Reception - Art and Design - Folding
Look at the amazing cardboard creations happening in our Early Years setting!
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Nursery - Science - Observing Tadpoles
Our observational topic this term is the life cycle of frogs! The children were very excited to see that we had lots of new class members this week in the shape of tiny tadpoles! The children explored the lifecycle of frogs through stories, props and pictures to support their new learning and further their understanding on how these tiny creatures will change over time. Nursery class made some observations about the tadpoles, noticing their colour, size, their environment and features that the tadpoles have. We have also discovered that tadpoles love to eat cucumber, the children found this fascinating to watch as the tadpoles swarmed over to the cucumber nibbling away at their dinner. We can't wait to watch the tadpoles change over time into froglets and then finally into frogs!
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Reception- Phonics - Tricky Words
Through playing Bingo and writing words using magnetic letters, play dough and sand, the children have had great fun learning their tricky words in Phonics.
Nursery - P.E - Frog Jumps
During our P.E. lesson, the children enthusiastically engaged in mimicking frog movements. The children worked on their jumping technique, bending their knees and crouching low like frogs, the children demonstrated good understanding and attempted the action with varying levels of balance and control. This indicates developing gross motor skills, specifically coordination and balance. The children showed excitement when encouraged to jump onto the chalk-drawn lily pads. They performed small jumps with both feet together, landing with bent knees. The height and distance of their jumps varied, reflecting different levels of physical development and confidence. The children also linked sound effects to their movements, shouting 'ribbit' as they jumped from one lily pad to another.
Pre-School- Physical Development- Help The Flowers Grow
In Pre-School the children have been developing their fine motor skills using the bottle sprays to squeeze the handle to water the painted flowers. The children are building muscle strength in their fingers through fine motor skill activities that offer a wealth of benefits, particularly in the development of writing: Stronger finger muscles, especially the thumb, index, and middle fingers (used in the tripod grip), allow for a more controlled and comfortable hold on the pencil. This reduces fatigue and improves dexterity. Increased strength enables more precise movements of the fingers, which are essential for forming letters accurately, neatly, and with appropriate pressure. These activities build finger strength often also improve the ability to move the fingers independently and in coordination (in-hand manipulation), which is vital for adjusting the pencil within the hand without losing contact with the paper.
Reception - Maths - Numbers to 20
Look at the fantastic ways our Reception class is representing numbers up to 20! From the visual patterns of Numicon to building their own number staircases, ordering with precision, and understanding place value with ten frames – they're really bringing numbers to life!
Reception - English - Writing a Sentence
What a fun way to learn! Reception children turned into word explorers today, using magnifying glasses to find digraphs. Then, they put their phonics knowledge into action by crafting sentences, focusing on those important capital letters, finger spaces, and full stops.
Reception - Geography - Identifying Familiar Places in Darwen
Reception pupils embarked on an exciting geographical adventure today, discovering the town of Darwen through maps and Google Earth. Their exploration took in key landmarks like Darwen Tower and the library, as well as child-initiated points of interest including the church, Iceland, Asda, the leisure centre, and our own school. The highlight for many was locating their houses and sharing their journeys to school, some of which we followed virtually using Google Maps to discuss familiar stops. The children then used copies of the map and familiar landmarks to create their own representations of Darwen.This hands-on experience directly supports their understanding of the world and acts as a fantastic stepping stone towards Year 1 geography.
Nursery - Maths - Five Little Speckled Frogs
This week the children have shown high levels of engagement with the chia slime, exploring its texture with their hands, describing it as "slimy" and "squishy." When prompted to search for the hidden frogs, they demonstrated great observation skills, carefully moving aside the twigs, leaves and plants within the slime. As each frog was discovered, the children showed excitement and a developing understanding of object permanence. Upon finding a frog, most children were able to place it onto the designated log. As a group, they participated in singing "Five Little Speckled Frogs,". The children used some number language when counting the frogs, with some friends counting all of the frogs accurately.
Pre School - Computing - To Paint A Butterfly
In Computing the children painted a butterfly linked to our story The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Using the class chromebook the children sat and designed their butterfly on Purple Mash, selecting which colour they were going to use and then smaking their marks using the touch screen.
Reception - Handa's Surprise - Fruit Tasting
Our little explorers have been on a taste adventure inspired by "Handa's Surprise"! After reading the story, we explored the real fruits Handa carried in her basket: a creamy avocado, a sweet banana, a juicy mango, a tangy pineapple, and a bright orange. The children used fantastic describing words as they tasted each one. We heard about textures that were "smooth like silk," "bumpy like a road," and "soft like a cloud." Their taste buds had lots to say too – "sweet and yummy," "a little bit sour," and even a few "not so sure about that one!" faces when it came to the avocado! This hands-on activity not only brought the story to life and encouraged rich language development, but it also sparked our inner geographers! We had some great discussions about where these amazing fruits come from around the world, learning about the warm and sunny climates where mangoes and pineapples thrive.
Nursery - Music - Loud And Quiet Sounds
The nursery class engaged in a lively exploration of loud and quiet sounds, focusing on how their actions could influence the volume produced by the drum. The children eagerly took turns experimenting with different approaches to playing the instrument. We observed a range of techniques, from gentle taps with soft hands or fingertips resulting in quiet sounds, to more energetic banging with open palms or fists creating much louder noises. It was interesting to witness the children's growing understanding of cause and effect – how the force and method of their interaction with the drum directly impacted the auditory outcome. Some children intuitively adjusted their movements, seemingly delighted by their ability to control the volume. This hands-on exploration fostered not only an awareness of sound intensity but also encouraged experimentation, active listening, and a playful approach to understanding basic physical principles.
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