WOW!!
That is all I can say to describe the amazing Easter bonnets paraded at the end of last term. Needless to say, I was not a judge as I am far too emotional to make a choice between one angel’s bonnet and another. Please do not fret for a photograph has been taken for a keepsake and, for you to use when their 18th birthday approaches! And now…
BOO HOO!
Can you actually believe that it is in this half term last year that you met the team you decided to entrust with your child’s education? Well believe me it is. The nerves are now beginning to flutter in my stomach as I contemplate the fact that not only do I have to stand up in front of LOTS of new faces, but our little darlings who we love and have nurtured are now being prepared to flee the nest and transfer to Year 1. (Now I know what my dad went through when I got married). HOWEVER, I do need volunteers to come along to the new intake meeting and put new parent’s minds at rest that we are not raving loonatics! Even if we ask children to kiss baked beans and truly believe that the Giant in Jack and the Beanstalk corresponds with us via The Beanstalk Mail!
YES! We have a letter? But of course! Never? I could go on…but I won’t. The giant refuses to let the beanstalk grow any further for fear that his belongings will be stolen once again. A ploy? Yes, only to get the children writing. Yet a very good ploy as this is the term when the children flourish and blossom into writers of the future and beyond. (Mmm…felt like I was an extra on Star Trek then! Not good! Apologies to any trekkies reading this week’s blog) Our classroom has been transformed and we now have a Giant’s castle to role play in and…I am sooooo excited about this! But it is a secret and your child will have to tell you what we have in place of the Doctor’s surgery.
Student Teacher
As you may be aware we have the benefit of a final year student, Lauren Scott, who will be doing her final teaching practice with us next week. Lauren has been fully informed of the level at which your child is working and Mrs Higgins and Mrs Latham will be supporting her as normal. I have been banished to the depths of…no seriously…thankfully some teachers did it for me many, many years ago and made me the teacher I am today. So, a seven week holiday in Barbados then? No such luck! I shall be working with some Year 2 children about fantasy world (somehow I don’t think it will be too challenging for me, imaginary worlds, fantasy fiction! Can I tell the difference between reality and fantasy?), and Year 3 children on phonics but will observe my class in the afternoon and continue to do their handwriting and phonics work. Leave my babies? No way. I shall be teaching them every Thursday though. Mmm…what will I have up my sleeve then? During this time please make sure that any correspondence and information is passed directly onto me or Mrs Higgins. I shall always be available should you need to see me at any point and the blog spot will continue as normal.
So what have we in store for this week?
Thanks to Mrs Harding, our science leader, we have a science show on Friday morning. Therefore, this week will be very much science based. As I mentioned in the blog before Easter, we will be looking at materials. This will also form some of our art work for the theme of ‘Echoes’ for the Primary Arts Exhibition at the Gateway. In addition to this, our theme of materials also lends itself to our one week maths topic on sorting. By the end of the week, the children:
MUST be able to sort objects and materials by a given criteria;
SHOULD be able to sort objects and materials according to their own criteria;
COULD be able to record their sorting in a diagrammatic form.
You may wish to support your child by having a look around the house and outside environment, discussing with them what things are made of and why. Remember to use all the sense. What does it smell like? Feel like? Sound like? Etc. Here are some good websites to support the children in their learning:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/sorting_using_mate.shtml - this is a good website for the children to consolidate their understanding of the different properties of materials. We shall be investigating which materials will be best for making a raincoat for a Incy Wincy Spider so he doesn’t get wet when it rains. Perhaps you too could test out some different materials. Remember it needs to be bendy and waterproof.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/grouping_materials.shtml - the children will work on sorting different objects according to their materials and properties. This website consolidates their understanding but a look at household objects first would be a great idea.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=materials2d - this is good once they understand the different materials.
As part of the theme of materials the children will be exploring magnets. This is one of my most dominant memories of primary school. I am still fascinated by them now. Why not explore things around the house that attract the magnets but remember to stay clear from the TV!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/7_8/magnets_springs.shtml - this website is a little older (actually KS2) but I think the children will be okay just investigating what the magnets will pick up and thinking about what they are made of.
Phonics
All the assessments of letter sounds and names were completed at the end of the last half term. If your child does still need to work on a few I will write them in their diary this week. Believe it or not, they fit on a little label now! In class this week we will be reviewing the sounds ‘oo’, ‘ai’ and ‘ee’. The children are pretty familiar with ‘oo’ and ‘ee’ as I have often referred to them in class previously. I shall be using this week to focus on the children’s spelling and sounding out of words using the letter sounds they have been taught. This will form the basis of the records for Miss Scott to ensure that the children are working at the correct level. Here are some websites to support the children. By the end of the week, the children:
MUST be able to identify all the letter sounds and names;
SHOULD be able to orally segment and blend simple three letter words;
COULD read and spell more complex words containing the sounds ‘ee’, ‘oo’ and ‘ai’.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/poems/flash/fpoem2.shtml - click on Daisy the Snail. This is the poem the children will be learning this week to help them learn the sound ‘ai’.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/poems/flash/fpoem7.shtml - another poem for ‘oo’.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/poems/flash/fpoem1.shtml - I love this poem to help the children reinforce ‘ee’.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/print/print.shtml - this page has some wonderful print and do activities. Why not have a go at making your own poem containing the sounds of the week?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/snap/snap.shtml - a good website which has our new sounds in but also helps prepare for others to follow.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/spelling/spelling.shtml - again has other sounds but will help prepare the children.
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/phaseThreeAS1_v2.html - this will be used in class to help the children. Give them a word and they can drag the cards into the frames. To find ‘ee’, ‘oo’, and ‘ai’ click on the rainbow and it will change for you.
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/poopDeck_v3.html - a good website for helping with those blending skills.
http://www.starfall.com/n/make-a-word/long-e/load.htm?f - good old starfall! Click on Pete the Sheep and the games associated with it.
Reading
Tuesday sees the launch of The Year of Reading. Reading is vital to life long learning. A quote from a good friend of mine over the holidays was: ‘You begin by learning to read, and then you read to learn.’ Let this be the moto for this year across the whole country. Take time out to enjoy a novel, read a magazine, catch up on a sporting article, just read for pleasure. You can not imagine the impact that it will have on your child seeing you as a reader. Remember that Penketh library is not too far away. Why not join if you are not a member already. Penketh library celebrates its anniversary this year too. Each child will receive a special gift to mark the launch of this very special year. Enjoy your read! I have spent much of my holiday with my nose in a book, much to the neglect of my housework. I am currently reading ‘The Book Thief’ by Markus Zusak. If anyone fancies it afterwards I will be leaving a book swap basket outside the classroom door starting next week. Just pick it up and take it and if you have one you’d like to swap just pop it in the basket for others to share.
Sponsor money
It would be greatly appreciated if any outstanding sponsored Boogie Woogie money could be returned to school by the end of this week so we can collate it and send off the cheque. Many thanks to you all for your generosity.
PE Kits
We will be doing PE on Monday morning. Please make sure that your child does have their PE Kit. Thanks. Do not worry if your child forgot theirs on the last day it has been washed and ironed at Widow Narraway’s Laundrette and is ready for getting filthy again!
I think that is all for this week.
Have a great one!
Best wishes Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Happy Easter
Hi there!
Let’s begin with an apology. I’m so sorry for the lateness in getting your child’s handwriting homework to you last week. With the wind and the sending of the children through the front of school I forgot to send it. I will try to do much better from now on.
Now let’s talk about last week. How amazing it was! We finally completed our sentences about frogs and the use of connectives to make our sentences longer. The tongues are now firmly stuck in their frog puppets mouths and will soon be displayed on the wall in the classroom. The work the children have been doing on frogs has been further enhanced thanks to Mrs Bolton who has acquired us some frogspawn for in our water tray. The children have really loved this and have been drawing the frogspawn and creating diagrams. Already we can see the changes happening and this weekend should see the tadpoles emerging from the protective gel. It must be said that the children are truly amazing and have really impressed us with how much they have chosen to find out of their own accord. Thanks for all your support at home.
What is this? A beanstalk? Growing in our classroom? Yes! It’s true. Last week we saw the arrival of our very own ‘Grow your own beanstalk kit’. This is like no other kit. Oh no…it is magic! We have planted our beans (baked) and have sprinkled them with magic dust. We already have a leaf. Will the beanstalk grow any higher? But of course it will. This week we hope to encourage the children to write more by having them receive a letter from the giant via the beanstalk. I wonder what will be the outcome?
In addition to this, the children will be entering a national poetry competition. In preparation for this could you talk to your child about:
Who their best friend is
What they like to watch on TV
What they consider a treat (not food)
Their pet ( and if they haven’t got one what pet they would like to have – this can be a crazy one)
Thanks.
As always, the last week of the half term is Assessment and Review Week. I will be assessing:
Number recognition
Letter sounds and name recognition
Blending of words when reading
High frequency words
Ordering of numbers
Understanding of subtraction
In addition to this we will be assessing the children on their understanding of comparative language e.g longer, shorter, taller etc for the half term to follow Easter. Please refer back to previous blogs to find websites to support he revision of these areas.
The Easter Story
We take the opportunity to spend the whole week on the celebration of Easter with the children. This week will be filled with fun activities for them whilst they understand the meaning behind the celebration of Easter. The story is told to the children sensitively and in a way which will help them to understand. Thanks to Mrs Worrall, our RE Coordinator, we have some lovely websites to support this week.
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/christianity/easter/easter.htm - this is an illustrated version of the story. You may wish to omit the part about the nails as this often upsets the children.
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/Easter/Easter.aspx - find out more about the traditions surrounding Easter.
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/re/b-dag/ngfl-container/re-unit2-en.html - some lovely activities on here.
http://www.teachingandlearningresources.co.uk/resourcesjigsaws.shtml -online jigsaws for the children to do.
http://www.teachingandlearningresources.co.uk/colourbookeaster.shtml - printable Easter colouring activities.
http://demo.iboard.co.uk/screens/thread_home.htm?thread_id=21# - a lovely website with lots of fantastic things to do. We will be using this in the ICT suite with the children.
Easter Bonnets
There will of course be our other fun activities. I can’t wait to see all the wonderful Easter bonnets the children will have made. We do take a photograph of them for their Year Book.
Egg Rolling Competition
Please remember that the eggs need to be hard boiled.
Sponsored Boogie Woogie
The children will be dancing non-stop to ten songs on Monday in aid of Nugent Care. Please can you make sure that your child has their sponsor form in their bags for signing after the Boogie Woogie. Many thanks as this will allow for the sponsor money to be collected in that week prior to the Easter break.
Fundraiser
Year 5 and 6 are also holding their very own fundraising event. This will be on Tuesday afternoon. There will be games and small items for sale. If your child would like to contribute then bring along 50p on Tuesday. Please remember to place it in a labelled purse or an envelope.
Science Week
On our return to school we will be holding a Science themed week on Materials. Over the holidays I would appreciate it if you could see if you have any old pieces of material, wool, foil, wood, bricks etc that will help us in our investigations.
I think that is all for now so all that is left to say is…
Have a Happy and Holy Easter
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx
Let’s begin with an apology. I’m so sorry for the lateness in getting your child’s handwriting homework to you last week. With the wind and the sending of the children through the front of school I forgot to send it. I will try to do much better from now on.
Now let’s talk about last week. How amazing it was! We finally completed our sentences about frogs and the use of connectives to make our sentences longer. The tongues are now firmly stuck in their frog puppets mouths and will soon be displayed on the wall in the classroom. The work the children have been doing on frogs has been further enhanced thanks to Mrs Bolton who has acquired us some frogspawn for in our water tray. The children have really loved this and have been drawing the frogspawn and creating diagrams. Already we can see the changes happening and this weekend should see the tadpoles emerging from the protective gel. It must be said that the children are truly amazing and have really impressed us with how much they have chosen to find out of their own accord. Thanks for all your support at home.
