How Many Whole Class Sessions In Reception?

[Guest]

Hello!

Please could anyone who works in reception let me know how many whole class sessions you do in a day? Our daily whole class sessions consist of:

Phonics (first thing in the morning) about 20 mins (although this is done in 4 groups as we have 45 children and 4 staff;

Whole class short gather (about 10 mins) before morning snack - might be shared reading big book or circle time etc

Whole class maths gather (about 10-15 mins) just before lunch

Whole class short gather (about 10 mins) straight after lunch - again may be big book/topic related etc

 

Does this seem too much/too little/just right??? Also, does anyone have 5 literacy gathers per week at a given time? My literacy seems to be mainly phonics and big book/story/some shared writing but I don't feel it's as structured as the maths sessions - unless phonics is counted as the literacy sessions??? We also have guided reading in the afternoons.

 

Inbetween all of this, of course, we have child initiated and adult led activities in and out.

 

We are in the process of changing things and just want to get everything right. Thank you in advance for any advice you can give.

[Guest]

Hi - Im not sure there is a right or wrong really but what works for your little lot. We have a whole class time at the start of the day - the focus will be linked to whatever our group time is about for that day. I stop them at 11.25 and we have a short burst of maths things - singing, no recognition etc for 10 - 15 mins. After lunch we have phonics for abouit 20 mins and that is it for the day. Hope this makes sense - it works for us x

[Guest]

Hello!

Please could anyone who works in reception let me know how many whole class sessions you do in a day? Our daily whole class sessions consist of:

Phonics (first thing in the morning) about 20 mins (although this is done in 4 groups as we have 45 children and 4 staff;

Whole class short gather (about 10 mins) before morning snack - might be shared reading big book or circle time etc

Whole class maths gather (about 10-15 mins) just before lunch

Whole class short gather (about 10 mins) straight after lunch - again may be big book/topic related etc

 

Does this seem too much/too little/just right??? Also, does anyone have 5 literacy gathers per week at a given time? My literacy seems to be mainly phonics and big book/story/some shared writing but I don't feel it's as structured as the maths sessions - unless phonics is counted as the literacy sessions??? We also have guided reading in the afternoons.

 

Inbetween all of this, of course, we have child initiated and adult led activities in and out.

 

We are in the process of changing things and just want to get everything right. Thank you in advance for any advice you can give.

 

Hi

We've recently had an early years advisor visit us and she has told us that we should be doing three whole class activities a day; two in the morning and one in the afternoon. Our child-initiated time versus adult directed time is roughly 50-50.

Brownie

[Guest]

Hi

Thank you for your comments. Yes, I think that 3 is a good number to have. The problem I have is that I only work mornings as I have a little baby so it's deciding on which 2 for the morning as I am the main teacher (the other teacher just does guided reading). Also Ems, are your phonics sessions split into ability groups or do you have whole class sessions?

Edited January 27, 2010 by Guest

[Guest]

Hello!

Please could anyone who works in reception let me know how many whole class sessions you do in a day? Our daily whole class sessions consist of:

Phonics (first thing in the morning) about 20 mins (although this is done in 4 groups as we have 45 children and 4 staff;

Whole class short gather (about 10 mins) before morning snack - might be shared reading big book or circle time etc

Whole class maths gather (about 10-15 mins) just before lunch

Whole class short gather (about 10 mins) straight after lunch - again may be big book/topic related etc

 

Does this seem too much/too little/just right??? Also, does anyone have 5 literacy gathers per week at a given time? My literacy seems to be mainly phonics and big book/story/some shared writing but I don't feel it's as structured as the maths sessions - unless phonics is counted as the literacy sessions??? We also have guided reading in the afternoons.

 

Inbetween all of this, of course, we have child initiated and adult led activities in and out.

 

We are in the process of changing things and just want to get everything right. Thank you in advance for any advice you can give.

 

 

Hi there,

 

I think you sound like you've got it about right!

