Home Learning in Chapter 1

Home Learning is designed to  enable the partnership between  you, the parents and carers, and  our school by providing good  opportunities for you to not only  be informed about, but to also be involved in your child’s learning.  It consists of supported and  independent tasks or  experiences undertaken outside of curriculum  time which reinforce, extend or enrich the  educational provision in school.  Home Learning enables children to practise and  consolidate skills and aims to enable them to  take responsibility for their own learning, to  become independent learners and to develop  perseverance.  Research shows that  children who engage in  home learning activities  usually make quicker  and more sustained progress.

This guidance will provide you with an  overview of what Home Learning looks like for Chapter One and each year group within this. Copies of home learning sheets which share an overview of the learning and home learning ideas for that topic (multiple weeks) are  available on the website and on Tapestry. You will receive weekly updates via Tapestry about expectations for home learning that week.  You will also find videos and other useful resources e.g. for maths counting, phonics and handwriting on the website. If you would like further  information or guidance please make an appointment to speak to your  child’s class teacher.

Range of Home Learning Activities 

A variety of tasks and experiences are recommended to develop your child’s desire to be a life long learner: 

• Speaking and listening (including new  vocabulary, expression and articulation). 

• Muscle and fine motor skills development 

• Gross motor skills 

• Games 

• Mark making leading to handwriting 

• Reading comprehension strategies 

• Finding out/asking questions 

• Use of the arts including storytelling,  drama and music 

• Cooking 

• Using the outdoor environment 

• Using ICT 

• Practical maths activities and exploring and  investigating

• Visit the town library

FS1

Home learning ideas linked to a topic or story  will be sent home weekly to allow you to  follow up on these at home.  Encourage early reading skills,  e.g. handling books correctly, turning pages,  story prediction  and a love of books,  play a game during the week that involves  turn–taking, listening or memory.  Talk with your child about what they have  been learning that day and any plans for the  next day or visit.  Have a dance or a ‘get your heart pumping’  session as often as possible. Encourage your child to do at least one new  thing a fortnight independently e.g. put on a piece of clothing, tidy up, say a new word.  You may also receive ‘next steps now’ cards with  individual targets from time to time. You can upload to Tapestry at any time to share and celebrate your child’s learning at home.

2 Year Old room:

• You will receive a weekly update via Tapestry about learning in the setting with suggestions to try at home to support and practice skills and knowledge your child has been learning. 

• Remember to upload 3-4 observations from home on to Tapestry each half term to share home learning with your child’s key person and the class.

Nursery:

• You will receive a weekly update via Tapestry about learning in Nursery with activities to try at home to support and practice skills and knowledge your child has been learning. 

• There will be weekly visits to the school  library. Please share these or any other  favourite books regularly perhaps as part of  your bedtime routine. 

• Remember to upload 3-4 observations from home on to Tapestry each half term to share home learning with your child’s key person and the class.

FS2

Home learning ideas linked to a topic or story  will be sent home weekly to allow you to  follow up on these at home. We are aiming to develop not only the early skills  of reading, but a real love of reading. In addition to the phonics book, do continue to read  anything that interests your child to grow their love and enjoyment of books. You will receive ‘continuing the journey’  cards with a summary of skills a child will have  gained by that point in the year who is ‘on track’  to reach age related expectations, although we  understand children develop at different rates.   Speak to your child’s class teacher if you have questions. You may also receive ‘next steps now’ cards with  individual targets from time to time. 

Reception:

• You will receive a ‘topic overview’ which will inform you about what skills and knowledge we are studying and give activities to further practise these at home. 

• You will receive a weekly update via Tapestry about learning in class with activities to do at home which are essential to allow for additional practice of skills and knowledge. 

• It is expected that you will support your child to read their phonics book at least 4 times a week. 

• Practise their flashcards of sounds daily. 

• Complete the phonics sheets that come home and keep at home for future reference. 

• View videos sent home on Tapestry each half term with advise on skill development in a variety of areas such as gross and fine motor skills, handwriting, encouraging your child as a reader, encouraging your child as a writer, and many more. 

• Remember to upload 3-4 observations from home on to Tapestry each half term to share home learning with your child’s teacher and class.

Useful Links

🗣️ Talking, Listening and Reading

• BBC Tiny Happy People
  Playful ideas and activities to help your child’s communication and language skills grow.

• Talking with Your Children
  Everyday ways to build your child’s language through talking, singing and play.

• National Literacy Trust – Words for Life
  Practical tips and fun activities to support language and literacy at home.

• BookTrust
  Discover recommended books and ideas to make reading part of your daily routine.

• Early Education – Road to Reading
  Guidance on how young children learn to read and how you can help them on their journey.

💕 Feelings, Independence and Wellbeing

• BBC Dealing with Feelings
  Advice and activities to help children understand and express their emotions.

• ERIC – Bowel and Bladder
  Support and advice for toilet training, wetting and soiling.

• Dressing Myself
  Encouraging independence and self-care as your child learns to get dressed on their own.

• NHS Change 4 Life
  Fun ideas to help your family eat well, move more and stay healthy.

• Best Start in Life
  Devon County Council’s early years guidance for parents and carers.

🔤 Phonics and Early Reading

• Floppy’s Phonics
  Access the Floppy’s Phonics eBooks and activities. (See Tapestry for your class password.)

• Phonics Play
  Free phonics games and printable resources to support early reading.

🔢 Maths at Home

• NRICH Early Years for Parents and Carers
  Practical maths ideas to help children explore numbers and patterns through play.

• Numberblocks
  Learn about numbers through stories, songs and animations.

• White Rose Maths App
  A free app with engaging maths activities for young children.