Kung Hey Fat Choy!!

Kung Hey Fat Choy!
Yes, this week the children will be learning about the traditions of the Chinese culture and in particular the Chinese New Year. We look forward to this week every year as it provides us with the opportunity to cover all areas of the curriculum in a really integrated and fun way.They will experience Chinese cuisine, even prepare and cook some for the rest of the class to share. On Thursday, we hope to invite the year 1 and 2 children into our classroom, which will have been set up like a restaurant, and serve them with some Chinese food.

The children will learn a poem by Meg Jones that goes to the tune of ‘Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross’.
Chinese New Year
The house must be clean,
The food all made ready
For a happy New Year.
With bangs and firecrackers
And lions that dance,
With dragons all fiery
To China we dance.

The children will use the poem as a stimulus to finding out about the Chinese dragon dances, the firecrackers and the tradition of cleaning houses and giving money. They will learn about how the years were named after the different animals.

Creative and Physical Development
The children will have the opportunity to listen to and respond to Chinese music. In dance they will learn how to keep to a beat alongside a drum in preparation for our very own dragon dance on the playground during Golden Time. They will be creating Chinese lanterns, dragon masks and many other creative artefacts linked to the Chinese New Year.

Communication, Language and Literacy
By the end of the week, the children:
Must be able to recognise by name and sound h, b, f and l
Should be able to recognise all letters by name and sound learned so far, to blend and segment
Could be able to recognise (Set 6 letters) and use them to blend and segment new words.

The websites from last week’s blog should support these objectives.

High frequency words
In addition to the phonics, could we ask that you now concentrate more on the spelling of the high frequency words as well as the reading of them. Now that the children know more letters they should find them much easier to learn. These will be tested on alternate weeks with their reading. Please can I also remind you to make at least one comment per week in your child’s diary? Thanks in anticipation of your support in this.

PSRN
Must be able to sort 2D shapes according to colour, shape and size
Should be able to sort similarities and differences between 2D shapes, using correct mathematical vocabulary
Could demonstrate and understanding of 3D shapes through construction activities and be able to identify them in their own environment by name

Again the websites from last week’s blog will support many of these objectives.

Presto Music
The children had a great music show on Thursday and they should have received an invitation for a free music taster session on Friday. Should you wish to take advantage of this, please complete the form and return to school by Tuesday. Unfortunately any forms returned after this time, will not be eligible for the free session, but details will still be passed onto Presto.

I think that is all for this week.

Have a good one!

Best wishes
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx