FS2
We are so excited to begin a brand-new year of learning, playing, and growing together in FS2! This year, we’ll be exploring wonderful stories that will spark our imaginations, develop our vocabulary, and give us plenty to talk about and enjoy at home too.
Some of the key stories we’ll be sharing include:
✅Five Minutes’ Peace
✅ Peace at Last
✅ The Scarecrow’s Wedding
✅Leaf Man
✅ After the Storm
✅ Handa’s Surprise
✅ The Gingerbread Man
✅ One Snowy Night
✅Stick Man
These stories will guide our learning across this first term – inspiring our role play, creative activities, writing, and even our outdoor adventures! We can’t wait to read, retell, and bring these tales to life with the children. It’s going to be a year full of fun, curiosity, and discovery.
At this stage in your child’s learning journey, phonics plays a key role in helping them become confident and enthusiastic readers and writers.
What is phonics?
Phonics is a way of teaching children to read and write by linking the sounds (phonemes) they hear in spoken words to the letters (graphemes) they see in written words. For example, the word cat is made up of three sounds: c – a – t.
Why is it important?
✅ Builds strong foundations for reading – Phonics helps children decode words, so they can read new books more independently.
✅ Supports spelling and writing – By hearing sounds in words, children begin to segment and spell words when writing.
✅ Boosts confidence – As children recognise more sounds and words, they feel proud of their progress and are motivated to keep learning.
✅ Opens the door to a love of books – Once children can read simple words and sentences, they can enjoy stories more fully and develop a lifelong love of reading.
How you can help at home
Listen to your child read their phonics books and celebrate their effort.
Practise the sounds and tricky words we send home.
Enjoy bedtime stories together – hearing you read is just as important as them reading to you.
Play simple games like “I spy” using sounds, or spotting letters in the environment.
Book bags will be needed in school every day and will be changed in our class library every week. It is expected that children should read at home on a daily basis as part of their homework, listening to your child read for just ten minutes each day can have a significant impact on their reading skills and learning.
PE is something we develop over the year in F2. We will begin formalised PE lessons after October half term. However, there will be many opportunities for your child to develop their physical development.
Physical development is a key part of your child’s learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage. It helps children grow strong, healthy, and confident – and it lays the foundations for many other areas of learning too.
Why is it important?
✅ Physical development supports overall health and wellbeing.
✅ It helps children to become independent (dressing themselves, using cutlery, managing their own needs).
✅ Good physical skills support focus and readiness for learning in the classroom.
✅ Fine motor strength is essential for writing, drawing, and creative activities.
How we support this in FS2
· Outdoor play (running, climbing, ball games, bikes and scooters).
· Music and movement (dance, action songs, yoga).
· Daily opportunities to use tools and equipment (pencils, paintbrushes, playdough, scissors).
· Activities that build strength and control (construction, threading, puzzles, water play).
Thank you for supporting your child in this.
If you have any queries about anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Thank you
Miss Cheetham
Developing our phonics skills
Exploring our mud kitchen