What is this? A beanstalk? Growing in our classroom? Yes! It’s true. Last week we saw the arrival of our very own ‘Grow your own beanstalk kit’. This is like no other kit. Oh no…it is magic! We have planted our beans (baked) and have sprinkled them with magic dust. We already have a leaf. Will the beanstalk grow any higher? But of course it will. This week we hope to encourage the children to write more by having them receive a letter from the giant via the beanstalk. I wonder what will be the outcome?
In addition to this, the children will be entering a national poetry competition. In preparation for this could you talk to your child about:
Who their best friend is
What they like to watch on TV
What they consider a treat (not food)
Their pet ( and if they haven’t got one what pet they would like to have – this can be a crazy one)
Thanks.
As always, the last week of the half term is Assessment and Review Week. I will be assessing:
Number recognition
Letter sounds and name recognition
Blending of words when reading
High frequency words
Ordering of numbers
Understanding of subtraction
In addition to this we will be assessing the children on their understanding of comparative language e.g longer, shorter, taller etc for the half term to follow Easter. Please refer back to previous blogs to find websites to support he revision of these areas.
The Easter Story
We take the opportunity to spend the whole week on the celebration of Easter with the children. This week will be filled with fun activities for them whilst they understand the meaning behind the celebration of Easter. The story is told to the children sensitively and in a way which will help them to understand. Thanks to Mrs Worrall, our RE Coordinator, we have some lovely websites to support this week.
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/christianity/easter/easter.htm - this is an illustrated version of the story. You may wish to omit the part about the nails as this often upsets the children.
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/Easter/Easter.aspx - find out more about the traditions surrounding Easter.
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/re/b-dag/ngfl-container/re-unit2-en.html - some lovely activities on here.
http://www.teachingandlearningresources.co.uk/resourcesjigsaws.shtml -online jigsaws for the children to do.
http://www.teachingandlearningresources.co.uk/colourbookeaster.shtml - printable Easter colouring activities.
http://demo.iboard.co.uk/screens/thread_home.htm?thread_id=21# - a lovely website with lots of fantastic things to do. We will be using this in the ICT suite with the children.
Easter Bonnets
There will of course be our other fun activities. I can’t wait to see all the wonderful Easter bonnets the children will have made. We do take a photograph of them for their Year Book.
Egg Rolling Competition
Please remember that the eggs need to be hard boiled.
Sponsored Boogie Woogie
The children will be dancing non-stop to ten songs on Monday in aid of Nugent Care. Please can you make sure that your child has their sponsor form in their bags for signing after the Boogie Woogie. Many thanks as this will allow for the sponsor money to be collected in that week prior to the Easter break.
Fundraiser
Year 5 and 6 are also holding their very own fundraising event. This will be on Tuesday afternoon. There will be games and small items for sale. If your child would like to contribute then bring along 50p on Tuesday. Please remember to place it in a labelled purse or an envelope.
Science Week
On our return to school we will be holding a Science themed week on Materials. Over the holidays I would appreciate it if you could see if you have any old pieces of material, wool, foil, wood, bricks etc that will help us in our investigations.
I think that is all for now so all that is left to say is…
Have a Happy and Holy Easter
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Who will be the winner?
Welcome to this week’s blog!
Last week was very hectic to say the least. Needless to say we didn’t quite get round to doing everything we planned but the written work completed by the children on the life cycle of a butterfly was amazing!. Therefore, we will be continuing with the theme of frogs and how they change from a tadpole.
We are actually having a competition. Last week, the children made frog face puppets using paper plates and now they are going to have a competition to see who can write the longest sentence to create the frog with the longest tongue. The puppets they have made are fantastic and so will the sentences I am sure. As they find out more information we will be able to review their understanding of non-fiction texts. You may wish to visit the library and see if you can find any books on frogs for your child to share with us at school.
In addition to all of this we will begin a mini art topic on the theme of Echoes. There is to be an exhibition of Primary Art held at The Gateway and The Pyramid later this year. Our school is taking part in the exhibition and our class is creating a large piece of art to be displayed in Warrington Museum. Hence, the two weeks to make sure the art is of the highest quality.
Talking of art, our Van Gogh pictures are now up in the classroom and look truly magnificent. Please feel free to pop in at the end of any day and have a look at your child’s masterpiece. Even Mr Barker has commissioned us to do one for his office! (Do you think we should charge him the price that Van Gogh’s paintings bring? Who knows judging by the art we could possibly have a future artist in our midst)
Phonics
We are very close to ensuring every child knows their letter sounds by Easter. If your child does still need to work on a few I will write them in their diary this week. In class this week we will be focusing on the sounds ‘oo’, ‘ai’ and ‘ee’. The children are pretty familiar with ‘oo’ and ‘ee’ as I have often referred to them in class previously.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/poems/flash/fpoem2.shtml - click on Daisy the Snail. This is the poem the children will be learning this week to help them learn the sound ‘ai’.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/poems/flash/fpoem7.shtml - another poem for ‘oo’.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/poems/flash/fpoem1.shtml - I love this poem to help the children reinforce ‘ee’.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/print/print.shtml - this page has some wonderful print and do activities. Why not have a go at making your own poem containing the sounds of the week?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/snap/snap.shtml - a good website which has our new sounds in but also helps prepare for others to follow.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/spelling/spelling.shtml - again has other sounds but will help prepare the children.
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/phaseThreeAS1_v2.html - this will be used in class to help the children. Give them a word and they can drag the cards into the frames. To find ‘ee’, ‘oo’, and ‘ai’ click on the rainbow and it will change for you.
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/poopDeck_v3.html - a good website for helping with those blending skills.
http://www.starfall.com/n/make-a-word/long-e/load.htm?f - good old starfall! Click on Pete the Sheep and the games associated with it.
Problem-solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
MUST be able to identify one less;
SHOULD be able to understand that subtract means ‘take away’ and carry out the operation practically;
COULD be able to independently subtract one number from another, and understand the vocabulary associated with subtraction.
Last week we set the scene for understanding subtraction and it is hoped that the children are more familiar with their subtraction flower by now to enable them to use the different vocabulary associated with this operation. Unfortunately the children sometimes mix up the language of Mr Adder with the subtraction flower.
These are the websites from last week which are still suitable.
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/maths/num%20machine/take1.html - a good website for reviewing one less but you will need to play it alongside them.
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/maths/num%20machine/take2.html - this works in the same way but subtracts two.
http://www.sums.co.uk/playground/c1a/playground.htm - this is a great website for problem-solving with subtraction and it has a real visual element to it.
http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/games/game8.htm - this is a great game of skittles if the weather is bad!
http://www.deltamicro.co.uk/primary_online/planetstaken.html - another great website with a problem solving element.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/numbers/chi.shtml - I would really recommend this website as they can do addition and subtraction on it as well.
http://www.ictgames.com/soccer_subtraction.html -probably the only time that England will beat Brazil! The number of players on the Brazil team can be used to help work out if the subtraction fact is true or false. If it is false click on next and if it is true then click on the England player.
http://www.ictgames.com/targettakeaway.html - good for once your child has mastered the concept of subtraction and wants to have a go at larger numbers.
Other bits and bobs
You should have received a letter about the Easter bonnet and egg rolling competitions. The last week of this half term is a wonderful celebration of Easter. The competition for the bonnets is judged on creativity and evidence of the children’s own work. And now a plea from the heart. Please make sure that your child’s egg is hard boiled for the egg rolling competition. Yes, believe it or not we do have some who just decorate them and we do wish to stay on good terms with the school caretaker.
On Wednesday evening there is a Friends of St Vincent’s Meeting at St Joseph’s parish club. Please come along if you can. It starts at 8pm.
I am out of school on Thursday and Friday on a Deputy Headteacher’s conference. Mrs Julia Neale will be coming into support the class on these days.
I think that is all for this week.
Have a good one!
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx
Last week was very hectic to say the least. Needless to say we didn’t quite get round to doing everything we planned but the written work completed by the children on the life cycle of a butterfly was amazing!. Therefore, we will be continuing with the theme of frogs and how they change from a tadpole.
We are actually having a competition. Last week, the children made frog face puppets using paper plates and now they are going to have a competition to see who can write the longest sentence to create the frog with the longest tongue. The puppets they have made are fantastic and so will the sentences I am sure. As they find out more information we will be able to review their understanding of non-fiction texts. You may wish to visit the library and see if you can find any books on frogs for your child to share with us at school.
In addition to all of this we will begin a mini art topic on the theme of Echoes. There is to be an exhibition of Primary Art held at The Gateway and The Pyramid later this year. Our school is taking part in the exhibition and our class is creating a large piece of art to be displayed in Warrington Museum. Hence, the two weeks to make sure the art is of the highest quality.
Talking of art, our Van Gogh pictures are now up in the classroom and look truly magnificent. Please feel free to pop in at the end of any day and have a look at your child’s masterpiece. Even Mr Barker has commissioned us to do one for his office! (Do you think we should charge him the price that Van Gogh’s paintings bring? Who knows judging by the art we could possibly have a future artist in our midst)
Phonics
We are very close to ensuring every child knows their letter sounds by Easter. If your child does still need to work on a few I will write them in their diary this week. In class this week we will be focusing on the sounds ‘oo’, ‘ai’ and ‘ee’. The children are pretty familiar with ‘oo’ and ‘ee’ as I have often referred to them in class previously.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/poems/flash/fpoem2.shtml - click on Daisy the Snail. This is the poem the children will be learning this week to help them learn the sound ‘ai’.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/poems/flash/fpoem7.shtml - another poem for ‘oo’.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/poems/flash/fpoem1.shtml - I love this poem to help the children reinforce ‘ee’.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/print/print.shtml - this page has some wonderful print and do activities. Why not have a go at making your own poem containing the sounds of the week?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/snap/snap.shtml - a good website which has our new sounds in but also helps prepare for others to follow.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/longvow/spelling/spelling.shtml - again has other sounds but will help prepare the children.
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/phaseThreeAS1_v2.html - this will be used in class to help the children. Give them a word and they can drag the cards into the frames. To find ‘ee’, ‘oo’, and ‘ai’ click on the rainbow and it will change for you.
http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/poopDeck_v3.html - a good website for helping with those blending skills.
http://www.starfall.com/n/make-a-word/long-e/load.htm?f - good old starfall! Click on Pete the Sheep and the games associated with it.
Problem-solving, Reasoning and Numeracy
MUST be able to identify one less;
SHOULD be able to understand that subtract means ‘take away’ and carry out the operation practically;
COULD be able to independently subtract one number from another, and understand the vocabulary associated with subtraction.
Last week we set the scene for understanding subtraction and it is hoped that the children are more familiar with their subtraction flower by now to enable them to use the different vocabulary associated with this operation. Unfortunately the children sometimes mix up the language of Mr Adder with the subtraction flower.
These are the websites from last week which are still suitable.
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/maths/num%20machine/take1.html - a good website for reviewing one less but you will need to play it alongside them.
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/maths/num%20machine/take2.html - this works in the same way but subtracts two.
http://www.sums.co.uk/playground/c1a/playground.htm - this is a great website for problem-solving with subtraction and it has a real visual element to it.
http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/games/game8.htm - this is a great game of skittles if the weather is bad!
http://www.deltamicro.co.uk/primary_online/planetstaken.html - another great website with a problem solving element.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/numbers/chi.shtml - I would really recommend this website as they can do addition and subtraction on it as well.
http://www.ictgames.com/soccer_subtraction.html -probably the only time that England will beat Brazil! The number of players on the Brazil team can be used to help work out if the subtraction fact is true or false. If it is false click on next and if it is true then click on the England player.
http://www.ictgames.com/targettakeaway.html - good for once your child has mastered the concept of subtraction and wants to have a go at larger numbers.
Other bits and bobs
You should have received a letter about the Easter bonnet and egg rolling competitions. The last week of this half term is a wonderful celebration of Easter. The competition for the bonnets is judged on creativity and evidence of the children’s own work. And now a plea from the heart. Please make sure that your child’s egg is hard boiled for the egg rolling competition. Yes, believe it or not we do have some who just decorate them and we do wish to stay on good terms with the school caretaker.
On Wednesday evening there is a Friends of St Vincent’s Meeting at St Joseph’s parish club. Please come along if you can. It starts at 8pm.