 

I joined a mixed yr 1/reception class a couple of years ago and have been battling to increase the child initiated time since I joined! I'm only paid as a TA, but do all the planning, observations, assessments, learning journeys etc for the foundation children, but only have a max of 15, and they're all mine!

At the moment, after many meetings, our timetable is most days:

phonics straight after registration, 3 mornings, while yr 1 are at assembly, and assembly Thursday and Friday.

Then FS join year 1 on the carpet (usually for something not age appropriate, and for too long, this is an ongoing bug bear of mine grrrr. Then I get them for 20mins max to do an adult led activity, well aware they've been adult led since they arrived!

Fruit and outside play time with the rest of the school.

In and on the carpet again....groan...then I get them for 20mins, trying to keep it short so they get some CI time before lunch.

After lunch - Monday - Wednesday, whole class adult led activities

Thursday and Friday - After about 20mins carpet time, I'm happy to let them play.

 

FS advisors have said they need more CI time, teacher seems not to notice how little they get, or really care, so I think I'm going to have to start pushing again. But then I get it when they move into her year 1 group about how poor they are! I can't win, but I won't give up trying!

[Guest]

We do 3 a day

 

1x phonics

1x skill

1x focus of the day... could be any of the 6 areas of learning as we try to get a spread across the week.

[Guest]

Hi

Thank you for your comments. Yes, I think that 3 is a good number to have. The problem I have is that I only work mornings as I have a little baby so it's deciding on which 2 for the morning as I am the main teacher (the other teacher just does guided reading). Also Ems, are your phonics sessions split into ability groups or do you have whole class sessions?

 

My phonics group is a whole class one at the moment but as I am on phase 3 and am aware some of my little ones are not there yet i have a group who get an extra phonics activity at the end of the day to go over phase 2 stuff - our CLLD adviser wants me to try keeping them in for the phase 3 stuff and get phase two as extra so they have a chance to hear new sounds and not just keep recapping old ones - will see how it goes!

[chatterboxsarah]

Hello

I was on a foundation stage course this week and we were told by the advisory teachers that in YR R there should be no 3 part lesson structure ie intro, main body, plenary. I have small sessions like you, i think the emphasis is mainly on following what the children want to learn about, and remembering that 80% of your observations come from child initiated and 20% from adult direcred activities.

 

Sarah

 

 

Hello!

Please could anyone who works in reception let me know how many whole class sessions you do in a day? Our daily whole class sessions consist of:

Phonics (first thing in the morning) about 20 mins (although this is done in 4 groups as we have 45 children and 4 staff;

Whole class short gather (about 10 mins) before morning snack - might be shared reading big book or circle time etc

Whole class maths gather (about 10-15 mins) just before lunch

Whole class short gather (about 10 mins) straight after lunch - again may be big book/topic related etc

 

Does this seem too much/too little/just right??? Also, does anyone have 5 literacy gathers per week at a given time? My literacy seems to be mainly phonics and big book/story/some shared writing but I don't feel it's as structured as the maths sessions - unless phonics is counted as the literacy sessions??? We also have guided reading in the afternoons.

 

Inbetween all of this, of course, we have child initiated and adult led activities in and out.

 

We are in the process of changing things and just want to get everything right. Thank you in advance for any advice you can give.

[chatterboxsarah]

My phonics group is a whole class one at the moment but as I am on phase 3 and am aware some of my little ones are not there yet i have a group who get an extra phonics activity at the end of the day to go over phase 2 stuff - our CLLD adviser wants me to try keeping them in for the phase 3 stuff and get phase two as extra so they have a chance to hear new sounds and not just keep recapping old ones - will see how it goes!

 

Hi again

 

Do you also have key person in there as this is a statutory requirement and i know that OFSTEd will be asking the children about their key person time.

 

sarah

[scholfield]

Why not contact your Early Years Advisory Teacher!