We have used  Picture News for several years now.  Every fortnight, we share a thought provoking picture and question with the children.  The Reception resources have been adapted from the KS1 and KS2 resources to ensure they are age appropriate.  We will continue to use Picture News as part of our Home Learning as this covers the Personal, Social and Emotional development of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.  

Each fortnight we will post "The Question" below, the background to the news and it's linked British Value values. We will also include any other information that will support you with your family debate.   There will be additional follow up activities too and we will also share with you the teacher guidance we receive that may be helpful. It might be an idea to add the Picture News conversation to your Thursday home learning timetable; for example Thursdays when we "Clap for Carers", would be a great idea.

Monday 20th - Tuesday 21st July

Story: A new voucher scheme offering 50% restaurant meals in August was recently

announced by the government.

Question: Where is your favourite place to go and eat?

What can you see?

Where do you think these people are?

Restaurants and cafés have been closed for a long time while we have kept ourselves safe from the coronavirus. Many have recently reopened.

Have you walked past or been to a café or restaurant since they reopened?

Which one did you see/go to?

Do you think going to a restaurant or café will be exactly the same as before the coronavirus or do you think the rules might have changed?

The government (the people who make all the rules for our country) want people to start going out to restaurants and cafés again because they are worried that if they don’t start making money soon, they may shut down. They have decided to bring out a scheme called “Eat Out to Help Out” which will allow people to get their meals for half the price.

What do we mean by half price?

Do you think more people will go out to eat if you can get the food from a café or restaurant cheaper?

Speaking and Listening Vocabulary

Discount - a reduction in the usual price

Small World Vocabulary

Wrapped - covered with paper or other material:

Writing Vocabulary

List - a record of short pieces of information, such as people's names,

usually written with a single thing on each line and often ordered in a way that makes a particular thing easy to find:

Maths Vocabulary

Half price - costing half the usual price:

Being Imaginative Vocabulary

Customer - a person who buys goods or a service.

Monday 13th - Friday 17th July

What can you see?

Have you ever been to a beach before?

If so, what did you do there?

If you haven’t yet, would you like to go?

What do you think you would enjoy doing?

Some people like to go to beaches in different countries, where the weather is warmer. When the coronavirus began, people were not allowed to travel to another country, unless it was really important, to help stop spreading the virus. In the news, we have now been told that we are allowed to visit some different countries again.

Can you think of some other countries people might like to travel to?

Speaking and Listening Vocabulary

Pelican crossing - a place where people who are walking can cross a busy road. They press a button at the side of the road, which operates traffic lights to stop the traffic.

Outdoor Vocabulary

Amber - is used to describe things that are yellowish-brown in colour.  A traffic light is orange.

Writing Vocabulary

Instructions - a set of directions, orders, or rules to follow.

Maths Vocabulary

Plus - We say plus to show that one number or quantity is being added to another.

Exploring and Using Mixed Media Vocabulary

Attach - If you attach something to an object, you join it or fasten it to the object.

Monday 6th - Friday 10th July

Story: A red, white and blue paint job on the Prime Minister's plane has recently been revealed.

Question: Why do we decorate different things?

What can you see?

Who could be travelling on this plane?

Do you think it’s a very important person?

Why do you think this?

This aeroplane is called The RAF Voyager and is used by the Prime Minister and the Royal Family

Do you know who the Prime Minister is?

Can you name any members of the Royal Family?

It has been in the news that this plane has been painted with the colours red, white and blue like the Union Jack so that people will recognise the plane and know where it’s from when it is in a different country. The cost of having the plane painted is £900,000.

Do you think having the colours red, white and blue on this plane is a good idea?

Do you think the plane will look better?

Speaking and Listening Vocabulary

Prime Minister - The Head of the elected Government.

Small World Vocabulary

Runway - a strip of hard ground along which aircraft take off and land.

Writing Vocabulary

Boarding pass -  a pass for boarding an aircraft, given to passengers when checking in.

Maths Vocabulary

Order - the arrangement of people or things.  We might put numbers in a sequence in order, or put people in order starting with the shortest to tallest. 

Being Imaginative Vocabulary

Attach - join or fasten (something) to something else.

