This year you are lucky enough to have Mrs Russell teaching you. 

You will also have Mrs Stringer and Miss McLoughlin each day. 

Our current topic is: Animals and Nature 

This half-term we are going to be learning all about different types of animals. We will explore the habitats that they live in, what animals need - food, water, exercise, sleep, and what we have to do to look after animals. We will group different animals by their features and we will practice different animal sounds and move in different ways like animals. 

Our Learning focus will be: 

Personal, social and emotional development 

-To take turns with animal toys and observing the caterpillars – pass them around the circle for all to see.

-Showing care and concern for others – practice gentle hands and caring for pets and animals. Use the guinea pigs.

-Exploring sensory experiences and managing emotions relating to this – ice and cold, warm, wet, dry etc.

-Working together to find the mini-beasts – what can you see? Who can help to find all of the hidden bugs?

-To talk on responsibility when watering the plants and checking on the caterpillars – care for living things.

-Sharing likes/dislikes when talking about different animals and feeling different textures.

Communication and Literacy

- Use communication boards to create sentences “I want…”  for lunch time and snack time. Use this when talking about the process of caterpillar to butterfly and likes/dislikes.

-To explore the key text “Brown bear brown bear” and “The very hungry caterpillar” and begin to make connections with things from the book. 

-To begin to engage with our good morning song, singing good morning to each of our friends, waving, showing shared attention.

-To develop vocabulary relating to different animals and the outdoors. Minibeasts – caterpillar, butterfly.

- To read stories around animals, life cycles and plants/gardening – shared attention.

-To access phonics 1:1 or in small groups building on prior skills and knowledge.

-To draw different shapes to create a butterfly – squares, rectangle, triangle and circles.

Physical

-Is able to jump up and down on two feet like different animals  

-To hop up and down with support

-To dig and plant seeds using tools and hands.

-To create pre-writing shapes,

- Scooping and pouring – drinks, water play, washing the animals

-Ice play – fine motor tools , playdough.

Mathematics 

- To join in with number songs – 5 little men in a flying saucer, 5 little ducks etc. 5 speckled frogs

- To count and match 1:1 with objects to 10.

- To begin to order numbers to 10.

White Rose Reception:

6,7,8, doubling, subitising

White Rose Year 1: 

Addition and subtraction: Subtractions, fact families, add or subtract 1 and 2.

Understanding the world 

- To begin to understand the life cycle of a caterpillar by observing and talking about the process.

-To gain an awareness of different animals and how we need to look after them / what they need – to visit the guinea pigs during pet week.

-To observe different features of the outdoor environment, looking at patterns and mark in nature.

-Explore habitats and create our own habitat for the minibeasts

-Group animals by features – KS1.

-To be able to name some different animals – dog, cat, fish, guinea pig, monkey, lion, snakes, frog, caterpillar, butterflies, penguin, seal etc. - KS1

-Gain an awareness of what a plant needs to survive, life cycle of a plant and observe changes.

Expressive Arts and Design

Art: To create homes for the animals using boxes, collaging to create a jungle, ice painting, flower printing, drawing mini beasts.  

Music: To sing songs about Spring/Summer, use body percussion for down in the jungle and instruments.

Role play: Animal masks, outfits and props

 

Our curriculum is flexible and unique to each individual and will be adapted to suit the different stages of development that the child is currently working at. 

Our routine will be flexible based on the needs of the children. However, there will be structured elements to the day. 

You can drop your child off between 8:40am-9am through the entrance to the classroom. 

Children will take part in indoor and outdoor play each day, so please send in coats/hats/sun cream etc. depending on the weather. 

Children will have access to snack each day, as well as take part in our toothbrushing programme. 

They will do phonics daily, access their specific interventions as well as learn new concepts and skills within their current topic. 

Specific learning activities will be mapped out throughout the week for your child to access, depending on their developmental level. Our activities will be ambitious to encourage all learners to reach for the stars! 

Communication and language will be at the heart of everything that we do, removing barriers and encouraging communication within all elements of the school day. 

Children will have the opportunity to work with staff, build relationships with other children and integrate into different social situations with tailored support. 

The children will have lunch within the classroom and will be supported by staff when doing so. 

Children can be collected between 3pm-3:15pm at the latest, via The Nurture Centre entrance. 

Should our routine change in any way, Mrs Russell will inform you of this. Children will be prepared for any changes, whether this is planned or at the last minute. 

We will be doing lots of intervention that is specific to your child during their time at school with us. This will involve 1:1 activities, small group and larger group scenarios, depending on where your child is currently working at. We will assess each child throughout the half-term on their engagement with this and adapt where necessary. We will have a focus on communication and language and this will be threaded through the curriculum and the interventions that we will engage in. 

We will be communicating through Tapestry each week. Please look out for observations, photos, messages and letters. We would love for you to add some of your own pictures. Share with us your weekend adventures. We will use these as a talking point within the class.