I am out of school on Thursday and Friday on a Deputy Headteacher’s conference. Mrs Julia Neale will be coming into support the class on these days.
I think that is all for this week.
Have a good one!
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Boing!
Hola!
We had a great time last week learning about how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. However we were a little disappointed to find that when the butterfly garden arrived there were no caterpillars in and we had to send off for them. Not to worry I’m sure they will arrive soon. This week we will be answering the question: Does a frog start off life as a frog? If anyone has access to any frog spawn I wouldn’t say I’d love to have it but will take it off your hands for the children to observe the changes over time. I will be using a lovely book called ‘The Teeny Weeny Tadpole by Sheridan Cain and Jack Tickle.
Here are some websites to look at.
http://ecs.lewisham.gov.uk/youthspace/ca/Lorraine/frog_life_cycle.htm - this is a good cyclical diagram to explain the life cycle and the length of timescale of each stage of growth.
http://ecs.lewisham.gov.uk/youthspace/ca/Lorraine/growth_stages_of_a_frog.htm
Phonics
This week we focus on the use of ‘sh’, ‘ch’, ‘th’ and ‘ng’. The children are familiar with the sounds through their POPAT work but use of two letters for one sound is often difficult to grasp. Nevertheless I have total confidence in the fact that the children will achieve them by the end of the week.
I have been so pleased with the children and their enthusiasm for learning. Many children have brought in books that contain the spelling patterns we have been working on e.g ‘ck’. ‘ss’ etc. Perhaps getting a newspaper and being word investigators for sh, ch and th is a worthwhile exercise, especially if you have a magnifying glass!
http://www.ictgames.com/ladybird_v2.html - this is a great website that you will need to play with your child. It helps them to hear the sounds in simple three letter words. If you give your child a word like ‘pet’, ‘man’, ‘hen’ and then they can make it on the daisies. You can extend this to including four sounds and having words such as ‘clap’, ‘jump’ etc. Perhaps you could use this to try out spelling the three and four letter high frequency words.
http://www.ictgames.com/blendingBingo.html - good for supporting blending of words using the patterns we have already looked at.
http://www.ictgames.com/soundBingo.html - good for blending three letter words together.
http://www.ictgames.com/cvcPop.html
http://www.ictgames.com/blending_dragon.html
Problem-solving, Reasoning and Number
In this area of the curriculum we begin our work on subtraction. The children do understand addition well and this is where the children may have a little confusion. The thing to remember, if you give them any written calculations to do, is to look at the ‘-‘ symbol. A good way is to write it in red to start with then it is more obvious. By the end of two weeks, the children:
MUST be able to identify one less;
SHOULD be able to understand that subtract means ‘take away’ and carry out the operation practically;
COULD be able to independently subtract one number from another, and understand the vocabulary associated with subtraction.
As you can see I have placed the objective of finding one less again. This is just to refresh their memory about the vocabulary of subtraction. In your child’s diary I have sent a sheet with a subtraction flower on it. This works in a similar way as Mr Adder with each flower petal having a different word associated with subtraction for them to learn. I have made each petal a different colour to help them to remember them.
You can get outside if the weather is fine and play skittles, writing the sums down each time.
Alternatively here are some websites they can have a go at over the next two weeks:
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/maths/num%20machine/take1.html - a good website for reviewing one less but you will need to play it alongside them.
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/maths/num%20machine/take2.html - this works in the same way but subtracts two.
http://www.sums.co.uk/playground/c1a/playground.htm - this is a great website for problem-solving with subtraction and it has a real visual element to it.
http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/games/game8.htm - this is a great game of skittles if the weather is bad!
http://www.deltamicro.co.uk/primary_online/planetstaken.html - another great website with a problem solving element.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/numbers/chi.shtml - I would really recommend this website as they can do addition and subtraction on it as well.
http://www.ictgames.com/soccer_subtraction.html -probably the only time that England will beat Brazil! The number of players on the Brazil team can be used to help work out if the subtraction fact is true or false. If it is false click on next and if it is true then click on the England player.
http://www.ictgames.com/targettakeaway.html - good for once your child has mastered the concept of subtraction and wants to have a go at larger numbers.
The domestics…
On Thursday our Year ¾ children will be hosting their annual fundraising afternoon. Your child can buy little trinkets, sweets, enter competition, etc. They would probably need between 50p and a £1 each. Please ensure it is in an envelope or purse with their name on. Thanks.
As it is World Book Day, there will be a sale of second hand books for adults in the hall after school. If you have any books you would like to send in for the sale that would be great. Thanks.
As a class we too are going to be doing some fundraising whilst we are in Lent. In order to support our Good Shepherd Appeal we are going to have a Sponsored Boogie!! The sponsor forms will be sent out on Monday and the Boogie will happen on Monday 17th March.
I hope you all liked your card and gift for Mother’s Day.
Take care
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx
We had a great time last week learning about how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. However we were a little disappointed to find that when the butterfly garden arrived there were no caterpillars in and we had to send off for them. Not to worry I’m sure they will arrive soon. This week we will be answering the question: Does a frog start off life as a frog? If anyone has access to any frog spawn I wouldn’t say I’d love to have it but will take it off your hands for the children to observe the changes over time. I will be using a lovely book called ‘The Teeny Weeny Tadpole by Sheridan Cain and Jack Tickle.
Here are some websites to look at.
http://ecs.lewisham.gov.uk/youthspace/ca/Lorraine/frog_life_cycle.htm - this is a good cyclical diagram to explain the life cycle and the length of timescale of each stage of growth.
http://ecs.lewisham.gov.uk/youthspace/ca/Lorraine/growth_stages_of_a_frog.htm
Phonics
This week we focus on the use of ‘sh’, ‘ch’, ‘th’ and ‘ng’. The children are familiar with the sounds through their POPAT work but use of two letters for one sound is often difficult to grasp. Nevertheless I have total confidence in the fact that the children will achieve them by the end of the week.
I have been so pleased with the children and their enthusiasm for learning. Many children have brought in books that contain the spelling patterns we have been working on e.g ‘ck’. ‘ss’ etc. Perhaps getting a newspaper and being word investigators for sh, ch and th is a worthwhile exercise, especially if you have a magnifying glass!
http://www.ictgames.com/ladybird_v2.html - this is a great website that you will need to play with your child. It helps them to hear the sounds in simple three letter words. If you give your child a word like ‘pet’, ‘man’, ‘hen’ and then they can make it on the daisies. You can extend this to including four sounds and having words such as ‘clap’, ‘jump’ etc. Perhaps you could use this to try out spelling the three and four letter high frequency words.
http://www.ictgames.com/blendingBingo.html - good for supporting blending of words using the patterns we have already looked at.
http://www.ictgames.com/soundBingo.html - good for blending three letter words together.
http://www.ictgames.com/cvcPop.html
http://www.ictgames.com/blending_dragon.html
Problem-solving, Reasoning and Number
In this area of the curriculum we begin our work on subtraction. The children do understand addition well and this is where the children may have a little confusion. The thing to remember, if you give them any written calculations to do, is to look at the ‘-‘ symbol. A good way is to write it in red to start with then it is more obvious. By the end of two weeks, the children:
MUST be able to identify one less;
SHOULD be able to understand that subtract means ‘take away’ and carry out the operation practically;
COULD be able to independently subtract one number from another, and understand the vocabulary associated with subtraction.
As you can see I have placed the objective of finding one less again. This is just to refresh their memory about the vocabulary of subtraction. In your child’s diary I have sent a sheet with a subtraction flower on it. This works in a similar way as Mr Adder with each flower petal having a different word associated with subtraction for them to learn. I have made each petal a different colour to help them to remember them.
You can get outside if the weather is fine and play skittles, writing the sums down each time.
Alternatively here are some websites they can have a go at over the next two weeks:
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/maths/num%20machine/take1.html - a good website for reviewing one less but you will need to play it alongside them.
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/maths/num%20machine/take2.html - this works in the same way but subtracts two.
http://www.sums.co.uk/playground/c1a/playground.htm - this is a great website for problem-solving with subtraction and it has a real visual element to it.
http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/games/game8.htm - this is a great game of skittles if the weather is bad!
http://www.deltamicro.co.uk/primary_online/planetstaken.html - another great website with a problem solving element.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/numbers/chi.shtml - I would really recommend this website as they can do addition and subtraction on it as well.
http://www.ictgames.com/soccer_subtraction.html -probably the only time that England will beat Brazil! The number of players on the Brazil team can be used to help work out if the subtraction fact is true or false. If it is false click on next and if it is true then click on the England player.
http://www.ictgames.com/targettakeaway.html - good for once your child has mastered the concept of subtraction and wants to have a go at larger numbers.
The domestics…
On Thursday our Year ¾ children will be hosting their annual fundraising afternoon. Your child can buy little trinkets, sweets, enter competition, etc. They would probably need between 50p and a £1 each. Please ensure it is in an envelope or purse with their name on. Thanks.
As it is World Book Day, there will be a sale of second hand books for adults in the hall after school. If you have any books you would like to send in for the sale that would be great. Thanks.
As a class we too are going to be doing some fundraising whilst we are in Lent. In order to support our Good Shepherd Appeal we are going to have a Sponsored Boogie!! The sponsor forms will be sent out on Monday and the Boogie will happen on Monday 17th March.
I hope you all liked your card and gift for Mother’s Day.
Take care
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Flutterby or Butterfly?
Hi there!
I am trying a different approach to the blog this week, as I would like to share with you more detail about the classroom activities your child has on offer to them. This is in response to the parental questionnaire sent out earlier this year. Some children select the same activities throughout the week. We do encourage them to select a wider variety however the lure of the stickle bricks, water and sand are too much for some to ignore. The information on the blog may help you also to encourage them to try new activities. If you have any thoughts on which approach is best please let me know either via the comments route on this blog or through your child’s diary. Thanks.
At the end of last week the children took a vote on whether they would like to find out about the changes that happen to caterpillars or to tadpoles. The outcome of the vote, and therefore, the focus for teaching and learning this week is…How do caterpillars change into butterflies?
How does a caterpillar change into a butterfly?
The children’s existing knowledge will be explored with this question. A cyclical diagram skeleton will be used to explain the changes as the children read ‘ The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle. The children will sequence the stages of change in the form of a zigzag book or on a cyclical diagram. The children will have choice as to how they wish to present their knowledge. Following on from their work on labels and captions last week, they will be encouraged to write captions and labels to accompany their sequencing.
http://www.tgfl.org.uk/tgfl/custom/resources_ftp/netmedia_ll/ks1/science/hamshall/life_cycles/index.htm
http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/jackhulland/projects/butterflies/lifecycle/sequence/1.html
http://www.cheshire-butterflies.co.uk/species/speciesdetails/ot/life_cycle_1.htm - this has a slide show. Faith really enjoyed this and after seven repeats I eventually got to carry on writing this blog.
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/butlifecycle/ - this page has loads of activities you can click on.
Small World Play
The small world play table will be changed into a garden with leaves, flowers, stones, plastic caterpillars, butterflies and cocoons. Stories such as The Butterfly by Anna Milbourne and Cathy Shimmen will be shared with the children to enable them to reenact the story and use the language of change in their imaginative play.
Planting
The children will talk about how the butterflies need leaves to eat and plants to lay their eggs on. The children will plant different bedding plants in the tubs to attract the different minibeasts. If you have any spare plant pots, compost, seeds etc that you could donate we would be grateful recipients.
What would happen if a plant didn’t get any sunlight or water?
The children are to set up an investigation to answer the question. The children will work in small groups of 4 with an adult. You may want to have a go at this at home.
Have a go at home!!
To demonstrate how the stem takes water to the flower, try using a daffodil or a white carnation and place it in a glass of water with food colouring it. The result is amazing particularly if you use red colouring.
Butterfly Garden
The children will have the opportunity to have firsthand experience of observing a caterpillar turn into a butterfly. I have ordered a butterfly garden with real life caterpillars that we can watch turn into pupi and then change into butterflies. How exciting!! Mini books and clip boards will be left for the children to note down the changes. We will be charting the changes on a calendar.
What happens to a bean?
