We will communicate messages on Classdojo but all of the letters, timetables and information booklets will be saved on here. 

Talk 4 baking - Talk 4 baking is based on talk for writing. It is strong and powerful because it is based on how children learn. It enables children to imitate the language they need for a particular topic. During our talk 4 baking activity the children put actions to words and this enables the children to actively remember the words in the sequence.

Word Aware 

Each week we learn lots of new vocabulary. Ask your child about the new words we have been learning. The word rap song helps us to remember the words by using our voices in different ways and using actions. 

Word Aware RAP

Class Floor Books 

These are scrap books that highlight key achievements for the children throughout the year.  Photographs of key events in Nursery and Reception and exemplar pieces of work, mainly done independently by the children, are included in this book. The class floor book is a large book for recording children's learning, individually and collaboratively. Floor books are used as a strategy for developing and assessing children's understanding of the learning that has taken place and are used at part of a reflection time. Floor books are a shared document and hence invites collaboration and exchange of ideas. As children sit on the floor and work together on the same book, they discuss aspects of the topic at hand, recount memories, ask questions, add to or even content each other's opinions and observations, child voice is evident throughout.

Schemas

Understand what is behind your children’s play and help them by observing patterns of behaviour or “schemas”.

Schemas are patterns of behaviour that appear through children’s play.

Schemas are an important part of children’s development and knowing about these play urges can help you understand why children are so determined to do things in a certain way. For more information you can watch this short video.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/schemas

Finger gym

Finger gym activities boost communication and language and builds a foundation for handwriting later on. It improves hand eye coordination, muscle development and enriches vocabulary.

Writing

The skill of writing begins with mark making. As well as being able to write making marks can benefit a child physically and also help develop their imagination and creative skills.

Mathematics

Mathematics (maths) is an important part of learning for all children in the early years and receiving a good grounding in maths is an essential life skill. As well as numeracy, it helps skills such as problem solving, understanding and using shapes and measure and developing their own spatial awareness. 

Reading

Enjoying books and reading stories from a very early age is crucial in the development of children. It helps with their ability to understand words, use their imagination and develop their speech, as well as being something they really enjoy.....Even from a very young age children love books.

P4C (Philosophy for children)

Philosophy for children is an approach to learning and teaching. Children are taught how to create their own philosophical questions. The teacher, as a facilitator supports the children on their own thinking, reasoning and questioning as well as the way the children speak to each other in the dialogue. P4C is intended to be a regular activity so that children develop their skills and understanding over time. P4C has an impact on children’s cognitive, social and emotional development. P4C is about getting the children to think and communicate well; to think for themselves. 

Forest school

Forest school promotes holistic development and gives the children the opportunity to risk take and self-regulate.

Children are able to investigate, test and maintain their curiosity in the natural world around them. They are given encouragement to direct their own learning through play.

Forest school promotes emotional growth as well as independence; it instils a deep respect and awareness for the natural world and reconnects them to their environment. Research proves that children are more likely to flourish when allowed to indulge in “risky play” outdoors unhinged by excessive adult supervision. Risky play means that children manage their own behaviours, follow their own interests and become more engaged in their own learning experiences. Children are also able to connect with the environment across the change of seasons through regular forest sessions.

PHONICS 

Environmental sounds

Listening walk: Children put their ears and stop at different places discussing what they can hear.

Socks and shakers: Partially fill either opaque plastic bottles or the toes of socks with noisy materials (e.g. rice, peas, pebbles, marbles, shells, coins). Ask the children to shake the bottles or socks and identify what is inside from the sound the items make. From the feel and the sound of the noisy materials encourage the children to talk about them.

Drum outdoors: with small sticks of dowel– can they make different  sounds– tapping, stroking, banging, scratching etc

Instrumental sounds  

Matching sound makers: Show children some musical instruments (2 of each) and place one set in a feely bag. Adult selects one instrument from the bag, makes the sound and matches it to the other instrument not in the bag. Repeat.

New words to old songs: Take a song or rhyme the children know well and invent new words to suit the purpose and the children’s interests. Use percussion instruments to accompany the new lyrics.

 Body percussion

Action songs: Singing songs and action rhymes is a vital part of Phase One activities and should be an everyday event. Children need to develop a wide repertoire of songs and rhymes. Be sure to include multi-sensory experiences such as action songs in which the children have to add claps, knee pats and foot stamps or move in a particular way. Add body percussion sounds to nursery rhymes, performing the sounds in time to the beat. Change the body sound with each musical phrase or sentence. Encourage the children to be attentive and to know when to add sounds, when to move, and when to be still.

Roly poly: Ro..ly Po..ly ever so slowly, Ro..ly poly faster, faster, faster Ask the children to think of different sounds and movements- stamp your feet ever so slowly clap your hand ever so fast.

Rhythm and rhyme

Rhyming pairs: In a pairs game, use pictures of objects with names that rhyme. The children take it in turns to turn two cards over and keep them if the pictures are a rhyming pair. If they are not a rhyming pair, the cards are turned face down again and the other person has a turn. Start with a small core set of words that can then be extended. The children need to be

familiar with the rhyming word families before they can use the in a game – spend time looking at the pictures and talking about the pairs.

Rhyming soup: Using a bowl and spoon say the rhyming soup song and introduce objects/picture cards that rhyme.  Place objects/pictures in the bowl, stir the soup and sing the rhyme.

Alliteration

I spy names: Sit in a circle and play ‘I spy names’.  “I spy someone’s name beginning with ‘s’. Who can it be” The child with the name beginning with ‘s’ stands up and all the children say his name.

Mirror play: Show the children how to hold a mirror sensibly and explain that we are going to look at our mouths when we make sounds.  Model saying initial sounds and use Jolly Phonics DVD if necessary.

Voice sounds 

Trumpets: Make amplifiers (trumpet shapes) from simple cones of paper or lightweight card and experiment by making different noises through the cones. Model sounds for the children: the up and down wail of a siren, the honk of a fog horn, a peep, peep, peep of a bird. Contrast loud and soft sounds.

Animal noises: Encourage the children to identify animals in books and to dramatise animal movements and sounds.

Oral blending and segmenting

Clapping sounds: Think of the words that use the sounds s,a,t,p,i,n and sound them out. Sat Tap  Pin  Sin  Tin  Pit Clap each phoneme for the word and then blend them to make the word.

Cross the river: give each child an object– they can cross the river if the hear the sound at the beginning of their word

The Brush Bus tooth brushing scheme is being launched in EYFS in order to increase exposure to fluoride among the 2–5-year-old children. Fluoride toothpaste is an effective method of reducing tooth decay and its benefits can be maximized by having additional time to brush your child’s teeth in school.

By introducing a time in the school day where children brush their teeth in school it is proven that that children are much more enthusiastic about having their teeth brushed at home (with an adult supervision). The aim is to improve children’s oral health and self-care habits and give every child the best start in life as decaying teeth can impact speech and language and future dental development.

If you are worried and would like to talk to someone you can always log your worry with at leanne.connelly@millbrook.tameside.sch.uk

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