expensive to buy and we have limited funding so your support ensuring your children take care of them really helps, thank you in advance.
Class of 2023-2024
Ash Class School Trip
We had a wonderful day at Rodway Farm! We have lots of tired children who will hopefully sleep well tonight. We were met by Dani from Farmlink who showed us where to go on arrival. We began with a walk to the dairy cow shed where there were 200 cows! Dani explained how the cows are fed - they have a magnet around their neck and if they have eaten enough for the day the magnet will not work at the feeding station. Dani also told us that cows only sleep for 20 minutes a day! Imagine only having 20 minutes sleep! We went to the dry cow shed where there were pregnant cows and one looked as if it was very nearly ready to give birth to a calf. We stopped for lunch and then Dani showed us the sheep with their lambs. We all had chance to cuddle a lamb but Mrs Upham’s lamb was the LOUDEST! and VERY wriggly! On our way back to school we stopped for a biscuit and then completed our walk, arriving back just in time to prepare for home time.
This is our Word Wall for Spring 2, we are certainly working hard at segmenting and blending in our writing.
In Ash Class we are learning the song; Catch A Falling Star as part of our learning to link with the topic this half term: 5,4,3,2,1...Blast off!