Each child will plant a bean. They will begin to chart the growth of their bean each week over the half term. A bean will be also placed in a glass jar for the children to see what is happening beneath the soil to theirs.
Seeds
They will explore, sort, examine and handle seeds in fruit, vegetables, packets, pods etc. They will explore similarities and differences. This will be extended to planting them planting the seeds outdoors in small pots. If you can collect any seeds from foods such as melons, oranges etc we will plant them up.
Beebot Hungry Caterpillar Mat
The children are to programme the beebot to make it move to the different foods. The children are really getting quite good at programming the robot now.
Communication, Language and Literacy
By the end of the week, the children:
MUST understand the purpose of instructions
SHOULD be able to follow simple written instructions
COULD be able to identify some of the features of a set of instructions
This area of learning will be integrated into the children’s daily activities. They will be encouraged to develop their use of new and appropriate vocabulary, story language, role play and writing skills. Examples of this are;
How does a caterpillar change into a butterfly?
The children will be encouraged to write a label or a caption to accompany their sequencing.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar storyboard
Following the reading of the story the children will have the opportunity to retell the story in their own words. The magnetic story board will be set up in the book corner. There are also some large pieces and a puppet to retell the story with.
Life cycle story board
On the back magnetic board the magnetic pieces telling the life cycle of a butterfly will be set out in the form of a cyclical diagram for the children to place the sequence on. White board pens will be used for the children to label the sequence.
Writing table
Following the discussion with the children the life cycle of a butterfly the children will have butterfly shaped pictures on the writing table in which they can write about the life cycle.
Phonics
Our phonics focus for this week is on the letters ‘j’, ‘v’, ‘w’ and ‘x’. There is often a confusion about the pronunciation of the sound ‘x’. The letter name is X as in X factor and the sound is ‘cs’ as in box.
You should have received an update on your child’s letter name and sound recognition and I am so very pleased with them all. The daily phonics session is rapidly becoming our most favourite time of the day.
As well as teaching these letters we will be focusing on the sounding out and blending of the sounds into words.
Websites from last week are also appropriate for this week.
High Frequency Words
You may have noticed the children coming in each morning and getting a whiteboard and pen. The aim of this is to ensure all children leaving the Foundation Stage know all their high frequency words. The children are loving it and last week 95% of the children could spell the focus words of I, can, see and mum. This week our focus words are ‘and’, ‘look, ‘me’ and ‘you’.
Mathematical Development
By the end of the week, the children:
MUST be able to recite the days of the week in order
SHOULD be able to order random numbers
COULD be able to sequence the days of the week
Websites from last week for the number activities should support the ordering of random numbers. The days of the week are best just learned by rote and then asking the children:
What day comes after Thursday?
What day comes before Tuesday?
What days are at the weekend?
What day is it today?
What day was it yesterday?
What day will it be tomorrow?
http://www.digitalbrain.com/digitalbrain/web/subjects/1.%20primary/ks1mat/su2/mod4b/exercise2.db_psc?path=base_mainimg&u=1a65&z=f.swf - ordering the days of the week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/tikkabilla/music/daysoftheweek.shtml - a lovely song about the days of the week. Sadly, I already knew it off by heart because of, what feels like a 24 hour running of CBeebies in our house!)
I have also included a sheet in your child’s diary (along with the number formation one I forgot last week) with some rhymes I will be using to help your child remember the days of the week.
Physical Development
Parachute game
The children will learn to use the parachute correctly with the rules and guidelines prior to them using it in their maths activity. It is hoped that the children will be able to use the parachute in their outdoor play throughout the week.
Butterfly Dance
The children will develop their movements of circling, sliding, small and large actions, twirling and turning etc to accompany the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Body changes
Throughout our physical activities the children will be encouraged to talk about how their body changes.
Running challenge
The children are to be given two cones and they are to have a five minute sand timer. They are to work with a partner to count how many times they can run backwards and forwards and record it on a chart with their name. They are to try and beat their score throughout the week.
Dancing caterpillars
Provide the children with straws and paper circles and butterfly templates to cut out to make a dancing caterpillar or butterfly puppet.
Creative Development
Can you make something for in the butterfly garden?
There will be a tray of soil and after discussions with the children, following the reading of the story The Butterfly, the children will be set the challenge of making something for them to create the small world play Butterfly Garden. In teams the children will be asked to make a list of what they think they might need. This could be butterflies puppets, flowers, leaves etc. The list will be placed up by the craft table for ideas. A range of different collage and natural materials will be in the craft area to allow the children access to them for their creative work. Bits of florist block will be placed in the soil for the flowers to be stuck in.
Acetate butterflies
The children are to make symmetrical butterfies using acetate, permenant marker pens and oil pastels. The children can also add detail through the use of sequins and tissue paper etc. These will be displayed as a mobile over the butterfly garden.
How do we make a giant caterpillar?
The children are to use rolled up newspaper to create a giant caterpillar. They will paint and decorate it. This will be on the grass in front of the classroom. If you have any old newspapers please send them in. also, any old shirts and t-shirts that can be used as aprons would be greatly appreciated as well as a prayer for nice weather!
Butterfly wings
Material with loops for hands will be placed in boxes and doodlebug headbands will be available for the children to act out the story.
Large butterfly life cycle display
The children are to work collaboratively on a large display piece for the classroom which shows the life cycle of a butterfly. This will include captions and labels for the different stages of development.
Espanol
To link in with our theme of the week, the children will learn the days of the week in Spanish. Here they are for you if you wish to learn them. Don’t worry I have included the pronuciation!
Sunday – Domingo (as in Placido!)
Monday – Lunes (loo-ness)
Tuesday – Martes
Wednesday – Miercoles (me-air-col-es)
Thursday – Jueves (cwe-bes)
Friday – Viernes (be-er-nes)
Saturday – Sabado
Needless to say we will be teaching the children the Spanish for the different stages of the life cycle. Here goes…
Egg – el huevo (el hu-ebo)
Caterpillar – la oruga
Pupa – la crisalida
Butterfly – la mariposa
Bits and bobs
Mum’s watch out for a very special gift lovingly created just for you. Have a great Mother’s Day.
Wellies - if you have any spare wellies at home that are no longer in use we would love to have them.
I look forwards to meeting you all this week at parents’ evening. I have so many wonderful things to share with you.
Take care, have a great week and don’t forget to pray for nice weather.
Regards
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxxxx
I am trying a different approach to the blog this week, as I would like to share with you more detail about the classroom activities your child has on offer to them. This is in response to the parental questionnaire sent out earlier this year. Some children select the same activities throughout the week. We do encourage them to select a wider variety however the lure of the stickle bricks, water and sand are too much for some to ignore. The information on the blog may help you also to encourage them to try new activities. If you have any thoughts on which approach is best please let me know either via the comments route on this blog or through your child’s diary. Thanks.
At the end of last week the children took a vote on whether they would like to find out about the changes that happen to caterpillars or to tadpoles. The outcome of the vote, and therefore, the focus for teaching and learning this week is…How do caterpillars change into butterflies?
How does a caterpillar change into a butterfly?
The children’s existing knowledge will be explored with this question. A cyclical diagram skeleton will be used to explain the changes as the children read ‘ The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle. The children will sequence the stages of change in the form of a zigzag book or on a cyclical diagram. The children will have choice as to how they wish to present their knowledge. Following on from their work on labels and captions last week, they will be encouraged to write captions and labels to accompany their sequencing.
http://www.tgfl.org.uk/tgfl/custom/resources_ftp/netmedia_ll/ks1/science/hamshall/life_cycles/index.htm
http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/jackhulland/projects/butterflies/lifecycle/sequence/1.html
http://www.cheshire-butterflies.co.uk/species/speciesdetails/ot/life_cycle_1.htm - this has a slide show. Faith really enjoyed this and after seven repeats I eventually got to carry on writing this blog.
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/butlifecycle/ - this page has loads of activities you can click on.
Small World Play
The small world play table will be changed into a garden with leaves, flowers, stones, plastic caterpillars, butterflies and cocoons. Stories such as The Butterfly by Anna Milbourne and Cathy Shimmen will be shared with the children to enable them to reenact the story and use the language of change in their imaginative play.
Planting
The children will talk about how the butterflies need leaves to eat and plants to lay their eggs on. The children will plant different bedding plants in the tubs to attract the different minibeasts. If you have any spare plant pots, compost, seeds etc that you could donate we would be grateful recipients.
What would happen if a plant didn’t get any sunlight or water?
The children are to set up an investigation to answer the question. The children will work in small groups of 4 with an adult. You may want to have a go at this at home.
Have a go at home!!
To demonstrate how the stem takes water to the flower, try using a daffodil or a white carnation and place it in a glass of water with food colouring it. The result is amazing particularly if you use red colouring.
Butterfly Garden
The children will have the opportunity to have firsthand experience of observing a caterpillar turn into a butterfly. I have ordered a butterfly garden with real life caterpillars that we can watch turn into pupi and then change into butterflies. How exciting!! Mini books and clip boards will be left for the children to note down the changes. We will be charting the changes on a calendar.
What happens to a bean?
Each child will plant a bean. They will begin to chart the growth of their bean each week over the half term. A bean will be also placed in a glass jar for the children to see what is happening beneath the soil to theirs.
Seeds
They will explore, sort, examine and handle seeds in fruit, vegetables, packets, pods etc. They will explore similarities and differences. This will be extended to planting them planting the seeds outdoors in small pots. If you can collect any seeds from foods such as melons, oranges etc we will plant them up.
Beebot Hungry Caterpillar Mat
The children are to programme the beebot to make it move to the different foods. The children are really getting quite good at programming the robot now.
Communication, Language and Literacy
By the end of the week, the children:
MUST understand the purpose of instructions
SHOULD be able to follow simple written instructions
COULD be able to identify some of the features of a set of instructions
This area of learning will be integrated into the children’s daily activities. They will be encouraged to develop their use of new and appropriate vocabulary, story language, role play and writing skills. Examples of this are;
How does a caterpillar change into a butterfly?
The children will be encouraged to write a label or a caption to accompany their sequencing.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar storyboard
Following the reading of the story the children will have the opportunity to retell the story in their own words. The magnetic story board will be set up in the book corner. There are also some large pieces and a puppet to retell the story with.
Life cycle story board
On the back magnetic board the magnetic pieces telling the life cycle of a butterfly will be set out in the form of a cyclical diagram for the children to place the sequence on. White board pens will be used for the children to label the sequence.
Writing table
Following the discussion with the children the life cycle of a butterfly the children will have butterfly shaped pictures on the writing table in which they can write about the life cycle.
Phonics
Our phonics focus for this week is on the letters ‘j’, ‘v’, ‘w’ and ‘x’. There is often a confusion about the pronunciation of the sound ‘x’. The letter name is X as in X factor and the sound is ‘cs’ as in box.
You should have received an update on your child’s letter name and sound recognition and I am so very pleased with them all. The daily phonics session is rapidly becoming our most favourite time of the day.
As well as teaching these letters we will be focusing on the sounding out and blending of the sounds into words.
Websites from last week are also appropriate for this week.
High Frequency Words
You may have noticed the children coming in each morning and getting a whiteboard and pen. The aim of this is to ensure all children leaving the Foundation Stage know all their high frequency words. The children are loving it and last week 95% of the children could spell the focus words of I, can, see and mum. This week our focus words are ‘and’, ‘look, ‘me’ and ‘you’.
Mathematical Development
By the end of the week, the children:
MUST be able to recite the days of the week in order
SHOULD be able to order random numbers
COULD be able to sequence the days of the week
Websites from last week for the number activities should support the ordering of random numbers. The days of the week are best just learned by rote and then asking the children:
What day comes after Thursday?
What day comes before Tuesday?
What days are at the weekend?
What day is it today?
What day was it yesterday?
What day will it be tomorrow?
http://www.digitalbrain.com/digitalbrain/web/subjects/1.%20primary/ks1mat/su2/mod4b/exercise2.db_psc?path=base_mainimg&u=1a65&z=f.swf - ordering the days of the week.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/tikkabilla/music/daysoftheweek.shtml - a lovely song about the days of the week. Sadly, I already knew it off by heart because of, what feels like a 24 hour running of CBeebies in our house!)
