There has been some very suspicious activity in Reception … and our children have been called in to investigate! 

Our literacy learning took an exciting turn when the children discovered a mysterious crime scene inspired by the much-loved story ‘Supertato’. With vegetables trapped, clues left behind and a rather suspicious-looking Evil Pea on the loose, the children immediately put their detective skills to work! 

We began by exploring a mystery box containing clues from the story, building suspense before discovering Supertato. As we read, we talked about the characters and considered the important difference between a hero and a villain. The children used their ideas to explain who Evil Pea was, what he had done and how they knew he was the villain. 

Things became even more exciting when we discovered the crime scene! Armed with caution signs, torches and microphones, the children became investigators. They discussed what they thought had happened, who could be responsible and when Evil Pea had last been seen. They carefully observed the clues and developed their confidence in sharing their ideas with others. 

The investigation then moved into some very important literacy learning. The children practised hearing and identifying sounds in words before using these sounds to support their writing. They worked on CVC words, segmenting and blending, while also beginning to use finger spaces between words. 

Their final challenge was to create WANTED posters for Evil Pea. The children thought carefully about what information a detective would need: a picture, a description, what crime had been committed and where Evil Pea had last been seen. They used their phonics knowledge to write words and sentences such as “He is mad,” “He had a pen,” “He has a red cape” and “Lock him up!”  

This experience has been a fantastic opportunity for the children to see that writing has a real purpose. Rather than simply writing words on a page, they were writing to communicate information, solve a problem and help others. They developed their confidence in speaking, listening and sharing ideas, while applying their phonics knowledge in a meaningful context. 

Our Evil Pea investigation also encouraged Creativity, Teamwork and Resilience. The children worked together to piece together the clues, listened to one another's ideas and persevered when thinking about how to record their descriptions. 

We are not quite sure whether Evil Pea has been caught yet… so keep your eyes peeled when you are next in the supermarket! 

The children have certainly discovered that being a detective is hard work - but being a writer can be even more powerful! 

Mrs Sterley 

Reception Teacher