Supporting Your Child's Learning at Home 

Please share your child's reading book with them 5 times per week and record this in their reading diary. 

Please find their Little Wandle Phonics homework in their book bag each Friday - this will help them with their reading and writing! 

Top tips for supporting learning at home: 

1. Encourage Independence

Reception is a big step, and children thrive when they feel confident and capable:

Let them dress themselves, tidy their things, and manage their belongings.

Practise opening lunchboxes, zipping up coats, and packing their own bag.

2. Support Early Reading

Reception is where early reading takes off:

Read with them every day. Encourage them to join in with familiar words or sounds.

Practise letter sounds (phonics) and help them blend sounds to make words.

Play simple word games like rhyming or spotting letters in signs and books.

3. Make Writing Fun

Build writing confidence in playful ways:

Give them lots of opportunities to write—shopping lists, birthday cards, or “secret messages.”

Encourage proper pencil grip and help them form letters correctly.

Celebrate their mark-making and early spelling attempts.

4. Bring Maths into Daily Life

Make numbers part of everyday routines:

Count aloud (steps, objects, stairs), spot numbers on doors or in shops.

Practise number recognition, simple adding or taking away using toys or snacks.

Explore shapes, patterns, sorting, and size through play and discussion.

5. Encourage Speaking and Listening

Strong communication builds confidence:

Have conversations about their day—what they liked, learned, or felt.

Play memory games like “I went to the shop and bought…” or “What’s missing?”

Encourage them to ask and answer questions, retell stories, and explain their thinking.

6. Support Emotional Development

Reception is a time of big feelings:

Name and validate their emotions (“It’s okay to feel nervous or excited.”).

Talk about friendship, kindness, and solving problems calmly.

Practise turn-taking, patience, and resilience through games and routines.

7. Foster a Love of Learning Through Play

Play is essential in Reception:

Build dens, explore water and sand, do crafts, or imaginative role-play.

Follow their interests—whether it’s dinosaurs, space, animals, or building.

Use toys and natural materials to encourage exploration and creativity.

8. Stay Involved with School Life

Your engagement makes a big difference:

Talk about what they’re learning at school.

Attend school events, check Class Dojo, and share books or resources sent home.

Daily routines, chats, and playtime are rich with learning opportunities. The most important thing you can give your child is your time, interest, and encouragement.