I have also included a sheet in your child’s diary (along with the number formation one I forgot last week) with some rhymes I will be using to help your child remember the days of the week.
Physical Development
Parachute game
The children will learn to use the parachute correctly with the rules and guidelines prior to them using it in their maths activity. It is hoped that the children will be able to use the parachute in their outdoor play throughout the week.
Butterfly Dance
The children will develop their movements of circling, sliding, small and large actions, twirling and turning etc to accompany the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Body changes
Throughout our physical activities the children will be encouraged to talk about how their body changes.
Running challenge
The children are to be given two cones and they are to have a five minute sand timer. They are to work with a partner to count how many times they can run backwards and forwards and record it on a chart with their name. They are to try and beat their score throughout the week.
Dancing caterpillars
Provide the children with straws and paper circles and butterfly templates to cut out to make a dancing caterpillar or butterfly puppet.
Creative Development
Can you make something for in the butterfly garden?
There will be a tray of soil and after discussions with the children, following the reading of the story The Butterfly, the children will be set the challenge of making something for them to create the small world play Butterfly Garden. In teams the children will be asked to make a list of what they think they might need. This could be butterflies puppets, flowers, leaves etc. The list will be placed up by the craft table for ideas. A range of different collage and natural materials will be in the craft area to allow the children access to them for their creative work. Bits of florist block will be placed in the soil for the flowers to be stuck in.
Acetate butterflies
The children are to make symmetrical butterfies using acetate, permenant marker pens and oil pastels. The children can also add detail through the use of sequins and tissue paper etc. These will be displayed as a mobile over the butterfly garden.
How do we make a giant caterpillar?
The children are to use rolled up newspaper to create a giant caterpillar. They will paint and decorate it. This will be on the grass in front of the classroom. If you have any old newspapers please send them in. also, any old shirts and t-shirts that can be used as aprons would be greatly appreciated as well as a prayer for nice weather!
Butterfly wings
Material with loops for hands will be placed in boxes and doodlebug headbands will be available for the children to act out the story.
Large butterfly life cycle display
The children are to work collaboratively on a large display piece for the classroom which shows the life cycle of a butterfly. This will include captions and labels for the different stages of development.
Espanol
To link in with our theme of the week, the children will learn the days of the week in Spanish. Here they are for you if you wish to learn them. Don’t worry I have included the pronuciation!
Sunday – Domingo (as in Placido!)
Monday – Lunes (loo-ness)
Tuesday – Martes
Wednesday – Miercoles (me-air-col-es)
Thursday – Jueves (cwe-bes)
Friday – Viernes (be-er-nes)
Saturday – Sabado
Needless to say we will be teaching the children the Spanish for the different stages of the life cycle. Here goes…
Egg – el huevo (el hu-ebo)
Caterpillar – la oruga
Pupa – la crisalida
Butterfly – la mariposa
Bits and bobs
Mum’s watch out for a very special gift lovingly created just for you. Have a great Mother’s Day.
Wellies - if you have any spare wellies at home that are no longer in use we would love to have them.
I look forwards to meeting you all this week at parents’ evening. I have so many wonderful things to share with you.
Take care, have a great week and don’t forget to pray for nice weather.
Regards
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxxxx
Friday, February 15, 2008
How do we grow and change?
Hola
Welcome back to the start of a new half term. Can you believe that your child is half way through their first year in school? Time has flown which means only one thing…lots of FUN has been had by all. This half term will be no different as we begin our new topic on CHANGES.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
We begin the topic by looking at changes in people as they get older. A great story book to read to your child would be Martin Waddell’s ‘Once there were giants’. Perhaps you could also get out those embarrassing family photographs and let your child see how you have changed from being a baby to the way you look now. The children must be able to sequence simple pictures from youngest to oldest by the end of the week. In order for the children to focus on themselves please could I ask that you send in a baby photograph of your child. PLEASE do not send in a highly treasured one as they will be handled by the children. You will get them back at the end of the year. Thanks.
Creative Development
This week is one of my favourite weeks! We will be looking at the work of Vincent Van Gogh and in particular his painting Sunflowers. We will be looking at shades of colour and the use of texture when painting and drawing. The children will use a range of media including collage materials, oil pastels, chalks and paint. Watch out for our classroom transforming into an art gallery, with a range of media being used to represent the work of Van Gogh. In order to stimulate the children’s understanding of the fantastic artist I will be sharing with them the story of Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt. This is one of my most favourite books as it helps great art become more accessible to young children.
Communication, Language and Literacy
In order to help the children move towards achieving their reading targets we will be doing a two week unit on labels, captions and instructions. This also helps us to link in with the work we are doing on changes in Knowledge and Understanding of the World.
By the end of the two weeks, the children:
COULD be able to write a caption to accompany a picture.
SHOULD be able to create a labelled diagram and understand the purpose of a caption.
MUST be able to know what a label is and know how to read a diagram.
These are some good websites which I shall be using with the children in class. However, a visit to Penketh library to pick out some non-fiction books is the best way of making it real to the children. In particular, the boys in our class respond to non-fiction books on dinosaurs and animals.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/ourselves.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/growing_plants.shtml
The children will be labelling the external parts of the human body and the parts of a flowering plant to support their understanding of the importance and use of diagrams for information.
Phonics
Nearly every child can recognise the letters sounds of the letters of the alphabet. This is truly amazing so early in the school year. It is our aim to have 100% of the children recognising the letter sounds by Easter. To enable you to assist us in this, I will have updated every child’s letter sounds and letter names in their diaries by the end of the school day on Monday. The letters indicated are the remaining ones for your child to work on.
In our phonics teaching this week we will be reviewing all the letters learned so far, and start to teach the phonemes: l, ll, ss, zz, ff.
Your child may have talked about ‘c’ and ‘k’, the two letters that love each other. Well, ‘ss’, ‘ll’, ‘zz’ and ‘ff’ are also very friendly letters. They too make one sound at the same time.
Throughout the week, the children will be asked to blend and segment words containing letters they have already learned and the new phonemes of the week. Here are some websites that will support the blending of the words in order to read them and others that support spelling.
http://www.crick.northants.sch.uk/assets/Flash%20Studio/cfslit/CVC%20Maker/cvcmaker.html - this website asks you to see how many words you can make
http://www.ictgames.com/cvc_machine.html
http://www.ictgames.com/machine.html - great for blending sounds together. For those children who are already able to spell and read simple three letter words then try out these websites as they will focus on the spelling of consonant clusters in words e.g bl, cl, st, sm etc. http://www.ictgames.com/blending_dragon.html http://www.ictgames.com/cluster.html
High Frequency Words
This half term we aim to ensure that all the children are up to where they should be by the end of the Spring Term. Please remember that going through the high frequency words is needed virtually every night. These are worth spending the time on as they will help your child develop more confidence and independence when tackling new texts. There is also some good news at the end of all this…the Year 1 words are actually a little easier and the children tend to pick them up very quick.
http://www.ictgames.com/plankgame.html - this focuses on high frequency words
http://www.ictgames.com/lcwc.html - this concentrates on the spelling of the high frequency words. You can simply type in the high frequency words that your child needs to work on for them to play the game with.
In your child's diary this week you will also have an update on their reading targets. Please remember to make at least one comment about your child's reading in the diary. You could comment on the targets they are working on. Thanks.
Problem-solving, Reasoning and Number
Amazed! Dumbfounded! Astonished! These are a just a few words to describe how I am feeling about the children’s development in this area of the curriculum. This week we continue with our number recognition to 20, number formation and ability to order numbers. Believe it or not ALL our class can recognise all the numbers to 10 already. This has never been done before by any other class!!! Therefore, we shall be working beyond the Early Learning Goals on Year 1 objectives.
By the end of the week, the children:
COULD be able to read and write all numbers 20 and order them.
SHOULD be able to read and order the numbers to 20.
MUST be able to write and order the numbers to 10.
Here are some great websites to support the recognition and ordering of numbers to 20.
http://www.wmnet.org.uk/custom/files_uploaded/uploaded_resources/846/Teddynumbersv2.swf - the children are presented with a teddy bear and a jar of sweets. The computer generates a number between 1 and 15 and the children need to drag the given number of sweets into the bear’s tummy.
http://www.ictgames.com/postletter.html - the children must listen to the number given and then post the letter through the corresponding door.
http://www.ictgames.com/100hunt2.html - this is a real challenge for those children who can already recognise the numbers to 20. Encourage your child to say the target number out loud before finding it.
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/ngfl-flash/numbers_eng/numbers_e.html - this is a good website for supporting number formation.
http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/numorder.swf - the children need to order the random numbers by placing the numbered hats on the children’s heads.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=washindex - remember to select the numbers to 20.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=ntrack - missing numbers on a number track. The children click and drag them into place. The children should be able to access all three levels.
http://www.ictgames.com/caterpillar_slider.html - one that we have had before but remember to alter the minimum and maximum range of numbers to accommodate your child’s range of recognition.
http://www.rainforestmaths.com/ - click on the possum and python.
Number formation
Number formation is crucial at this stage and is something that we really need to develop in the children. However, whilst they are learning their letter formation, reversals often occur. I have enclosed a copy of the way we form numbers for your information. This week we are starting with the numbers 1, 2 and 3. A good thing to try is a tray of salt and ask the children to form the number in it. This is also a good way to be a little more environmentally friendly too!
Spanish
In Spanish this week, the children will be reviewing their knowledge of colours and the different parts of the human body.
Here I Am
Due to the week we spent on the Chinese New Year we are a little behind on our Here I Am. We begin our topic on Thanksgiving. The children will learn to:
RECOGNISE that people give to each other.
REFLECT on all that is done for them by others.
RESPECT and appreciate that they have a lot to say thank you for.
Throughout the week the children will be making Thank you cards for someone who helps them.
We have a lovely assembly for the children on Monday presented by CAFOD, our chosen charity. We also have a Good Shepherd box in our classroom if children want to donate any spare change to be given to the charity during Lent.
Other bits and bobs…
We welcome another adult into our classroom this week, Miss Vicky Bott. She will be working with our class every Tuesday and Wednesday. She trained for her NVQ Level 1 with us a two years ago and is now returning to us to continue her training at a higher level.
Please could I ask that all outstanding parents’ evening slips be sent in on Monday to enable times to be finalised.
I believe that is all for now.
Take care and keep an eye out for your appointment time in the diary.
Kind regards
Jayne Narraway and the (ever expanding) Foundation Stage Team xx
Welcome back to the start of a new half term. Can you believe that your child is half way through their first year in school? Time has flown which means only one thing…lots of FUN has been had by all. This half term will be no different as we begin our new topic on CHANGES.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
We begin the topic by looking at changes in people as they get older. A great story book to read to your child would be Martin Waddell’s ‘Once there were giants’. Perhaps you could also get out those embarrassing family photographs and let your child see how you have changed from being a baby to the way you look now. The children must be able to sequence simple pictures from youngest to oldest by the end of the week. In order for the children to focus on themselves please could I ask that you send in a baby photograph of your child. PLEASE do not send in a highly treasured one as they will be handled by the children. You will get them back at the end of the year. Thanks.
Creative Development
This week is one of my favourite weeks! We will be looking at the work of Vincent Van Gogh and in particular his painting Sunflowers. We will be looking at shades of colour and the use of texture when painting and drawing. The children will use a range of media including collage materials, oil pastels, chalks and paint. Watch out for our classroom transforming into an art gallery, with a range of media being used to represent the work of Van Gogh. In order to stimulate the children’s understanding of the fantastic artist I will be sharing with them the story of Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt. This is one of my most favourite books as it helps great art become more accessible to young children.
Communication, Language and Literacy
In order to help the children move towards achieving their reading targets we will be doing a two week unit on labels, captions and instructions. This also helps us to link in with the work we are doing on changes in Knowledge and Understanding of the World.
By the end of the two weeks, the children:
COULD be able to write a caption to accompany a picture.
SHOULD be able to create a labelled diagram and understand the purpose of a caption.
MUST be able to know what a label is and know how to read a diagram.
