English Reception Autumn Lists and Storytelling

Sharing the Harvest

Enjoy sharing texts such as The Enormous Turnip and Pumpkin Soup, as well as the rhyme One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four, as inspiration to talk, read and write about autumn, harvest and related foods.

Lists and storytelling (suggested as 5 days)

Active Learning

  1. The Seasons
  2. Harvesting Food
  3. Pumpkin Soup
  4. Donating Food

Creating and Thinking Critically

  1. Sorting Harvest Food
  2. The Enormous Turnip
  3. Jobs List
  4. Harvest tasks

Exploring and Playing

  1. Role Play
  2. Small World
  3. Harvest Patterns
  4. Malleable

Books to Share

  1. Enjoy The Enormous Turnip. Discuss why so many people were needed to pull the turnip. List the characters on the board.
  2. Read The Enormous Turnip several times until the children can confidently sequence the story. Provide suitable props/costumes; support the children to act out a story retelling.
  3. Music Learn, sing and adapt We Thank You for the Harvest (resources).
  4. Read Pumpkin Soup. Notice the animals work together to prepare a shared meal. Why did feel upset? Reflect on how his friends felt and what they did to help.

Poetry/Rhyme of the Week: One Potato, Two Potato, Three Potato, Four (see resources)
Recite at suitable times throughout the week. Encourage children to vary the tone to emphasise the counting words, e.g. one, two, three... Children learn and perform in small groups.