Week beginning Monday 29th June

Story:  Many statues around the world have been questioned for their purpose and value in recent weeks.

Question:  Do you like statues?

What can you see?

Who do you think this lady could be?

Do you think she might be an important person? Why do you think that?

This is a statue of a lady called Mary Seacole, a nurse, who became famous after helping lots of injured soldiers during the Crimean war, over 160 years ago. The statue was made to remember the good work that she did. There are lots of statues of different people and of animals around the world. In the news, a statue of a man called Edward Colston, who lived more than 300 years ago, has been pulled down by a group of people because they don’t want to remember him because of some of the things he did a long time ago.

Have you seen any statues before? Are there any near where you live, or have you seen any on the television? What have you seen? Can you remember where it was?

Speaking and Listening Vocabulary

Injured - harmed or damaged.

Playdough Vocabulary

Roll - flatten (something) by passing a roller over it or by passing it between rollers.

Writing Vocabulary

Maze -  paths and hedges designed as a puzzle through which one has to find a way.

Maths Vocabulary

Wrong - not correct or true; incorrect.

Outdoor Vocabulary

Dance - move rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps.

Week beginning 22nd June

Story: Following a three-month closure period, Chester Zoo and many other zoos have been allowed to reopen.

Question: How does a zoo take care of all its animals?

What can you see?

Where do you think this photo has been taken?

What is a zoo?

What animals do you think you might find at a zoo? Which animal would you enjoy seeing the most?

Are there any animals you wouldn’t like to see?

Why not?

Zoos had to shut in March due to the coronavirus but were allowed to open their doors again on the 15th June. The people, who own and work at the zoos, are very happy that they can finally let in visitors to their zoo as they were very worried that they would not be able to afford to look after all their animals.

How does a zoo make money and what do they use that money for?

A zoo makes its money by visitors paying to go and see all the animals. When the zoo was shut it couldn’t make any money at all. The zoo needs money to pay for all the animal’s food and bedding and to pay all the people who work there!

Speaking and Listening Vocabulary

Injured -  harmed or damaged.

Small World Vocabulary

Enclosure - an area that is surrounded by a barrier.

Writing Vocabulary

Dangerous -  able or likely to cause harm or injury.

Maths Vocabulary

Months - the year is divided into 12 months - January, February, March, April,

May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December.

Being Imaginative Vocabulary

Fur -  the short, fine, soft hair of certain animals.

Week beginning Monday 15th June

Story:  In the news a mum, who has 4 children, has bought a second-hand vending machine to help stop her children arguing over all the sweets and snacks. If the children want a snack, they pay for it themselves and they can earn money by doing jobs around the house.

Question: What jobs could you do at home?

What can you see?

This machine is called a vending machine.

Have you seen one of these machines before?

Where did you see it?

What do they do?

How do they work?

What jobs could you do at home?

To get their snacks from the vending machine, the children will need to do some jobs at home.

Would you like to help at home by doing some jobs?

What jobs do you think you could do?

How do you think your mum or dad would feel if you did some jobs for them?

Speaking and Listening Vocabulary

Vending machine -  a machine that dispenses small articles such as food and drinks when a coin or token is inserted.

Role Play Vocabulary

Expensive - costing a lot of money.

Writing Vocabulary

Recipe -  a set of instructions for preparing a dish, including a list of the ingredients required.

Maths Vocabulary

Equal - being the same in quantity, size, degree, or value.

Baking Vocabulary

Germs -  tiny organisms, or living things, that can cause disease.

Week beginning Monday 8th June

Story: As some children return to school, we think about how our routines     

have changed during this time.

Question: How important is it to have a bedtime? 

What can you see?

What do you think this family are doing?

This family are doing some schoolwork at home, as they haven’t been able to go to school due to the coronavirus.

Did you or are you doing schoolwork at home?

How was/is it different from when you are at school?

It has been in the news that lots of Mums and Dads are saying that their children’s routine has changed a lot since they have been at home.

What does the word ‘routine’ mean? 

Most people have a routine, which is the things they do every day, such as get up at the same time every morning, have breakfast, brush their teeth, get ready and go to school or work etc.  

