English Reception Autumn Story Sequence and Captions

1. Story-time: Whatever Next
2. Preparing for space
3. Toys in Space
4. Space travellers

1. Label a rocket
2. Packing for space
3. Journeys
4. Stargazers

1. Role play
2. Lunar landscape
3. Model rockets
4. Storytellers

1. Read Whatever Next. Encourage children to think of as many different ideas as possible; children use because to justify their opinion.
2. Share Whatever Next storyboard (resources). Say it is a way to sequence the story. Use it to retell the story. Repeat with the children joining in, adding actions and also expression.
3. Focus on p.7 of Toys in Space. Read the labels. Children identify special toys and describe them. Next display a range of labelled soft toys to read together. Reinforce using phonic knowledge to read words.
4. Re-Read Toys in Space. Discuss if children believe there are aliens in space. Respect their ideas. Ask children to say what they would do if an alien spaceship landed in their garden requesting help!

Poetry/Rhyme of the Week: Astronaut and Rocket Ship!
Introduce the poem and tune on Monday (send copies home). Rehearse and sing throughout the week, e.g. waiting to go to lunch/ to focus on carpet/ just for fun! Develop performance and add actions.

Websites
Animated version of Whatever Next from youtube.com
Make a Stargazing Picture from bbc.co.uk
Interactive version of the Bedtime Song from bbc.co.uk

Resources
Items to make moon sand (see resources document)

1. Fiction and non-fiction sorting
2. Space facts
3. Answers to my questions
4. Journey into space

1. Earth and moon
2. Questions about the sun
3. Labels and captions
4. Rocket memories

1. Books
2. Role-play and music
3. Maths
4. Construction

1. Show Little Kids First Big Book of Space. Say it contains facts and doesn’t have to be read in sequence to make sense. Share the headings from the contents page and read interesting pages.
2. Read chapter about the Moon, pages 24 – 29. Notice how information is presented, e.g. paragraphs, photographs, labels, captions. Find examples and discuss why they are helpful.
3. Read chapter on Telescopes, pages 113 – 115. Afterwards, focus on discussing each illustration and highlighting the labels. Think of additional labels that could be included.
4. Read the chapter on Comets, page 85 – 87. Use the information to prepare captions orally for each illustration. Encourage children to use specific space vocabulary appropriately.

Poetry/Rhyme of the Week: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (‘Science Version’ in resources) Share poem; rehearse throughout the week, e.g. start/end of the day. Encourage the children to vary the pitch and tone of their voice as they rehearse. At the end of the week invite another class/guardians/headteacher to a whole class performance.

Websites
Marbled Planets from artfulparents.com
Papier Mache Planets from instructables.com
A range of Space Jigsaws from bbc.co.uk

Resources
Vegetables for moon rocks
Bucket scales & non-standard weights
Music from Gustav Holst's Planets and other items for rocket/space station role-play

1. Discovering an alien landing
2. Reading and responding to alien questions
3. Listening to Here Come the Aliens
4. Discussing Here Come the Aliens

1. Writing labels for classroom objects
2. Use rhymes to predict words in a rhyming story
3. Translating alien speech
4. Sorting aliens

1. Sort aliens using own criteria
2. Create alien finger puppets
3. Creating salt dough aliens

1. Share Here Come the Aliens. Notice the repeating sentence; encourage children to join in. Notice rhyme in aliens’ descriptions. Identify rhyming strings and extended them, e.g. two, true, do, glue, new. Explain that rhymes share the same end sound.
2. Read Here Come the Aliens together. Remind children that includes a repeating sentence and rhyme, which will help them to join in.
3. Share Man on the Moon. Ask children if it is a story or information book; children justify their choice. Sequence the story and recognise it only makes sense when read in sequence.
4. Re-read Man on the Moon. Enjoy the humour of the book. Identify parts that are real and parts that are made up. Use questions to encourage the children to develop each answer, e.g. Why do you think that? How do you know? Encourage the children to use because to justify their thoughts.

Poetry/Rhyme of the Week: Five Little Men in a Flying Saucer (resources)
Introduce on Monday (send a copy home). Rehearse and chant during week; enjoy at home! You might like to develop performance and add actions.

Websites
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star from canteach.ca
Alien face biscuits from kidspot.com
Alien gloop from littlebinsforlittlehands.com
Alien Finger Puppets from onelittleproject.com