Headteacher: Miss V Hunt Tel: 01442 389040 Fax: 01442 390589
email:
February 2016
Foundation Stage Curriculum Letter Spring (second half)
Dear Parents and Carers
Welcome back to the second half of the spring term, we trust you enjoyed the break.
Our whole school theme this half term is ‘The world around us’. In the foundation stage we will be looking at our immediate environment (where we live).
General Information
We would like to remind parents to regularly check that name tags are in clothes/footwear and make sure that your child always has a pair of wellington boots in school. It is also necessary for your child to have a change of clothes (non uniform is fine) in a bag that can be kept on your child’s peg. As always, please ensure water bottles go home for a daily wash/refill. Please be aware that the little link book in the tray by the gate as you come in each morning is for the use of nursery parents only, it serves as a link between nursery, lunch club and pre-school. Messages intended for reception should be written in their children’s link book and placed in the tray for the teacher’s attention.
Supporting Your Child’s Learning at Home
Phonics
To support your child in learning phonics, remember to say the sound that each letter makes in a word and try not to add an ‘uh’ sound at the end. Also, if you are helping your child to write please remind them where they need to start the letters, this is an important skill and will enable them to join their writing effectively when they are ready. An effective pencil grip is also important.
Sharing Books and Reading
All the children will have an opportunity to choose a book from school to bring home each week. It would be useful for the books to be kept in the book bags when not being read as this allows for them to be changed regularly. Please continue to share all kinds of books with your child at home.
Mathematics
You can support your child in learning maths by counting and recognising numbers, shapes and patterns together. The children are always keen to help ‘solve a problem’, you can encourage their use of mathematical skills and thinking by posing problems for them to resolve.
Reception Homework
There is a blue box on the gate in the morning for you to return the homework once it has been completed. New homework will be set each week so it is an idea to complete it weekly.
Many thanks for your support, please don’t hesitate to contact any member of the Foundation Stage Team if you have any worries or concerns,
Yours sincerely,
The Foundation Stage team
An overview of learning for this half term in Foundation Stage
-The children will continue to have regular speaking and listening activities planned such as ‘show & tell’ as well as shared writing opportunities to demonstrate and support emerging and developing writing skills
-There will be plenty of opportunities to develop speech and communication development through role-play. Our role-play areas are carefully thought out to support learning development through the provision of relevant books, words and forms/plans for children to practise their writing skills.
- Reception children will continue to develop their phonic knowledge graduating to list writing, cvc words and simple sentences. We shall discuss full stops and capital letters.
- Role-play area indoors will be decided by the children
- In nursery we will be reading ‘The Three Little Pigs’ story and acting it out as well as looking at different types of houses using books and computers.
-Nursery children will continue to follow activities in the Letter & Sounds scheme but also dipping into the Read, Write Inc program to build on the letter sounds learnt to date. / -We will continue to learn about the effects of exercise on our bodies and the importance of healthy eating and hygiene. A dentist will be visiting to explain the importance of taking care of teeth.
- Fine motor skills are essential when developing writing and this is focussed on daily through busy fingers activities and opportunities throughout the day.
- The Foundation Stage garden provides a rich environment for children to develop both fine and gross motor skills.
- As the weather improves, we will be able take advantage of the larger playground, field, forest school and the pirate ship climbing frame.
- Both Nursery and Reception have opportunities to use the hall for PE.
- The importance of safety measures when using tools will be discussed and observed especially within our construction and creative activities. / - Our SEAD theme is Good To Be Me,
-We shall continue to play games that involve turn taking and sharing.
- This half term we shall continue our work on understanding emotions
-We shall learn vocabulary linked to emotions and will use literature and role pay to help demonstrate how to cope with different feelings.
- We will continue to encourage independence when the children change for PE and when accessing/putting away classroom resources
- Children will be encouraged to access the resources independently and will be responsible for putting them away when they have finished with them. Caring for resources helps to support the children’s learning about responsibility for their own actions.
Understanding the World. / Mathematics / Expressive Arts and Design
-ICT will be used by the children to support their learning for example; completing a simple computer program and using equipment such as CD players and the Clever touch boards.
- We shall investigate the seasonal changes through discussion and a Spring walk.
-As mentioned earlier, we will be looking at the immediate environment and what it contains (church, shops etc) as well as other places/countries that the children may have experienced.
Reception
A walk around the local area would greatly enhance our understanding; we will need lots of parent volunteers for this to happen. Please inform Mrs Bates if you are DBS checked and available WB 14th March. / - The concepts of subtraction will be explored, and addition activities will continue. The children will be recording their work using pictures and numerals.
- Through planned activities there will opportunities for the children to count, order and recognise numbers.
- We shall continue to develop our knowledge of 2d and 3d shapes and their properties
- Activities provided during ChIL are planned to encourage children to put concepts taught into practise.
- Reception children will learn about measuring, ordering items by length and weight. / - The children have opportunities to design and build using a variety of tools and materials. Through discussion and questioning the children are encouraged to discuss their designs, choice of materials and how best to join them together
- We will also be learning some songs and rhymes related to our theme.
- Child initiated learning, particularly role-play, provides a wide range of opportunities for imaginative development
- This term we shall continue to explore powder paint and colour mixing, including how to make shades of a chosen colour.
- The children will look at different types of houses and create one by using reclaimed materials.
Cardboard boxes and containers are greatly welcomed for this. Thank you!
Religious Education
-The value this half term is Humility
-The focus of RE teaching this term will Easter
-Prayer will continue to be part of the daily routine in Foundation Stage and we will be sharing Bible stories. Reception will join the rest of the school for Assembly on Thursdays. Nursery will attend at least two assemblies this half term.
Do unto others as you would have them do to you (Luke 6:31)