This document provides information for parents on supporting their child's learning in reception class. It outlines expectations and strategies for reading, writing, mathematics and communication. Key points include: - Practice sound and letter formation nightly using take-home books in the first few weeks. - Readers will be sent home from week 5 and students read books multiple times depending on level. - Sight words and blending sounds are important skills to practice. - Writing focuses on recounts, narratives and correct letter formation. - Topic talks given by students are an important part of inquiry learning. - Mathematics uses problem-solving approaches and practicing strategies like subitising. - Various means are provided for parent-

1. +
Welcome to
GO Reception
What to expect and how you can best
support your child’s learning

2. +
• There are 42 sounds and 26 letters in the English language
• Starting in Week 3: Practice the sound each night using the take home
book. The book comes to school and goes home everyday in the blue folder
• Practice the CORRECT letter formation each night
• Practice the words in the end of the book each Friday/weekend
• Practice blending sounds eg “We’re going to the sh-o-p” not “s-h-o-p”
• Please keep and refer to the pamphlet we give you at interviews

3. +
READERS
• Readers will be sent home in
Week 5.
• Up to level 10, students are to
read each book 3 times
• Beyond level 10 students read
each book once
• Students will go up a level
when they are reading their
current level at a minimum
95% accuracy and have good
comprehension and fluency
• We check each child’s sight
words and listen to them read
approximately every week and
a half
• Please don’t adjust your child’s
reader level yourself
Use the reading
keys strategies
(inside reader
covers)
Look for sight
words
Read signs,
computer
screens,
instructions,
books,
newspapers,
magazines and
ANYTHING
ELSE with your
child when you
are out and
about.
Cover a word
and see if they
can guess it by
reading the rest
of the sentence
Read books that
involve rhyme.
Read books to
your child that
are above their
reading level.

4. +
READERS
• Readers will be sent home in
Week 5.
• Up to level 10, students are to
read each book 3 times
• Beyond level 10 students read
each book once
• Students will go up a level
when they are reading their
current level at a minimum
95% accuracy and have good
comprehension and fluency
• We check each child’s sight
words and listen to them read
approximately every week and
a half
• Please don’t adjust your child’s
reader level yourself
Use the reading
keys strategies
(inside reader
covers)
Look for sight
words
Read signs,
computer
screens,
instructions,
books,
newspapers,
magazines and
ANYTHING
ELSE with your
child when you
are out and
about.
Cover a word
and see if they
can guess it by
reading the rest
of the sentence
Read books that
involve rhyme.
Read books to
your child that
are above their
reading level.

5. +
Magic 100 Words and More Magic 100 Words
• Practice them in different orders or write on pieces of paper
• Visualise the shape of the words and order of the letters
• Many are NOT phonic (Cheeky words)
• Students move onto the next level when they can read ALL the words on the card
WITHOUT sounding out

6. +
Writing
• We encourage children to be risk takers and “have a go”
at unknown words. Stretch out the word and write the
sounds you can hear. Praise the effort and focus on
what they got right.
• We focus on recount and narrative as specific writing
genres in reception, however students will have many
writing opportunities across the day
• We use the Daily 5 method for teaching literacy, which
includes daily opportunities to ‘Work on Writing’. This
may take the form of writing letters, lists, making cards,
making books and more.
• We teach handwriting with correct letter formation and
“froggy grip” for pencils

7. +
Topic Talks
• Please support your child to prepare their topic talk each
week
• The topic talks really drive our units of inquiry and by
helping to find information, pictures or objects to share
you are role modeling being an inquirer
• Speaking and listening is an important part of the
English curriculum
• We are more than happy to share
pictures/movies/documents etc using the Interactive
Whiteboard. Simply send in a USB stick, iPod, CD, DVD
etc or email your file to us and we will assist your child
to display their topic talk information on the big screen.
• You can find topic talk rosters and information on the
blog.

8. +
Mathematics
As with reading look for as many
maths learning situations in your
environment as you can. Shops,
Letter boxes, sharing food equally,
shapes in signs etc.
We teach maths using a problem
solving and inquiry based approach.
Children will have weekly opportunities
to work on ‘problematised sitauations’.
These are problems created by
teachers which involve engaging, child
friendly scenarios which make maths
meaningful to children.
We will also have weekly opportunities
to practice natural maths strategies, for
example, subitising, skip counting,
doubles and rainbow facts. More
information about each of these
strategies will be shared with you as
the children learn each one.

9. + Communication
• Student learning
• Class communication
• Reception information
• Classroom information
• Important dates
• Parent Resources
• Student Resources
• Individual email between
parent and teacher
• School communication
• Urgent communication
between school and parents.
• Parents to notify school of
student absences.

10. + Communication
• Transition Interviews
• Acquaintance Night
• Three Way Interviews
(parent-student-teacher)
• Three Way Interviews
(parent-student-teacher)
• Written report
• Written Report
Term 1 Term 2
Term 3 Term 4

11. +
Parent Help
We love parent help!
• Volunteer for listening to
reading and supporting literacy
activities
• Let us know if you or anyone in
your family has skills or
employment related to our
Units of Inquiry
• Volunteer for excursions,.
• Volunteer for classroom jobs
eg. sharpening pencils etc.
• Donate consumables such as
envelopes, making materials,
craft supplies, paper etc

12. + Social Skills Programme
Taught alongside the learner profile and attitudes of the IB.
Teaching students to be the “boss of their own behaviour”