These are some good websites which I shall be using with the children in class. However, a visit to Penketh library to pick out some non-fiction books is the best way of making it real to the children. In particular, the boys in our class respond to non-fiction books on dinosaurs and animals.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/ourselves.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/growing_plants.shtml
The children will be labelling the external parts of the human body and the parts of a flowering plant to support their understanding of the importance and use of diagrams for information.
Phonics
Nearly every child can recognise the letters sounds of the letters of the alphabet. This is truly amazing so early in the school year. It is our aim to have 100% of the children recognising the letter sounds by Easter. To enable you to assist us in this, I will have updated every child’s letter sounds and letter names in their diaries by the end of the school day on Monday. The letters indicated are the remaining ones for your child to work on.
In our phonics teaching this week we will be reviewing all the letters learned so far, and start to teach the phonemes: l, ll, ss, zz, ff.
Your child may have talked about ‘c’ and ‘k’, the two letters that love each other. Well, ‘ss’, ‘ll’, ‘zz’ and ‘ff’ are also very friendly letters. They too make one sound at the same time.
Throughout the week, the children will be asked to blend and segment words containing letters they have already learned and the new phonemes of the week. Here are some websites that will support the blending of the words in order to read them and others that support spelling.
http://www.crick.northants.sch.uk/assets/Flash%20Studio/cfslit/CVC%20Maker/cvcmaker.html - this website asks you to see how many words you can make
http://www.ictgames.com/cvc_machine.html
http://www.ictgames.com/machine.html - great for blending sounds together. For those children who are already able to spell and read simple three letter words then try out these websites as they will focus on the spelling of consonant clusters in words e.g bl, cl, st, sm etc. http://www.ictgames.com/blending_dragon.html http://www.ictgames.com/cluster.html
High Frequency Words
This half term we aim to ensure that all the children are up to where they should be by the end of the Spring Term. Please remember that going through the high frequency words is needed virtually every night. These are worth spending the time on as they will help your child develop more confidence and independence when tackling new texts. There is also some good news at the end of all this…the Year 1 words are actually a little easier and the children tend to pick them up very quick.
http://www.ictgames.com/plankgame.html - this focuses on high frequency words
http://www.ictgames.com/lcwc.html - this concentrates on the spelling of the high frequency words. You can simply type in the high frequency words that your child needs to work on for them to play the game with.
In your child's diary this week you will also have an update on their reading targets. Please remember to make at least one comment about your child's reading in the diary. You could comment on the targets they are working on. Thanks.
Problem-solving, Reasoning and Number
Amazed! Dumbfounded! Astonished! These are a just a few words to describe how I am feeling about the children’s development in this area of the curriculum. This week we continue with our number recognition to 20, number formation and ability to order numbers. Believe it or not ALL our class can recognise all the numbers to 10 already. This has never been done before by any other class!!! Therefore, we shall be working beyond the Early Learning Goals on Year 1 objectives.
By the end of the week, the children:
COULD be able to read and write all numbers 20 and order them.
SHOULD be able to read and order the numbers to 20.
MUST be able to write and order the numbers to 10.
Here are some great websites to support the recognition and ordering of numbers to 20.
http://www.wmnet.org.uk/custom/files_uploaded/uploaded_resources/846/Teddynumbersv2.swf - the children are presented with a teddy bear and a jar of sweets. The computer generates a number between 1 and 15 and the children need to drag the given number of sweets into the bear’s tummy.
http://www.ictgames.com/postletter.html - the children must listen to the number given and then post the letter through the corresponding door.
http://www.ictgames.com/100hunt2.html - this is a real challenge for those children who can already recognise the numbers to 20. Encourage your child to say the target number out loud before finding it.
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/ngfl-flash/numbers_eng/numbers_e.html - this is a good website for supporting number formation.
http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/numorder.swf - the children need to order the random numbers by placing the numbered hats on the children’s heads.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=washindex - remember to select the numbers to 20.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=ntrack - missing numbers on a number track. The children click and drag them into place. The children should be able to access all three levels.
http://www.ictgames.com/caterpillar_slider.html - one that we have had before but remember to alter the minimum and maximum range of numbers to accommodate your child’s range of recognition.
http://www.rainforestmaths.com/ - click on the possum and python.
Number formation
Number formation is crucial at this stage and is something that we really need to develop in the children. However, whilst they are learning their letter formation, reversals often occur. I have enclosed a copy of the way we form numbers for your information. This week we are starting with the numbers 1, 2 and 3. A good thing to try is a tray of salt and ask the children to form the number in it. This is also a good way to be a little more environmentally friendly too!
Spanish
In Spanish this week, the children will be reviewing their knowledge of colours and the different parts of the human body.
Here I Am
Due to the week we spent on the Chinese New Year we are a little behind on our Here I Am. We begin our topic on Thanksgiving. The children will learn to:
RECOGNISE that people give to each other.
REFLECT on all that is done for them by others.
RESPECT and appreciate that they have a lot to say thank you for.
Throughout the week the children will be making Thank you cards for someone who helps them.
We have a lovely assembly for the children on Monday presented by CAFOD, our chosen charity. We also have a Good Shepherd box in our classroom if children want to donate any spare change to be given to the charity during Lent.
Other bits and bobs…
We welcome another adult into our classroom this week, Miss Vicky Bott. She will be working with our class every Tuesday and Wednesday. She trained for her NVQ Level 1 with us a two years ago and is now returning to us to continue her training at a higher level.
Please could I ask that all outstanding parents’ evening slips be sent in on Monday to enable times to be finalised.
I believe that is all for now.
Take care and keep an eye out for your appointment time in the diary.
Kind regards
Jayne Narraway and the (ever expanding) Foundation Stage Team xx
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Where is Barnaby Bear?
Hola
Use of language to describe the shapes
Number recognition
Finding one more and one less mentally
Adding two numbers together
Ordering numbers ( this is to inform planning for after half term)
You may wish to look back over previous blogs to review the websites used.
Here are some good websites you may wish to check out over the holidays as the first week back we are working on ordering numbers and number recognition:
http://www.ictgames.com/caterpillar_slider.html - this is a great website and you can select the numbers you wish your child to work with.
http://www.ictgames.com/mucky.html - to revise more and less; http://www.ictgames.com/nutty_v3.html http://www.ictgames.com/postletter.html http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/online_downloads.htm - click on the ordering numbers game.
So what else will be going on this week? WELL…
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.
The Domestics
There will be a service in school for Ash Wednesday at 9am.
A letter regarding parents’ evening was sent out on Friday. Please can you return it as soon as possible as I hope to give you the times and dates before Friday. Allocation of times is on a first come first served basis. If you are able to make as many choices as possible that would be great. Friday 5.10pm is always the favourite with about half of you asking for that time. So…please put as many times as possible down. Thanks
The comments written in the reading diaries are great. Thanks. We are still on 93% though. Come on let’s try to get to 100% this week.
There will be no handwriting homework this week due to the holidays. Talking of holidays…HAVE A GREAT ONE!
Kind regards
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx
Welcome to the last week of this very short but exciting half term and yes, finally our much anticipated visit to the Science and Industry Museum has arrived. You should have received a letter with all the details last week. The children do need to be in school uniform and require a packed lunch, preferably in a back pack or a labelled carrier bag. The school day will be the same length and so there are no extra arrangements you need to make. Could I ask though that the children be in school promptly to enable us to get a quick getaway at 9am. Thanks.
The visit to the museum will be a great way to finish off ur topic on transport and journeys. The children (and I) have loved the work we have done and this will be the icing on the cake. I can't wait for Barnaby Bear to take us to the moon.
Assessment and Review Week
As always in the last week, we will be reviewing previous learning and making assessments to inform our planning for after half term. However, we will also have some new learning in Communication, Language and Literacy as some children are so close to being ready for the next level in their reading and just need to focus on the non-fiction reading targets. So for Communication, Language and Literacy this week, the children will start to learn all about information books.
By the end of the week, the children:
MUST be able to sort books according to whether they are fiction or non-fiction;
SHOULD be able to understand that information can be retrieved from books and find the contents page;
COULD know that information books have headings, photographs and captions, and be able to use the contents page to find answers to their questions.
They will develop their knowledge and understanding of the different features of an information book. For instance:
That they provide us with information about things that are real;
That photographs and diagrams are usually found in information books rather than illustrations;
That information books have a contents page that can be used to navigate their way around the book;
That an information book does not have to be read from start to finish – you can simply ask yourself a question and then seek to find the answer out in the text by using the contents page;
Pages in information books often have a heading, a photograph and a caption.
By the end of the week it is hoped that the children will have collaborated to create a class information book about transport. At the museum the children will take photographs for our information book. EVERY child will complete a part of it.
As we have a week off too, I have listed some websites you may wish to have a go at with your child.
If your child is still working on their letter recognition then please try out these websites also: http://www.ictgames.com/phonic_fighter4.html http://www.ictgames.com/letterlifter.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/words/dgi.shtml - this is a great website for identifying the sounds at the beginning, middle and end of words.
http://www.starfall.com/ - the old favourite. In addition to this we will also be concentrating on the children’s spelling of simple three letter words such as big, man, cat, top etc as well as focusing in on the high frequency words more. The children are doing great as this is the end of year target for Foundation Stage and we are already working on it!! The following websites should prove very useful.
http://www.crick.northants.sch.uk/assets/Flash%20Studio/cfslit/CVC%20Maker/cvcmaker.html - this website asks you to see how many words you can make
http://www.ictgames.com/cvc_machine.html http://www.ictgames.com/plankgame.html - this focuses on high frequency words
http://www.ictgames.com/lcwc.html - this concentrates on the spelling of the high frequency words. You can simply type in the high frequency words that your child needs to work on for them to play the game with.
http://www.ictgames.com/machine.html - great for blending sounds together. For those children who are already able to spell and read simple three letter words then try out these websites as they will focus on the spelling of consonant clusters in words e.g bl, cl, st, sm etc. http://www.ictgames.com/blending_dragon.html http://www.ictgames.com/cluster.html
Mathematical Development
This week we will be assessing the children's previous learning from this half term. We will look at:
Use of language to describe the shapes
Number recognition
Finding one more and one less mentally
Adding two numbers together
Ordering numbers ( this is to inform planning for after half term)
You may wish to look back over previous blogs to review the websites used.
Here are some good websites you may wish to check out over the holidays as the first week back we are working on ordering numbers and number recognition:
http://www.ictgames.com/caterpillar_slider.html - this is a great website and you can select the numbers you wish your child to work with.
http://www.ictgames.com/mucky.html - to revise more and less; http://www.ictgames.com/nutty_v3.html http://www.ictgames.com/postletter.html http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/online_downloads.htm - click on the ordering numbers game.
So what else will be going on this week? WELL…
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.
The Domestics
There will be a service in school for Ash Wednesday at 9am.
A letter regarding parents’ evening was sent out on Friday. Please can you return it as soon as possible as I hope to give you the times and dates before Friday. Allocation of times is on a first come first served basis. If you are able to make as many choices as possible that would be great. Friday 5.10pm is always the favourite with about half of you asking for that time. So…please put as many times as possible down. Thanks
The comments written in the reading diaries are great. Thanks. We are still on 93% though. Come on let’s try to get to 100% this week.
There will be no handwriting homework this week due to the holidays. Talking of holidays…HAVE A GREAT ONE!
Kind regards
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx
Friday, January 25, 2008
Once upon a time....happily ever after
Hi there!
Yet another fantastic week was had by all in the Foundation Stage last week. The rockets the children made have been hung by our mystery giant, Bertie and look amazing hanging from our ceiling. What did you think of their cars? The children were thrilled with them. You wouldn’t believe the trouble I had getting them to stand upright. However, Super Hero Latham and Mrs Hughes ( a parent from last year) came to my rescue. Better stick to my forte in future and leave the experts to it next time!
So what’s in store for this week?
Well…
IT’S BOOKWEEK!!!
