Nursery - Computing - Ice-Cream Creations
The children approached the interactive whiteboard with high levels of curiosity and engagement, particularly with the vibrant colours and responsiveness of the Purple Mash drawing function. For the newer class members, the activity provided a foundational experience in early digital literacy. These children primarily focused on the cause and effect relationship between their physical movements and the marks appearing on the screen. They explored moving their hands across the board, watching lines and scribbles appear, demonstrating an initial understanding that their actions directly influenced the digital output. Their movements were broad and experimental, indicating the very first stages of control over a digital tool. The older and more experienced children in the class exhibited more refined digital literacy skills and intentionality. These students actively attempted to control their movements to achieve specific shapes, notably working on creating circular motions to form ice cream scoops. Their engagement also extended to thinking about their design, verbally contemplating and selecting virtual "toppings" for their ice creams e.g., "I want sprinkles!", "Strawberry on top!". This demonstrated developing digital dexterity, early planning skills, and the ability to integrate imaginative ideas with the available digital tools. Overall, the activity successfully catered to a range of developmental stages, allowing all children to explore digital mark-making at their own level while fostering early computing and creative expression.
Pre-School-Understanding The World-Harvesting
This week in understanding the world we have been looking at harvesting, What can be harvested?, who harvests them? and why we harvest fruit and vegetables. "Harvesting" in the Early Years refers to engaging young children in activities related to the gathering of crops, fruits, and vegetables. It's a fantastic way to introduce them to concepts of nature, food, and the wider world. Key Learning Areas in EYFS Covered by Harvesting Activities: Understanding the World: The Natural World: Learning about plant life cycles, where food comes from, the importance of water and sunlight, and the role of insects. People, Culture and Communities: Understanding how farms provide food, the concept of a harvest festival, and the idea of sharing and gratitude. Physical Development: Fine Motor Skills: Planting small seeds, picking berries, husking corn, using child-friendly gardening tools. Gross Motor Skills: Digging, carrying baskets, moving around a garden or outdoor space. Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Managing Self: Developing patience as they wait for plants to grow, taking responsibility for caring for plants. Self-Regulation: Sharing tools, taking turns. Building Relationships: Working cooperatively with peers and adults. Communication and Language: Listening, Attention and Understanding: Following instructions for planting and harvesting. Speaking: Describing textures, smells, and tastes of harvested items, discussing what they are doing. Mathematics: Number: Counting fruits, vegetables, or seeds; measuring quantities of soil or water. Shape, Space and Measure: Sorting by size, comparing quantities. Expressive Arts and Design: Creating with Materials: Making fruit/vegetable prints, collages with seeds, designing scarecrows. Being Imaginative and Expressive: Role-playing a farmer or market stall holder. Harvesting Activities for EYFS: Real Garden Harvesting: Planting and Growing: If possible, have a small garden patch where children can plant seeds (e.g., beans, cress, sunflowers) and care for them. The ultimate harvesting experience! Picking: Picking ripe fruits (strawberries, raspberries) or vegetables (peas, cherry tomatoes) they have grown. Root Vegetable Digging: Burying vegetables like potatoes or carrots in a sensory bin filled with soil or compost for children to "dig up."
Pre-School-Expressive Art And Design-Making snails.
At the workshop table this week we have been creating snails using a range of materials, this is linked to our story The Snail and The Whale.
Nursery - Science - Exploring Textures In The Sand
The children in Nursery class actively explored the materials with their hands, running sand through their fingers and picking up the feathers. This demonstrated strong curiosity and active exploration. As they explored, children spontaneously generated descriptive words for the textures they encountered. Several children were heard saying "fluffy" when touching the feathers and "soft" when feeling the fine sand. When adults modelled words like "bumpy" and "smooth", while touching shells, these words were frequently repeated by the children, showing developing listening and understanding skills and an expansion of their descriptive vocabulary. Children also engaged in various actions with the materials, such as sprinkling sand over the feathers and shells, and examining the intricate patterns on the shells. This hands-on interaction allowed for direct observation of material properties and fostered a deeper sensory understanding of their immediate environment. The activity successfully provided rich opportunities for sensory exploration and language development around textures.
Let’s Talk Dummies – Helping Your Pre-Schooler Get Ready to Talk and Learn
Dummies can be really helpful when children are little, especially for comfort and sleep. But as they grow and get ready for nursery or school, dummies and bottles can start to get in the way of their talking. Using a dummy too much can make it harder for children to: • Babble and practise new sounds • Move their tongue properly for clear speech • Develop teeth and mouths in a way that supports speaking All of these things are really important as children build their confidence with talking, listening and joining in – key parts of being ready for school. How can you help? • Try to keep dummy use just for sleep times • Take the dummy out when your child is playing, exploring or talking • Start to reduce dummy use gradually – and aim to stop altogether before they turn 2 If you’re not sure where to start or would like some ideas, just ask a member of staff – we’re always happy to help. Together, we can support every child to find their voice and feel confident for their next steps. ????????
