Reception Planning - How Structured Do You Go?

[Guest]

Browsing around the forum and from previous experiences in school I'm getting the impression that the reception class in my current school is a lot more rigid and structured than most, but I could be getting a false impression so I just wanted to collect ideas/responses from people in one topic.

 

Currently the reception teacher plans a literacy and a numeracy session everyday using the same planning format as the rest of the school. All the children all do an adult led group activity in both of these everyday. They also have a SEAL lesson, RE (it's a CofE school), 2 PE slots, and then they follow the old style units (transport, people who help us etc.) every week, plus there is a phonics session everyday and they go into assembly and out to play. Whilst the school knows it's behind with regards to creative curriculum throughout the entire school (hence the old style topic units) there is a general belief that foundation stage is 'sorted' and running properly. I'm not so sure it is.

 

Of course I'm well aware I could be completely wrong. Perhaps most reception classes are all this structured so I guess what I'm really asking is, are they? Does this sound similar to your school's reception timetable?

[Guest]

In my opinion that does seem overly structured and very year 1 sounding. I wouldn't have time to fit all that in anyway!!! We've just planned for after half term and we will have a whole class phonics session and maths session every day. We go to assembly when it is appropriate like celebration assembly. We also have a playtime, this is partly to ensure all children do get fresh air and time outside as through CP some would choose to stay in all the time. Alongside that we have a PE session which they love and a short slot where we play parachute games or do singing games. We also do a focussed writing activity each week, share a big book in small groups, 2 maths based activities group activities and a TASC wheel activity which tends to be linked to KUW and CLL. The children also read to us 2 times a week. We do PSE through our small group circle times when we have our snack time. We are also trying to do cooking each week as it brings in so much and they love it.

 

I hope that helps. I feel we do a lot without it being to heavily structured. CP is going on continuously except for the whole class sessions.

[Guest]

KittyCat it sounds like you have a good routine...still sorting mine out. I feel too structured!

Can I just asked KittyCat when u put that you do a focussed writing activity each week, what sort of activities are doing for writing at the moment?

[Guest]

Well after half term we will be talking about firework words and they will be writing a word to describe a firework like whoosh, whiz, wheeee, sparkle etc... We will be encouraging them to use their sounds and supporting them in doing this. If they are not ready for this we will talk about the words and we could write some together on a whiteboard. They could then choose one to copy. With our ones that wouldn't cope with that I would write it for them on their firework shape modelling it by sounding it out as I write it. They could then decorate it. So basically it is a very short task to get them into the idea of writing.

[Guest]

That activity sounds lovely kittycat, thank you. Kariana sorry for jumping on your post.

[Guest]

I have a very structured timetable as well - we have maths, literacy and phonics everyday at a set time. Attend assemblies and playtime. We have a set music time (its an external teacher and counts towards my ppa time) and aim for a set pe lesson.

My timetable has to be this way beacuse of staffing in a small school - BUT.... during my maths and literacy - I do a whole class activity, and during the morning the children have access to a literacy and/or numeracy activity. Sometimes we only do one activity throughout the morning, sometimes we may fit in both.

My afternoons are cp and very free flowing.

[Guest]

No problem!

 

Thanks kittycat that sounds a lot less structured than how this reception class is run. I'd love to hear from others as well as it would be great to get a general impression of lots of settings

 

EDIT: Thanks jemily as well I think we were posting at the same time!

Edited October 22, 2009 by Guest

[Guest]

Some great responses there. The writing activity has been really helpful, I have been a little stuck there. I Dont feel i'm very structured and I love it, lots of time for chn to self choose and staff to observe / or listen to individual readers. eVERY MORNING i DO PSRN and CLL, these usually last just ten mins whole class. A follow up activity isnt always catered for, depending on what we do on the carpet. Its usually towards the end of the week for a bit of assessment. I do phonics on an afternoon first thing, then its pretty much free flow. Outdoor is available throughout the day. Assembly twice a week, P.E using the large apparatus in the hall, which they all love. Thats basically it.

 

I'm a bitconcerned though that i am doing CLL every day, seen other posts where they do not do CLL because it fits into all other areas. Would love to hear other responeses. Hope this helps a little

 

xxxx

[Guest]

Thank you for asking this question I've been very interested in this too! I have joined a school which has half termly topics, a maths scheme and a literacy scheme.

I plan my week to include daily phonics sessions and try to have about 3-4 teacher led sessions of CLL and PSR&N. These are usually linked to the focus of the week ie this week sight, (as we're looking at the senses). Other teacher led sessions are linked to KUW and CD. They have a music teacher and PE teacher for a session (my PPA) and a slot in the ICT suite. We too attend assemblies and have playtimes. We run indoor and outdoor free flow sessions at points in the day.

When the children are not involved in a teacher led session they 'choose'. The afternoons are free play for the children, alongside this we have one afternoon a week cooking, one sewing and another making things.

 

I am looking to change the planning format this year, as the planning I 'inherited' is very structured it had lots of following a scheme and worksheet type work. I would like to move away from the idea of having the whole year planned in Sept! I have looked at lots of different planning formats on the forum, it seems there are many varities out there!

[Guest]

Not my choice - but we do:

 

Phonics (incorporated into ERR) 3 X 15 minutes per day - Teacher led

PE - 2 x 1hr every week - teacher led.

