Area of learning

Teaching and Learning

Parental Involvement

Communication and Language

.

We have a strong focus on developing listening and speaking skills. These are developed daily through high-quality interactions, group time, stories, singing and book talk times. We will develop and build upon the children’s vocabulary as they play and learn.

• We will be supporting the children to make friends by playing lots of games where they can learn each other’s name. Teachers will support children, during their play; modelling and scaffolding how to ask for a toy/resource and how to respond to each other.
• Each week we will have a book focus. As we read through the book, we will be supporting the children to make links and talk about their own experiences.
• We will be developing routines using pictures and talk e.g. It is … time. It is … now. Next we will …
• We will be learning to respond to simple questions (who/what) and instructions directed to them.
• We will play games to develop listening and concentration skills

Dojo – encourage parents to sign up to this. Parents' will have regular updates about what has been happening within Nursery.

Website to help you support communication and language skills with your child.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/what-is-tiny-happy-people/z6c9y9q

Personal and Social Development

Vocabulary

Sad, happy, worried, angry, help, sharing, turn taking, same, different

• The children will be getting to know the classroom and outside areas, establish rules and routines, develop an awareness of who they are and what makes them special. We will also be developing friendships.

• Self-identity – understanding their own feelings. The children will be encouraged to name and talk about their feelings. We will model sentences like, “I feel sad because...”

• Trusting the adults. Learning to ask for help. “Can you help me please”/” I need help to...”  
• Washing hands after going to the toilet and before eating.

We support the children to say, “Please can I have a turn?” The other child may respond by giving the toy to them or might say, “when I’m finished.” The child is then supported to wait their turn. This can be reinforced at home with siblings too.

Physical Development

Physical development plays a huge part of our ‘Early Years’ curriculum. The children will have daily opportunities for climbing, riding bikes/scooters/trikes and developing ball skills.

• We will be using the outside resources to build obstacle courses. The children will learn how to use the equipment safely.
• The children will use the outside climbing equipment to develop their strength, balance, control and co-ordination.
• We will use the bikes/scooters/trikes, within the nursery garden and on the big playground, to develop spatial awareness and control.

The children will also be developing their fine motor skills each day (early morning work).

• We will be learning to develop control in holding and using a range of objects or resources. We will be threading, using tweezers, pincer grip activities, spreading glue and sticking objects to the glue, pouring, scooping, digging and learning how to hold scissors with one hand.
• We will be exploring mark making with chalks, paint and pens

Continue to provide opportunities for children to be active.

Continue to provide opportunities for children to mark make with different resources such as crayons, felt pens, paint.

Literacy

We will be fostering a love of reading. The children will have an opportunity to look at books in our book talk sessions and listen to stories read to them. We will talk about what is happening and about the characters.

• We will be listening to stories and talking about what they see and hear.
• We will be learning to handle a book and turn pages correctly.
• We will support the children to recognise their name in a variety of situations.
• We will be encouraging children to join in with stories, rhymes, poems, no-fiction texts (information books)
• We will play games that support children to hear sounds in the environment (including different instruments), make body sounds (pat, clap, stamp). Teachers will model clapping syllables in words for children to copy.

There will be daily opportunities for children to experiment with their own writing. Children will be shown, if they don’t know already, how to hold a mark making tool with a comfortable grip.

• We will explore mark making using mark making tools in trays of sand/ felt pens on a variety of surfaces.
• We will explore using larger paint brushes and chunky chalks inside and outside on the ground.

Share and read the library book chosen each week by your child. Talk about what is happening and who the characters are.

Attend the phonic workshop (see school website for dates). The workshop shows how the children develop the foundation for reading skills in Nursery and how children learn to read and write within Reception

If the children have a favourite book at home, please encourage them to bring it in so we can read it within Nursery. We love to know what the children enjoy reading at home!

Numeracy

Numeracy is developed daily through high-quality interactions, group time, early morning work and during independent learning.

• There will be opportunities for purposeful counting e.g. counting children, milks, chairs, and fruit. Teachers will model counting along the number line and stopping at the correct number.
• We will practise counting aloud to five and back.
• We will sing number songs and rhymes to 5.
• We will be developing mathematical vocabulary to compare the size of objects – ‘big’ and ‘small’
• We will provide opportunities to explore 2D and 3D shapes to create patterns and constructions.
• We will learn how to sort objects by colour.

Use various opportunities to count e.g. doing up buttons, climbing stairs, collected items etc.

Sing number songs

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-counting-songs/zn67kmn

Problem solve with objects – will the toy dinosaur fit in the box? Why?

Look around you for patterns. Talk about what you can see.

Understanding the World

Past and Present

• We will provide opportunities for children to talk about who they are and who they live with. (I am...), including their pets.
• We will provide opportunities to talk about their own experiences/own life (family/celebrations)

People, Cultures & Communities

• We will be learning about Diwali, Christmas and other celebrations that happen in the Autumn term.
• We will be modelling positive attitudes to differences.
• We will be learning about who helps them within the local community (doctor, fire fighter, police, vet, lollipop person)

The Natural World

• We will be showing the children how to look after the toys and learning how to tidy up. We will use the script, ‘choose it, use it and put it away’.
• We will be developing curiosity for the world around them. We will talk about what they see and hear by going for walks in the school grounds and making collections of things to share.