The book week starts with a poet coming in to school for two days. The children will have a fantastically humorous story told to them. In addition to this, I have asked that the children bring in their favourite book on Monday to share with a friend. They will write the title on a leaf and stick it on to the reading tree in the hall. Throughout the week, the children will have a competition. I will leave clues for them and they have to work out the nursery rhyme or familiar book title from the clues. The one who gets them correct will have a prize on the Tuesday of next week in the prize giving assembly. Lots of other activities celebrating the wonder of books will be completed throughout the week concluding in our annual book week dressing up day. I am absolutely full to the brim with excitement!!
The book fair will be on from Wednesday after school until the following Tuesday. All books bought enable us to receive commission to purchase resources for school. Please come along.
Talking of reading…
As a school we are aiming for all classes to have 100% response from parents in reading diaries. That is to say that we ask that every parent writes at least one comment per week after they have read with their child. The whole school is publishing their percentages each week. I am pleased to say that ours is 93%. This equates to just two diaries not being commented in each week. I’m sure we can get to a 100% by the end of this week.
PHONICS
Your child may have talked about learning ‘c’ and ‘k’ and how together they make ‘ck’. Over the past few years I have searched for some inspiring way of helping the children understand when to use ‘ck’ and this year, ‘by jove’ I think I’ve cracked it! I have told the children that the letters love each other and are very lazy because more often than not they are found at the end of words. So what are we learning this week?
By the end of the week:
MUST be able to recognise the sound and name for ‘h’, ‘b’, ‘f’, ‘ff’, ‘l’, ‘ll’ and ‘ss’.
SHOULD be able to use the letters they have learned to segment and blend words when reading and writing.
COULD be able to read and write captions containing words with these letters.
Again there are double consonants here that make one sound and are often found at the end of words. These are the twins!!! They look the same and even sound the same. Plus, they are equally as lazy as ‘ck’.
NEW - http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/flags.html this is a brilliant game. Choose the vowel you want to have in the middle of the words and then put the flags on the sandcastles to make the word said by the computer.
NEW http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/teddybearPicnic_v2.html - a good website for matching lower case and upper case letters.
www.starfall.com - The children are doing amazingly well with their letter sound and name recognition so why not try out the vowels at the bottom of the page to help them use them in words.
http://www.ictgames.com/cvc_machine.html - this game is great for helping your child to blend sounds together. You can select the pattern (choose those with the letters we have been working on) and then the children have to read the word and click on the tick if it is a real word.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=cvcmaker - This again is a great website for blending three letter words together.
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/learn_y4/main.asp?lesson_path=year_4/word_machine_c-v-c/&lesson_file=lesson.swf&language=eng - This helps the children see how three letter words are made up of a consonant, a vowel and then a consonant.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/cvc/crank/game.shtml - If your child is experiencing difficulties listening to the middle sound then this is a great game for them.
http://www.ictgames.com/machine - a great site for blending again. Look at the picture in the machine and click on the correct word to match it.
MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT
By the end of the week, the children:
MUST be able to add one more to a given number up to 9.
SHOULD be able to add two numbers to make a total of up to 10 by combining two sets.
COULD be able to add two numbers by counting on from the larger number.
Please continue to work on the vocabulary of addition on Mr Adder. Here are a few websites to help support your child.
http://www.rainforestmaths.com/ - if you start on the Kindergarten level and review the combining of sets to find the total first. When you think your child is managing this why not let them have a go at the Year 1 addition games. I’m sure you will be surprised at how they will be able to manage them by the end of the week.
http://www.ictgames.com/save_the_whale_v4.html - find the pairs to 10 to save the whale.
http://www.ictgames.com/funkymum.html - love this one but they will have to use the counting on from the largest number method.
http://www.ictgames.com/flight_for_fuel.html - collect the fuel to make the totals on the top.
http://www.ictgames.com/safecracker.html
http://www.ictgames.com/caterpillar_slider.html - just a little taster of the work for next week on ordering numbers and it will also help with identifying the larger number.
http://www.ictgames.com/beaver.html
A game to play at home to help your child identify the larger number.
You will need:
A set of playing cards
How to play
Divide the cards between two players
Each person takes a turn to reveal their playing card.
The one with the biggest number gets to keep the two cards.
The winner is the one with the most cards at the end.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
The children will develop their understanding of transport that travels on the sea and air this week. Get the paper ready because we are actually going to teach them how to make paper aeroplanes and have a competition to see how far they can make them fly. They will also learn about floating and sinking. Perhaps during bath time you could reinforce this by adding a few objects. Keep those mobiles out of reach though as we have had at least three in the bath in our house over the past year!
Creative Development
We continue to work on the backgrounds to the amazing pictures the children did last week. The children will have to work together in a team to complete the task. We are amazed at the level of collaboration that children so young are demonstrating. The children are also going to be able to use the knowledge they gathered from making the cars on Friday to creating their own wheeled vehicle from junk materials. So…please continue sending in any boxes, tubes etc.
Other bits and bobs
Please can all museum permission slips be handed in by the end of the week. Also, we now have enough parent helpers. Thanks. A letter regarding the details of the day should go out on Monday.
We have three new additions to the team. Mrs Hibbits who is training to be a teaching assistant and will work with us evry Monday and Tuesday. Mrs Kirkham who is a trainee teacher who will work with us every Thursday, and Miss Scott, who is a student from Hope University. She will be with us every Friday until she does her block teaching practice in March. We warmly welcome them all. Mmm…how much more can I squeeze into the week now????
I am please to say that Mrs Higgins is now on the mend. She is making a speedy recovery and she should be back with us soon.
That is all for now, PHEW!!!
Have a great week!
Best wishes
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxxx
Yet another fantastic week was had by all in the Foundation Stage last week. The rockets the children made have been hung by our mystery giant, Bertie and look amazing hanging from our ceiling. What did you think of their cars? The children were thrilled with them. You wouldn’t believe the trouble I had getting them to stand upright. However, Super Hero Latham and Mrs Hughes ( a parent from last year) came to my rescue. Better stick to my forte in future and leave the experts to it next time!
So what’s in store for this week?
Well…
IT’S BOOKWEEK!!!
The book week starts with a poet coming in to school for two days. The children will have a fantastically humorous story told to them. In addition to this, I have asked that the children bring in their favourite book on Monday to share with a friend. They will write the title on a leaf and stick it on to the reading tree in the hall. Throughout the week, the children will have a competition. I will leave clues for them and they have to work out the nursery rhyme or familiar book title from the clues. The one who gets them correct will have a prize on the Tuesday of next week in the prize giving assembly. Lots of other activities celebrating the wonder of books will be completed throughout the week concluding in our annual book week dressing up day. I am absolutely full to the brim with excitement!!
The book fair will be on from Wednesday after school until the following Tuesday. All books bought enable us to receive commission to purchase resources for school. Please come along.
Talking of reading…
As a school we are aiming for all classes to have 100% response from parents in reading diaries. That is to say that we ask that every parent writes at least one comment per week after they have read with their child. The whole school is publishing their percentages each week. I am pleased to say that ours is 93%. This equates to just two diaries not being commented in each week. I’m sure we can get to a 100% by the end of this week.
PHONICS
Your child may have talked about learning ‘c’ and ‘k’ and how together they make ‘ck’. Over the past few years I have searched for some inspiring way of helping the children understand when to use ‘ck’ and this year, ‘by jove’ I think I’ve cracked it! I have told the children that the letters love each other and are very lazy because more often than not they are found at the end of words. So what are we learning this week?
By the end of the week:
MUST be able to recognise the sound and name for ‘h’, ‘b’, ‘f’, ‘ff’, ‘l’, ‘ll’ and ‘ss’.
SHOULD be able to use the letters they have learned to segment and blend words when reading and writing.
COULD be able to read and write captions containing words with these letters.
Again there are double consonants here that make one sound and are often found at the end of words. These are the twins!!! They look the same and even sound the same. Plus, they are equally as lazy as ‘ck’.
NEW - http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/flags.html this is a brilliant game. Choose the vowel you want to have in the middle of the words and then put the flags on the sandcastles to make the word said by the computer.
NEW http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/teddybearPicnic_v2.html - a good website for matching lower case and upper case letters.
www.starfall.com - The children are doing amazingly well with their letter sound and name recognition so why not try out the vowels at the bottom of the page to help them use them in words.
http://www.ictgames.com/cvc_machine.html - this game is great for helping your child to blend sounds together. You can select the pattern (choose those with the letters we have been working on) and then the children have to read the word and click on the tick if it is a real word.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=cvcmaker - This again is a great website for blending three letter words together.
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/learn_y4/main.asp?lesson_path=year_4/word_machine_c-v-c/&lesson_file=lesson.swf&language=eng - This helps the children see how three letter words are made up of a consonant, a vowel and then a consonant.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/cvc/crank/game.shtml - If your child is experiencing difficulties listening to the middle sound then this is a great game for them.
http://www.ictgames.com/machine - a great site for blending again. Look at the picture in the machine and click on the correct word to match it.
MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT
By the end of the week, the children:
MUST be able to add one more to a given number up to 9.
SHOULD be able to add two numbers to make a total of up to 10 by combining two sets.
COULD be able to add two numbers by counting on from the larger number.
Please continue to work on the vocabulary of addition on Mr Adder. Here are a few websites to help support your child.
http://www.rainforestmaths.com/ - if you start on the Kindergarten level and review the combining of sets to find the total first. When you think your child is managing this why not let them have a go at the Year 1 addition games. I’m sure you will be surprised at how they will be able to manage them by the end of the week.
http://www.ictgames.com/save_the_whale_v4.html - find the pairs to 10 to save the whale.
http://www.ictgames.com/funkymum.html - love this one but they will have to use the counting on from the largest number method.
http://www.ictgames.com/flight_for_fuel.html - collect the fuel to make the totals on the top.
http://www.ictgames.com/safecracker.html
http://www.ictgames.com/caterpillar_slider.html - just a little taster of the work for next week on ordering numbers and it will also help with identifying the larger number.
http://www.ictgames.com/beaver.html
A game to play at home to help your child identify the larger number.
You will need:
A set of playing cards
How to play
Divide the cards between two players
Each person takes a turn to reveal their playing card.
The one with the biggest number gets to keep the two cards.
The winner is the one with the most cards at the end.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
The children will develop their understanding of transport that travels on the sea and air this week. Get the paper ready because we are actually going to teach them how to make paper aeroplanes and have a competition to see how far they can make them fly. They will also learn about floating and sinking. Perhaps during bath time you could reinforce this by adding a few objects. Keep those mobiles out of reach though as we have had at least three in the bath in our house over the past year!
Creative Development
We continue to work on the backgrounds to the amazing pictures the children did last week. The children will have to work together in a team to complete the task. We are amazed at the level of collaboration that children so young are demonstrating. The children are also going to be able to use the knowledge they gathered from making the cars on Friday to creating their own wheeled vehicle from junk materials. So…please continue sending in any boxes, tubes etc.
Other bits and bobs
Please can all museum permission slips be handed in by the end of the week. Also, we now have enough parent helpers. Thanks. A letter regarding the details of the day should go out on Monday.
We have three new additions to the team. Mrs Hibbits who is training to be a teaching assistant and will work with us evry Monday and Tuesday. Mrs Kirkham who is a trainee teacher who will work with us every Thursday, and Miss Scott, who is a student from Hope University. She will be with us every Friday until she does her block teaching practice in March. We warmly welcome them all. Mmm…how much more can I squeeze into the week now????
I am please to say that Mrs Higgins is now on the mend. She is making a speedy recovery and she should be back with us soon.
That is all for now, PHEW!!!
Have a great week!
Best wishes
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxxx
Friday, January 18, 2008
We're off, We're off, We're off in a Motor Car....
Welcome
What a fantastic week the children had last week as we developed our topic further to look at Space Travel. They particularly enjoyed the symmetrical underpants they made after reading the story ‘Aliens love Underpants’. Our rocket role play area is now ready for lift off which will make the children very happy, as well as our rocket reading corner. At the end of last week I asked the children take a vote on what they would like to learn about this week. It was a close call but the children asked if they could learn about travelling on the LAND.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Why does a car have an engine?
Why does a car have a steering wheel?
How do you make a car go?