Handwriting - supposed to be daily 5-10 minutes a day - teacher led

Assembly - 4 X a week - no we are not a church school.

Playtimes with KS1 - twice a day.

Seal - teacher led - once a week

music - teacher led - once a week

CLL teacher led carpet session followed by 5 teacher guided topic linked groups - daily.

PSRN teacher led carpet session followed by 5 teacher guided topic linked groups - daily

We are supposed to hear readers (every child every day) and also be setting up guided reading groups.

 

Planning is also set for every other EYFS subject - I neve get it all done and its never to the quality I would like.

[Guest]

Ours is kind of like this.....

 

We do daily phonics and patternwork/handwriting along with 2 other short teacher directed sessions - the area of learning depends, we were doing CLL and MD daily with 3KU a week witha mix of CD/PSE but we are being more 'fluid' about this this term.

 

We are not going to assemblies so far this year - makes such a huge difference and gives a much longer CIL in the morning, we do go out to play with KS1. WE will go to some assemblies - the ones we think they will enjoy and understand! Very lucky to have an understanding head and deputy - we've just been taken off the assembly rota as teachers too.

 

We have an 'long' session 50mins each day which we do Writedance, ICT, PE and then a long CLL and MD during the week - our long MD this week was going outside with numbers to count leaves, twigs etc. but the end of the year this will be when we do some teacher directed writing. We use the ICT time to intruoduce them to websites or programs that they may not know and therefore begin to use in CIL.

 

We will do SEAL style lessons during the year but don't join the wholeschool assemblies they go far to far over their heads!

 

Hope this is of use/interest

Pip

[Guest]

Thanks for the great replies! I would of course love to hear from anyone else as the more responses the better the overall picture the thread will provide.

 

Tattybogle - your timetable sounds even more crowded than ours! Do you really have three 15 minute phonic sessions per day? That sounds like an awful lot and I sympathise with you! May I ask why it's like that? Is it the head or advice from outside school or another reception teacher?

[Guest]

This is a very interesting topic - would people mind putting up some timetables????

[Rufus]

How do you lot fit it all in???????????????????

Either you have lots of adult help or you are fantastic with your time management. I am starting to feel like I am not doing enough!

I have F1 and throughout the week I manage:

4 phonics sessions a week - split into 3 ability groups.

3 PSRN sessions a week where I take half the class and my nursery nurse the other.

2 topic carpet session a week.

1 handwriting session a week delivered to chidlren in small groups.

2 PE session per week.

With regard to adult led activites I usually mange 2 per week because if I am leading one then my NN is play supporting and vica versa. If we are both busy the quality of play suffers.

I do 1 session where I demonstrate writing to the whole class with their input but I certainly don't get to write with all children every week, how do you guys fit it all in?

 

does everyone do writing in small groups every week?

[Guest]

I'm new to Reception and am trying to get my head around timetables and planning! During the first half term I have made several changes to both but am still not entirely happy with what I am doing. I've found your comments really helpful but wanted to know how you all go about weekly planning.

 

My topic / theme is very broad - Autumn / Christmas but was unsure how to break this down over the 7 weeks. Any suggestions? Does anybody use a story as a focus for each week?

 

Also I'm interested in finding out how many adult led activities people are doing each week as I've heard lots of conflicting info and just want to make sure I'm doing it right!

[Guest]

Browsing around the forum and from previous experiences in school I'm getting the impression that the reception class in my current school is a lot more rigid and structured than most, but I could be getting a false impression so I just wanted to collect ideas/responses from people in one topic.

 

Currently the reception teacher plans a literacy and a numeracy session everyday using the same planning format as the rest of the school. All the children all do an adult led group activity in both of these everyday. They also have a SEAL lesson, RE (it's a CofE school), 2 PE slots, and then they follow the old style units (transport, people who help us etc.) every week, plus there is a phonics session everyday and they go into assembly and out to play. Whilst the school knows it's behind with regards to creative curriculum throughout the entire school (hence the old style topic units) there is a general belief that foundation stage is 'sorted' and running properly. I'm not so sure it is.

 

Of course I'm well aware I could be completely wrong. Perhaps most reception classes are all this structured so I guess what I'm really asking is, are they? Does this sound similar to your school's reception timetable?

[Guest]

Browsing around the forum and from previous experiences in school I'm getting the impression that the reception class in my current school is a lot more rigid and structured than most, but I could be getting a false impression so I just wanted to collect ideas/responses from people in one topic.

 

Currently the reception teacher plans a literacy and a numeracy session everyday using the same planning format as the rest of the school. All the children all do an adult led group activity in both of these everyday. They also have a SEAL lesson, RE (it's a CofE school), 2 PE slots, and then they follow the old style units (transport, people who help us etc.) every week, plus there is a phonics session everyday and they go into assembly and out to play. Whilst the school knows it's behind with regards to creative curriculum throughout the entire school (hence the old style topic units) there is a general belief that foundation stage is 'sorted' and running properly. I'm not so sure it is.

 

Of course I'm well aware I could be completely wrong. Perhaps most reception classes are all this structured so I guess what I'm really asking is, are they? Does this sound similar to your school's reception timetable?