Horsforth Newlaithes

Reception

Autumn Term 2025

 

Friday 17th October 2025

 

Dear Parents and Carers,

This Week:

Things have turned a little spooky in Reception this week! We have been busy creating decorations for our home corner and in maths, we have been exploring more than and fewer than by creating potions with different ingredients! Our book this week was “Pumpkin Soup” by Helen Cooper. In this story, Cat, Duck and Squirrel make a yummy pumpkin soup together. They always do it just the same way. But one day Duck decides to stir things up and make the soup a different way instead! We have hot seated as the different characters and talked about the sequence of the story. The children have also enjoyed creating their own “Pumpkin soup” in the role play area but with thankfully more co-operation than the animals in the story! Can your child tell you about the story? What was their favourite part?

Next week, we will continue our Halloween theme with the fabulous book “What’s in the Witch’s Kitchen” by Nick Sharratt and we will be baking some pumpkin muffins next Thursday.

Phonics:

http://schools.ruthmiskin.com/resources/vc-pathways/265363/KCnKQc8kwHKDteSL

No new sounds this week!

We have sent you some Fred Talk Games to play with your child and a learning to blend session. The children are all at different stages of hearing the sounds and beginning to blend so don’t worry if they find it tricky. The more they hear and practise Fred Talk, the more they will begin to make the links and begin to blend. You can play your own Fred Games when you are out for a walk or preparing food or having a bath!

All the children have begun learning to blend sessions in school. The video will help you to see what this looks like.

Maths:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zsjbcmn

The above article provides information about subitising. You may find it useful. We have been working on subitising to 4 and 5 in school. There are lots of ideas suggested in the article to work on at home such as using dice or items in the kitchen. Speak to us if you have any questions. We will be holding a maths evening early next half term as promised! Watch out for the date.

Next Week:

We can’t believe we are nearly at the end of (a very long!) first half term! How far the children have come! We are so proud of them. Don’t forget that next Friday is a training day for Reception only.