Share pictures of the family, including pets. Talk to your child about who the people are. Send photos into school (either print them out or email them to the school office).

Let the nursery staff know about the celebrations that are important to your family so that we can learn more about different faiths and religions. If you can come in and talk to the children about how you celebrate.

When you are out and about point things out to your child. Talk about colours e.g. the leaf is green like the grass. Help children to make links e.g. the apple is smooth just like the pear.

Expressive Arts and Design

• We will be showing the children how to use the art resources to create their own marks and artwork. They will have an opportunity to explore the resources and experiment using colours and textures.

• They will learn to use a variety of tools/resources to draw their face. They will look in a mirror and observe facial features.
• We will be showing the children different ways to use the playdough (roll, cut, squash, pinch, twist)
• We will be showing the children how to use the small world and role-play areas and where resources are.
• We love to sing at Nursery, and we will learn new songs together (carpet time and routine songs). The children will develop their confidence to perform these new songs to parents (Christmas)
• We will use and explore the musical instruments.

Sing nursery rhymes together.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-songs-index/zhwdgwx

Collect natural materials to make pictures and collages.

Literacy

We will be fostering a love of reading. The children will have an opportunity to look at books in our book talk sessions and listen to stories read to them. We will talk about what is happening and about the characters.

• Develop an awareness of book features and structures for fiction and non-fiction (front and back cover, title)
• Developing their awareness that print carries meaning – reading other children’s names, labels and signs.
• Join in with stories, rhymes, poems, songs, non-fiction texts. 
• Begin to predict what might happen next.
• Hear initial sounds in words and suggest words that have the same sound at the beginning.
• Spot and suggest rhyming words
• Play games to support oral blending and segmenting – pre reading skills.

There will be daily opportunities for children to experiment with their own writing. Children will be shown, if they don’t know already, how to hold a mark making tool with a comfortable grip.

• Mark make using pens, pencils, paintbrushes. 
• Copy pattern outlines such as wavy lines, straight lines, bumpy lines, etc.
• Develop opportunities to write and give meaning to the marks they make.
• Developing drawing skills - show children how to represent what they are drawing.
• Form some letter shapes to write their name, shopping list or invitations.

Share and read the library book chosen each week by your child. Talk about what is happening and who the characters are. Start to ask why questions e.g. why did the beanstalk grow so tall?

Attend book talk/stay and play sessions (see the newsletter for the dates).

If the children have a favourite book at home please encourage them to bring it in so we can read it within Nursery. We love to know what the children enjoy reading at home!

Children love to mark make – provide pens and pencils for children to strengthen their hand muscles.

Support children to hold their pencil correctly.

mark making patterns

Numeracy

Numeracy is developed daily through high quality interactions, group time, early morning work and during independent learning.

• There will be opportunities for purposeful counting e.g. counting children, milks, chairs, and fruit. Teachers will model counting along the number line and stopping at the correct number.
• Match numerals to quantities up to 5
• Sing number songs (one more/one less) representing these using their fingers.
• Identifying small amounts without counting up 3 
• Extend and create ABAB patterns. Progress to spotting errors in simple patterns.
• Make Comparisons between objects relating to size, length, weight and capacity
• Compare quantities by using the terms ‘more than’, ‘less than’, ‘fewer than’ and ‘same’

Use various opportunities to count e.g. doing up buttons, climbing stairs, collected items etc.

Sing number songs

BBC Nursery Rhymes - number songs

Look around you for patterns and shapes. Talk about what you can see.

Understanding the World

Past and Present

• Share similarities between characters, figures, places or objects.
• Comments on their own experiences.
• Developing vocabulary of the passing of time. We will be looking back through our seasons book and talking about the changes. We will be growing plants and seeing how they change over time.

People, Cultures & Communities

• We will develop an awareness and foster positive attitudes about differences in what people believe and where they gather to celebrate/worship.
• Recap on celebrations we have experienced this year.
• Shows an interest in different occupations -farmer, shop worker, gardener, etc (aspirations week)

The Natural World

• We will be developing curiosity for the world around them. We will talk about what they see and hear (using their senses) by going for walks in the school grounds and making collections of things to share (seasonal changes).
• Explore planting seeds and caring for the growing seeds.
• Explore differences between plants and animals (Are they alive? What do they need?)
• Explore the world around them and show respect and care (plants and animals, including minibeasts).
• Discover about where animals live and how to care for them.
• Know the life cycle of a butterfly
• Recognise how things have changed over time e.g. plants, seasons (use seasons floor book to reflect on the changes). Relate to how they have changed. What have they learnt? PSHE

Let the nursery staff know about the celebrations that are important to your family so that we can learn more about different faiths and religions. If you can, come in and talk to the children about how you celebrate!

When you are out and about point things out to your child. Talk about changes that are happening or that have happened.

Science day activities.

Expressive Arts and Design

• Explore painting, cutting, joining, printing and sticking skills to create their own art work, using a variety of tools and resources.
• Begin to experiment with mixing colours
• Model building walls and enclosed spaces to create small worlds for animals/people. Add other resources.
• Develop drawing skills – support observational skills e.g. plants and animals

• Sing a selection of nursery rhymes and songs (singing box) 
• Develop awareness of a simple beat when playing a variety of instruments.
• Copies basic actions and begins to learn a short dance routine.

Sing nursery rhymes together.

BBC Nursery Rhymes

Collect natural materials to make pictures and collages.