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Reception

Story time in Reception

Check out the books we'll be reading this year.

Reception – Autumn A

The Colour Monster by Anna Llenas

Introduces feelings words and supports settling in.

Supplementary texts

  • The Colour Monster goes to School – Anna Llenas (PSED)
  • My First Day at School – Roger Priddy (PSED)
  • Topsy and Tim start School – Jean and Gareth Adamson (PSED)

Supertato by Sue Hendra

Motivational theme of superheroes, links to health. Discussion of good and bad. Starting point for pretend play and emergent writing.

Supplementary texts

  • The Kitchen Disco – Claire Foges 
  • Supertato – Run Veggies, Run! 
  • Supertato – Veggies Assemble

Superworm by Julia Donaldson

Exploring good and bad characters, repetition and rhyming text. Starting point for pretend play and emergent writing.

Supplementary texts

  • Behaviour Matters: Cheetah learns to play nicely (PSED)

Reception – Autumn B

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

Repetition and rhyming text which the children can easily learn. CVC words that children can learn to read and write.  Supports further pretend play.

Supplementary texts

  • Meg and Mog – Helen Nicoll
  • Hansel and Gretel – Bethan Woollvin

Stick Man by Julia Donaldson

Repetition and rhyming text.  Children can learn and join in with the repeated refrain.  Links to forest school practise.  CVC words that children can learn to read and write.

Supplementary texts

  • Not a Stick – Antoinette Portis
  • Lighting a Lamp – Jonny Zucker

Pupil voice text

A core text is selected to support and extend the children’s shared interest in a specific theme e.g. No bot to introduce learning about robots.

Supplementary texts

  • It’s OK to be Different – Todd Parr (PSED) 
  • Ruby’s Worry – Tom Percival (PSED)

Reception – Spring A

Jack and the Beanstalk by Nick Sharratt

Traditional tale which lends itself to retelling of stories.  Exciting repetitive refrain that the children can join in with.  This is revisiting a Core text from Nursery which enables children to build up role play with their peers. 

Supplementary texts

  • The Jolly Postman – Janet And Allan Ahlberg
  • Bean Diary – Ronda Jenkins
  • Jim and the Beanstalk – Raymond Briggs
  • My First Chinese New Year – Karen Katz
  • Peppa’s Chinese New Year

The Smartest Giant in town by Julia Donaldson

Repetition and rhyming text.  Children can learn and join in with the repeated refrain.  Maths focus – length, size.  CVC words that children can learn to read and write.

Supplementary texts

  • Let’s get along: It’s Great to Share – Make Believe Ideas (PSED)

Zog – Julia Donaldson

PSED focus – supports children to talk about things there good at.  Everyone has a strength.

Supplementary texts

  • Zog and the Flying Doctors – Julia Donaldson

Reception – Spring B

What the ladybird heard by Julia Donaldson

Introduces farm animals (key vocab), links to trip to the farm.  Repetitive and rhyming text.  CVC words that the children can learn to read and write.  Includes worms phase 3 words.

Supplementary texts

  • The Bad Tempered Ladybird – Eric Carle(PSED)
  • The Very Lazy Ladybird – Isabel Finn (PSED)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Introduces the concept of life cycles and key vocab that supports Knowledge and understanding of the world.  This is revisiting a Core text from Nursery which enables children to retell it in detail.

Supplementary texts

  • The Crunching Munching Caterpillar – Sheridan Cain
  • One Fluffy Baa- Lamb – Ten Hairy Caterpillars – Nick Sharratt

Reception – Summer A

Ten Little Pirates – Mike Brownlow

Maths focus – supporting moving on to ten

Supplementary texts

  • Julian is a Mermaid – Jessica Love (PSED)

Aliens Love Underpants – Claire Freedman

Introduces a space topic, encourages imaginative role play and message writing to aliens.

Supplementary texts

  • How to be an Astronaut
  • Look Up – Nathan Byron

Reception – Summer B

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

Supplementary texts

  • Red – Michael Hall
  • The Gruffalo’s Child – Julia Donaldson 
  • Let’s get along: It’s Great to Keep Calm (PSED)

The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson

Supplementary texts

  • Let’s get along: It’s Great to Work together (PSED)
  • Sharing a Shell – Julia Donaldson (PSED)

Journey – Aaron Becker

Supplementary texts

  • Little Rabbit Foo Foo – Michael Rosen (PSED)