Pre-School- Physical Development- Making Marks
In Pre-School we have been developing our mark making skills in class, using letter join and write dance to support our movements in the rice. Using our finger to mark swirls, rainbow, lines, figure of 8 and many more. The children have the freedom to see marks made in a different way instead of on paper.
Pre-School- Seven Areas of Learning- Continuous Provision
In Pre-School the children learn through play. Exploring the environment with interest to develop their knowledge and understanding and challenge their learning. Each area is designed to engage them to play, making them independent with selecting resources and build on their skills. This week the children have developed their imaginative skills building a bridge in the garden which revisited a story we have covered a while ago. The three Billy goats gruff, remembering parts of the story and using size language when the children crossed the bridge. The children interact with each other pulling them into each other's play and communicating what they are going to do. Building houses together in the construction area and making tea for each other at the malleable table. Developing their mark making skills with different resources and tools to cause different effects.
Nursery - P.E - Ball Skills - Throwing, Catching And Rolling.
During PE, Nursery class focused on fundamental ball skills, specifically rolling, throwing and catching. The children engaged in independent, small group and paired activities, demonstrating a range of developing abilities. In the small group rolling activity, many children showed good control, pushing the ball forward with an open palm. Some were beginning to anticipate the ball's movement and adjust their body to receive it. The children have been developing the coordination required to consistently send the ball in a straight line. Transitioning to paired throwing, the children were at different stages of mastering this skill, while their aim varied, they all worked on releasing the ball with an underarm throw. All of the children showed enthusiasm and persistence, readily retrieving their balls and attempting throws again.
Nursery - PSHE - Sorting Seasonal Clothing
During PSHE this week, our focus was seasonal clothing, Nursery class participated in sorting various items. The children were presented with a selection of clothing and accessories, including wellies, sunglasses, a cap, a woolly hat, a coat, and a dress. The discussion began with prompting the children to identify each item and consider when they might wear it. When shown the wellies, children vocally identified them, and some made splashing motions, and made links with the pussles they could see out of the window, demonstrating an understanding of their use in wet weather. Following the discussion, the children were encouraged to separate the items into two distinct piles: "summer" and "winter". The children were able to accurately place items like sunglasses, caps, and dresses in the summer pile, often accompanied by exclamations of "hot!" or "sun". Conversely, items such as the woolly hat and coat were predominantly sorted into the winter pile, with some children rubbing their arms as if cold. While a few children initially misplaced an item, gentle redirection and a brief recap of the associated weather conditions helped them self-correct. This activity demonstrated the childrens developing understanding of personal, social, and emotional development through their ability to make connections between clothing and weather. Their engagement in the discussion and their sorting accuracy suggest an awareness of the world around them and how to adapt to different environmental conditions. The hands-on nature of the task fostered cognitive development and fine motor skills as they manipulated the clothing items.
Reception Maths – Exploring Repeat Patterns
Today in maths, Reception continued their learning on repeating patterns. We started with visual prompts and the children worked in small groups to recreate the patterns before having a go at continuing them independently using a variety of resources like cubes, shapes and pegs. The children showed fantastic focus and teamwork as they spotted the unit of repeat and carefully selected objects to match and extend each pattern. This learning links to the EYFS Mathematics Early Learning Goal: ???? “Explore and represent patterns within numbers up to 10, including evens and odds, double facts and how quantities can be distributed equally.” It also supports: ???? Communication and Language – discussing colours, shapes and sequences ???? Physical Development – fine motor control when placing and organising resources ???? Personal, Social and Emotional Development – taking turns and working together We were so proud of the children’s confidence and creativity in today’s session!
Nursery - Maths - Art - Creating Lions With Simple Shapes
This week, Nursery class had a fantastic time exploring shapes in a creative maths lesson at the craft table! We got busy making magnificent lion faces using simple shapes: circles and triangles. Before sticking, the children were encouraged to trace the edges of each shape with their fingers. As they traced, they voiced the names and descriptions of the shapes – "round and round" for the circle and "spikey" for the triangle! Following a modelled example, the children carefully placed their shapes to create their own unique lion faces. It was wonderful to see their concentration as they copied the design, developing their fine motor skills and shape recognition all at once. Our little mathematicians did a brilliant job bringing their lions to life while learning all about basic shapes.
Reception RE - Learning About Islam
What a wonderful way to explore and learn! Our Reception children have been diving into "Learning About Islam," and these photos capture some fantastic moments. It's clear to see how many aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage are being met here: Understanding the World: Children are developing a deeper understanding of different cultures, beliefs, and traditions. This helps them make sense of their community and the wider world around them. Personal, Social and Emotional Development: Through activities like role-play and respectful learning, children are building empathy, respect for others, and a positive sense of self. They're also learning about different ways people express their beliefs. Communication and Language: Whether discussing what they've learned, asking questions, or explaining concepts to each other, these activities encourage rich language development and communication skills. Expressive Arts and Design: We can see children engaging with props and potentially creating their own understanding through imaginative play, fostering creativity and self-expression. It's inspiring to see our young learners so engaged in such meaningful and inclusive education! #EYFS #EarlyYears #UnderstandingTheWorld #DiversityAndInclusion #LearningAboutIslam #ChildDevelopment #ReceptionClass
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