**This week our learning theme is 'inside'**
Welcome to Voles Class (EYFS Unit) |
Teacher: | Mrs Hardwick | |
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Early Years Practitioner: | Mrs Ray | ||
Early Years Practitioner: | Mrs Henderson |
Welcome to the summer term in the Nursery class
Our learning theme for each week is guided by the children.
Week beginning 16.5.22 - 'Inside'
These are some of the things we will be learning about and exploring this week:
Monday |
At the start of the day we have someone visiting the class who is going to play a variety of piano music for the children to listen and move to,
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Tuesday |
Max asked “what animals lived inside the shells?” He was looking at the shells in our sandpit. Noah asked “how does a snail look inside his shell?” And Rupert asked “what’s the colour of a crab inside its shell?” We will remind the children of the video clips that we watched yesterday about the creatures who live inside shells. We will share information that we learnt. Next we will show the children pictures of a hermit crab and a snail and explain that our job is to cut out and decorate a shell for them. The children can then choose which shell they would like to cut out. We will model scissor grip and encourage the children to adapt their grip if needed. We will remind them of safety as they work. Once they have completed cutting we will explain that they now need to decorate their shell using tissue paper so that it is textured. We will model how to tear the paper and then use the glue spreader carefully to spread glue where needed before decorating the shell. |
Wednesday |
Bobby and Olivia asked “do watermelon seeds grow inside your tummy if you eat them?” We will begin by listening to a story about a watermelon seed. Next we will explain that we are going to look at some seeds and talk about what we notice as we compare their features - talking about similarities and differences. We will encourage the children to share ideas with a friend and then feedback to the group. Once we have explored the seeds we will bring out some shapes and ask the children to compare the shapes and talk again about what they notice, what is the same and what is different. We will have 2D and 3D shapes and will encourage and model descriptive language throughout; tall, short, wide, small, big, pointy, corner, sides, edges. We will also encourage use of shapes names; triangle, square, circle, rectangle. The children will have the chance to work with a partner (SMSC BV;MR and then feedback to the group. |
Thursday |
Today we have a visitor, Daisy’s Dad, who is coming to talk about cars and show us his car. We will ask the children to think of questions that they could ask. (The children told us that they are interested in what is inside the car). After the visit we will ask them to choose whether to draw a picture of the inside of the car - this may be the seats, the engine, the boot … anything that interests them., or to design a car that they would like. We will have taken photos to support them in remembering what it looked like if they choose to draw the car they have seen. We will use black pencils to draw the pictures so that they can concentrate on what they are drawing and not the colours needed (This will also support them in understanding the pressure needed when using pencils to ensure that the marks can be seen. They will need to draw an outline and add some details. |
Friday |
Today we will begin by talking about feelings (those we have inside us). We will show the children a video clip about happiness and ask them to share their views. Then we will explain that even if we feel happy, it doesn’t mean we won’t ever feel sad, angry or lonely but that we need to know how to deal with this so that we can be resilient. We will ask the children to give examples of when they have felt sad, angry or lonely - then we will talk about what they did to make themselves feel better. Who else helped them? Who did they talk to? What did they do next? We will explain that it’s OK to have these feelings (we will share a simple analogy linked to a tree so that the children understand). We will talk through and practise some ideas for activities if children are feeling angry, upset or anxious. We will remind the children of mindful finger breathing and ‘steps and slides’ breathing. We will talk about doing something active (asking children for suggestions), asking for help, and doing something to take your mind of it. We will then give each child a whiteboard and model how they could distract themselves by drawing or mark making - adults will model handwriting patterns (reminding the children of using the pinch and flick technique) and ask the children to focus and concentrate on recreating the patterns, developing control and taking their minds of any worries. At the end we will recap what we have explored. |
The children will also be able to continue to observe the tadpoles - this will answer Jude's question " how do tadpoles go inside the water?"
Last week's poem was: I have a little frog ...
Our Counting Song this week is; 'all about shapes'
Last week’s Word Aware words: information speckled care
Show and tell is on Friday this week: something that keeps you safe
Home Learning links
- The Hungry Little Minds campaign. It features tips and practical activities that parents can do at home with children to support their early learning. There are many simple ways to help children learn and it does not have to be formal. Having everyday conversations, make-believe play and reading together all make a big difference to children’s development.
- The BBC’s Tiny Happy People and the National Literacy Trust’s Family Zone
- Help children aged 2 to 4 to learn at home during coronavirus
- .CBeebies have some suggestions too - click here.
What the children say...
We ask the children about what they’d like to explore, play with and learn about over each week. All ideas are be interwoven through planning.
The children also have the opportunity to discuss what they would like for role play - this term it is a science laboratory!
Other areas of learning in Nursery include....
Physical
PE day is Monday.
IN PE this half term our theme is Superheroes. The children will be developing the skills of throwing and catching with beanbags and balls.
Please can all children have a named PE kit in a bag for the days we have other extra sessions.
Computing
During this half term and throughout the year we will be planning open-ended activities in a technology rich environment to enable the children to have opportunities to explore, tinker and develop their ideas through active learning. We will provide a range of simple technology resources, these will be available for children to explore through their play and during adult led activities. The resources will include real, play and safe/defunct devices to support children’s understanding of technology in the world. We will promote safe and careful use of resources and understanding of who to tell if any use of technology makes them feel uncomfortable.
Other experiences will include
- exploring programmes and games which require drag and drop skills
- looking at different uses of technology in
school and at home - using chromebooks, iPads and Mini
mash (on Purple Mash).
RE
RE will be explored partly through short periods of Adult Directed Activities which highlight key festivals, celebrations, religious symbols and religious vocabulary with reference to children’s own experiences and also through the children's own Child Initiated Play.
Each half term the children will have opportunities to explore aspects of the eight key areas of RE listed below.
Children will discover some religious words and ideas in the context of their experiences.
They will:
- share their own beliefs, ideas and values
- listen and respond to a range of stories that engage them, including faith stories
- directly experience religion, its symbols and actions. Engage with artefacts, people and places
- explore local places of importance, including at least one place of significance, for a religious family. They should share their own experiences of places which are important to them
- learn about key figures in their own lives and key members of a local religious group. Listen and respond to visitors from faith communities. Talk about prayer and worship and experience times of quiet and stillness
- explore how people know that they belong to a family and other groups, including religious groups
- experience aspects of the natural world, using their imagination and curiosity about life and develop their appreciation and wonder of the world in which they live. Ask questions that are philosophically challenging and consider answers
- explore some of the ways in which people express care and concern for each other and the importance of this for relationships. They should develop an awareness of their own value and that of others
- understand what is right and wrong and why. Consider the consequences of their words and actions for themselves and others.
Swing Gate Lane, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 2LJ
01442 863913
admin@swinggate.herts.sch.uk