Do you do the same things every day? What do you do? Did your routine (the things you normally do) change when you stopped going to school? How did it change?

Speaking and Listening Vocabulary

Routine -  a sequence of actions that are followed.

Story Vocabulary

Chattering - lots of fast talking about everything and anything.

Writing Vocabulary

Grumpy -  unhappy, bad tempered and miserable.

Maths Vocabulary

Estimate - sometimes called an ‘educated guess’. Roughly guessing a number of objects or the answer to a calculation based on what you already know.

Funky Fingers Vocabulary

Button - a small disc or knob sewn on to clothing,

either to fasten it by being pushed through a slit or for decoration.

Do you think the picture above has been taken through the day or at night? How do you know? What can you see? What do you think these lines in the sky could be?

Lots of people noticed these lights in the sky recently and wanted to know what they were. A company called SpaceX have sent satellites into the sky to improve our internet. It is the satellites that you can see on the poster.

 Have you ever heard a grown up say that they can’t get any signal to make a phone call or use the internet on their phone? Where were you?

In some places, making a phone call and using the internet on a phone is easier than it is in other places. SpaceX are hoping to make sure this isn’t a problem anymore.

VE (Victory in Europe) Day was a very special day in our history, the end of the war with Germany bringing with it, huge joy and celebration but also a chance for reflection.

This year marks the 75th Anniversary – a time for us to look back and think about an important time in our history.  Many people will be holding video parties, decorating our homes, dressing up or baking to celebrate whilst we are all in lockdown!

Will you be celebrating? If so, how?

Do you play video or computer games at home? What can you play games on?

Games can be played using lots of different technology like tablets, phones or on games consoles.

It has been in the news that The World Health Organisation has joined together with video game companies to help get people to stay at home whilst we are in lockdown. People have been playing video or computer games at home a lot more since the coronavirus began. 

What games do you play?

What do you use to play your game? Which game is your favourite, why?

Why do you think people are spending more time on computer games?

What other games apart from computer games do you think people could play together at home?

Speaking and Listening Vocabulary

Computer -  A machine that can store information and follow instructions by computer programming. 

Being Imaginative Vocabulary

Design - Make or draw plans for a specific object.

Writing and drawing Vocabulary

Instructions -  Directions or order for how to do something.

Maths Vocabulary

Board game - any game, such as chess where pieces are moved on a specially marked board.

Outdoor Vocabulary

Further - to go a greater distance.

Picture New Special!  27th April 

Inspired by Captain Tom Moore who is 100 years old! This Thursday (April 30th). Please enjoy a discussion about this amazing man and his epic work for the NHS during this difficult time.

How can one person make a big difference?

However small we think our actions are, we can all contribute to help make a positive difference to the world around us. At some point, to someone or something, our actions matter!

99-year-old British war veteran, Captain Tom Moore has completed 100 laps of his 25m back garden in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire! He has raised over £28 million for Britain's National Health Service (NHS) and has received donations to his fundraising challenge from all around the world! Captain Tom began raising funds to thank NHS staff who helped him with treatment for cancer and a broken hip, he originally aimed to raise just £1000 but quickly passed his target!

The photo has been taken in London. The person is using a map on the tablet to help them find different places as they travel around. It has been in the news that most people have stopped travelling since the coronavirus began and are not visiting places like shops, museums or cafes.

Here are some useful questions.

What can you see?

Where do you think the photo might have been taken?

What do you think the tablet is being used for?

What do we mean when we say people are not travelling at the moment?

Have we stopped travelling?

Where have we stopped travelling to?

Are we doing anything instead?

Speaking and Listening Vocabulary

Map - maps can show the countryside, a town, a country or even the whole world.  They are used to help plan routes from one place to another, or to find certain features such as castles or hills.  

Role play Vocabulary

Conductor - a person who collects fares and sells tickets on a bus or a person who directs the performance of an orchestra or choir.

Writing and drawing Vocabulary

Journey -  travelling from one place to another.

Maths Vocabulary

Single - only one; not one of several.

Art Vocabulary

Gently - with lightness of action or effect; softly.