Reception Ready at Blossom Years Pre-school, Nightingale Lane, Bromley

Reception Ready

At Nightingale we are proud to offer our specially designed programme for school leavers “Reception Ready”. Starting in the September of their final year with us before leaving for school, the children enjoy weekly sessions as part of a small group.  Each session lasts between 10 to 15 minutes, and follows a structured plan in order for them to learn and practice the skills necessary to help the transition to primary school, and the learning activities they will enjoy in Reception.

This includes the expectations of good behaviour such as good sitting, good looking and good listening, and covering all the 7 areas of learning:

• Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development, Maths, Literacy, Expressive Art and Design, and Understanding the World.

Each play-based session is fun and interactive, and delivered on our stage area where it is easier for the children to focus away from distractions and the rest of the preschool. The children are then given plenty of opportunities to practice these skills throughout the session.

Some examples of our recent sessions include:

The telling of the story of Little Rabbit Foo Foo (By Michael Rosen). 

• The children listened to the familiar story, and were encouraged to join in the refrains, and enjoy and discuss the different pictures.
• This activity encourages their listening and attention skills, as well as their understanding of the story.
• Through conversation and questions, we can help extend their vocabulary, as well as their social skills as they look at the feelings of the characters and how actions can impact others, either positively or negatively, and the importance of being kind.
• This activity also gives us the opportunity to through the pre school rules and the learn what behaviour is expected from them both at pre school and when they start primary school.

Threading number cards.

• During this activity the children practised counting  from 1 to 20, and then down from 20 to 1.
• They looked at recognising the numbers from 1 to 5 and beyond and practicing their fine motor skills to thread the pattern made by each numeral.
• The children were encouraged to listen and follow instructions as well as share resources and take turns, essential skills for us all.
• Again these resources will be left out during the session for the children to practice these skills.

Sound Bingo.

• This activity encouraged turn taking, careful listening and the children’s attention skills as they match different sounds from a CD with the corresponding pictures on their boards.
• The children are able to recognise familiar sounds from their personal experience and can share their knowledge to help their friends.
• They then count the sounds they recognised to check their progress as they complete their boards.
• With the first child to complete their board the winner, children also learn to celebrate their knowledge and gain confidence in their own abilities.

All of the activities offered within Reception Ready are things that children regularly have access to within the setting but we create a more focused space to practice and develop.

Using small group work with the children enables them to focus with adult support on an individual level, helping them progress and be prepared for their transition to reception in Primary school.

https://www.blossomyears.co.uk/bromley/