These are three of the questions asked by the children about things that travel on the land at the start of the topic. It is my aim to answer these questions for them by the end of the week. CRIKEY!!! In order to do this, my car will be driven onto the playground for the children to see under the bonnet and how the steering wheel works. Needless to say, Health and Safety is our priority. Mmm…may need to clean my car out this weekend. the text Mr Gumpy's Motor Car by John Burningham will be out inspiration this week for role play and writing.
Creative Development
Unfortunately we did not have sufficient time to do our Van Gogh pictures last week so guess what’s on the agenda for this? In addition to this, the children will be developing their drawing skills. They will be drawing pictures of modes of transport that travel on the land. You may wish to have a practice with your child before Monday. They will draw them using a permanent pen onto acetate. Then use oil pastels to colour them in. Using different collage materials, the children will work in teams to create landscapes surrounding their vehicles. Yes, another chance to work as part of a team. You may begin to hear your child talk more about team work.
Phonics
By the end of the week:
MUST be able to recognise the sound and name for ‘ck’, ‘e’, ‘u’, and ‘r’.
SHOULD be able to use the letters they have learned to segment and blend words when reading and writing.
COULD be able to read and write captions containing words with these letters.
NEW - http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/flags.html this is a brilliant game. Choose the vowel you want to have in the middle of the words and then put the flags on the sandcastles to make the word said by the computer.
NEW http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/flags.html
NEW http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/teddybearPicnic_v2.html - a good website for matching lower case and upper case letters.
www.starfall.com - The children are doing amazingly well with their letter sound and name recognition so why not try out the vowels at the bottom of the page to help them use them in words.
http://www.ictgames.com/cvc_machine.html - this game is great for helping your child to blend sounds together. You can select the pattern (choose those with the letters we have been working on) and then the children have to read the word and click on the tick if it is a real word.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=cvcmaker - This again is a great website for blending three letter words together.
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/learn_y4/main.asp?lesson_path=year_4/word_machine_c-v-c/&lesson_file=lesson.swf&language=eng - This helps the children see how three letter words are made up of a consonant, a vowel and then a consonant.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/cvc/crank/game.shtml - If your child is experiencing difficulties listening to the middle sound then this is a great game for them.
http://www.ictgames.com/machine - a great site for blending again. Look at the picture in the machine and click on the correct word to match it.
Mathematical Development
By the end of the week, the children:
MUST be able to add one more to a given number to 10;
SHOULD be able to add two numbers to make a total of up to 6 by combining the two sets;
COULD be able to add two numbers to make a total of 10 by combining the two sets.
To make the vocabulary of addition more memorable to the children I have created a character called Mr Adder (get it? Add and Adder) Actually this was Mrs Bethell’s idea in the ‘Land of the Giants’. You should have received a copy of Mr Adder in your child’s diary this week for you to see the sort of language we aim to help the children use and understand. The acquisition of the vocabulary associated with addition is the class target for this week.
We use a mantra which goes like this:
COUNT, COUNT, TOGETHER, COUNT. The children will be able to tell you the actions to the mantra on Monday after the teaching. This is a hook on which the children can hold on to in order to facilitate their learning.
Here are some fabulous websites to help make their understanding of addition appear to be FUN!
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/numbers/ch1.shtml
www.ictgames.com/save_the_whale_v4.html - this game asks the children to select the number to add to the given number to make magic number 10. The strategy the children need to use is the counting on from the number given to 10;
www.ictgames.com/safecracker.html - the children have to choose two numbers to make the target number given.
www.ictgames.com/beaver.html - the children must select two numbers that make the magic number 10.
http://demo.iboard.co.uk/screens/thread_home.htm?thread_id=8
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/maths/num%20machine/add1.html - good website for rapid recall of adding one more.
Physical Development
Yes, more apparatus this week with the children looking at imaginative ways of travelling along the benches, etc using the different parts of their bodies. We now have a World Record to beat for getting changed. The children are going to be timed getting ready for PE, as apparatus work is time consuming and the longer they take to get dressed the less time they have on the equipment. So…each session they will be timed and they have to beat their record. ANY HELP you can give in this department at home will be much appreciated.
Here I Am
We continue with the RELATE part of our topic on Celebrations. This week the children will review their learning about the visit to the temple made by Jesus. They will further discuss the different artefacts found in church and learn about what they symbolise.
Museum Visit
Your child may have already told you about us visiting the museum. It has now been booked along with the coaches. We have a workshop in the planetarium with Barnaby Bear. Can’t wait!! A letter will be going out this week with further details. If you are able to accompany us on the visit please call in and see me.
Other bits and bobs
Please could you ensure that the children have a label on their water bottles as over 50% do not. Thanks.
Handwriting homework is to be handed in on Mondays to go out again on Wednesdays.
You may have noticed Mrs Higgins’ absence. Unfortunately, she is unwell. We miss her very much and I am sure you join me in wishing her a speedy recovery.
I think that’s all for this week.
Have a good one.
Best wishes
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx
What a fantastic week the children had last week as we developed our topic further to look at Space Travel. They particularly enjoyed the symmetrical underpants they made after reading the story ‘Aliens love Underpants’. Our rocket role play area is now ready for lift off which will make the children very happy, as well as our rocket reading corner. At the end of last week I asked the children take a vote on what they would like to learn about this week. It was a close call but the children asked if they could learn about travelling on the LAND.
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Why does a car have an engine?
Why does a car have a steering wheel?
How do you make a car go?
These are three of the questions asked by the children about things that travel on the land at the start of the topic. It is my aim to answer these questions for them by the end of the week. CRIKEY!!! In order to do this, my car will be driven onto the playground for the children to see under the bonnet and how the steering wheel works. Needless to say, Health and Safety is our priority. Mmm…may need to clean my car out this weekend. the text Mr Gumpy's Motor Car by John Burningham will be out inspiration this week for role play and writing.
Creative Development
Unfortunately we did not have sufficient time to do our Van Gogh pictures last week so guess what’s on the agenda for this? In addition to this, the children will be developing their drawing skills. They will be drawing pictures of modes of transport that travel on the land. You may wish to have a practice with your child before Monday. They will draw them using a permanent pen onto acetate. Then use oil pastels to colour them in. Using different collage materials, the children will work in teams to create landscapes surrounding their vehicles. Yes, another chance to work as part of a team. You may begin to hear your child talk more about team work.
Phonics
By the end of the week:
MUST be able to recognise the sound and name for ‘ck’, ‘e’, ‘u’, and ‘r’.
SHOULD be able to use the letters they have learned to segment and blend words when reading and writing.
COULD be able to read and write captions containing words with these letters.
NEW - http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/flags.html this is a brilliant game. Choose the vowel you want to have in the middle of the words and then put the flags on the sandcastles to make the word said by the computer.
NEW http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/flags.html
NEW http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/teddybearPicnic_v2.html - a good website for matching lower case and upper case letters.
www.starfall.com - The children are doing amazingly well with their letter sound and name recognition so why not try out the vowels at the bottom of the page to help them use them in words.
http://www.ictgames.com/cvc_machine.html - this game is great for helping your child to blend sounds together. You can select the pattern (choose those with the letters we have been working on) and then the children have to read the word and click on the tick if it is a real word.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=cvcmaker - This again is a great website for blending three letter words together.
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/learn_y4/main.asp?lesson_path=year_4/word_machine_c-v-c/&lesson_file=lesson.swf&language=eng - This helps the children see how three letter words are made up of a consonant, a vowel and then a consonant.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/cvc/crank/game.shtml - If your child is experiencing difficulties listening to the middle sound then this is a great game for them.
http://www.ictgames.com/machine - a great site for blending again. Look at the picture in the machine and click on the correct word to match it.
Mathematical Development
By the end of the week, the children:
MUST be able to add one more to a given number to 10;
SHOULD be able to add two numbers to make a total of up to 6 by combining the two sets;
COULD be able to add two numbers to make a total of 10 by combining the two sets.
To make the vocabulary of addition more memorable to the children I have created a character called Mr Adder (get it? Add and Adder) Actually this was Mrs Bethell’s idea in the ‘Land of the Giants’. You should have received a copy of Mr Adder in your child’s diary this week for you to see the sort of language we aim to help the children use and understand. The acquisition of the vocabulary associated with addition is the class target for this week.
We use a mantra which goes like this:
COUNT, COUNT, TOGETHER, COUNT. The children will be able to tell you the actions to the mantra on Monday after the teaching. This is a hook on which the children can hold on to in order to facilitate their learning.
Here are some fabulous websites to help make their understanding of addition appear to be FUN!
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/numbers/ch1.shtml
www.ictgames.com/save_the_whale_v4.html - this game asks the children to select the number to add to the given number to make magic number 10. The strategy the children need to use is the counting on from the number given to 10;
www.ictgames.com/safecracker.html - the children have to choose two numbers to make the target number given.
www.ictgames.com/beaver.html - the children must select two numbers that make the magic number 10.
http://demo.iboard.co.uk/screens/thread_home.htm?thread_id=8
http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/maths/num%20machine/add1.html - good website for rapid recall of adding one more.
Physical Development
Yes, more apparatus this week with the children looking at imaginative ways of travelling along the benches, etc using the different parts of their bodies. We now have a World Record to beat for getting changed. The children are going to be timed getting ready for PE, as apparatus work is time consuming and the longer they take to get dressed the less time they have on the equipment. So…each session they will be timed and they have to beat their record. ANY HELP you can give in this department at home will be much appreciated.
Here I Am
We continue with the RELATE part of our topic on Celebrations. This week the children will review their learning about the visit to the temple made by Jesus. They will further discuss the different artefacts found in church and learn about what they symbolise.
Museum Visit
Your child may have already told you about us visiting the museum. It has now been booked along with the coaches. We have a workshop in the planetarium with Barnaby Bear. Can’t wait!! A letter will be going out this week with further details. If you are able to accompany us on the visit please call in and see me.
Other bits and bobs
Please could you ensure that the children have a label on their water bottles as over 50% do not. Thanks.
Handwriting homework is to be handed in on Mondays to go out again on Wednesdays.
You may have noticed Mrs Higgins’ absence. Unfortunately, she is unwell. We miss her very much and I am sure you join me in wishing her a speedy recovery.
I think that’s all for this week.
Have a good one.
Best wishes
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx
Sunday, January 13, 2008
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 BLAST OFF!!
Hi there!
What a fantastic start the Spring Term we had last week with the introduction of our new topic on Transport and Journeys. The children have posed some excellent questions which they would like answered by the end of the topic. The focus for teaching and learning each week will be determined by the children themselves. On Friday they had to vote on whether they wanted to learn about space travel, travelling by land, by sea or by air. The majority voted for…(drum roll please) SPACE TRAVEL.
So what will the children be learning?
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Last year Mr Narraway visited the Kennedy Space Centre in America and took some amazing photographs for me. I have been waiting patiently for an opportunity to use them. The children will have the opportunity to have a look inside a real rocket and learn about its contents. They will learn about the moon and the other planets in our solar system. They may have already told you that the role play area is being changed into a space rocket.
Mantle of the Expert
Last week the children received a visit from the Mayor of Little Town asking the problem solvers to design mode of transport for the citizens to go on holiday in. The children really got into this and worked well in their teams. However, this week there will be a twist to their designs. Yes! Another problem. The people of Little Town have heard that visits to the moon are all the rage now and would like the problem-solvers to design a rocket for them to travel into space. The children will therefore, take on the role of being designers. They will plan their designs on paper and decide on the materials they are going to use for them. Towards the latter part of the week, the children will all be making a junk model rocket big enough for five citizens from Little Town to travel into space. In order to do this though, we will need lots of plastic bottles, cardboard tubes and yoghurt pots etc. If you have any please do send them in.
Communication, Language and Literacy
The text for this week will be The Jigaree. This is a great book which helps the children practice reading their high frequency words in context. The Jigaree is an alien from outer space and when the astronaut visits the jigaree follows him everywhere. The repetitive nature of the text will hopefully feed into our writing activities this week.
Phonics
As with last week the children:
MUST be able to recognise the letters s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d, g, o, c and k by sound or name.
SHOULD be able to recognise the sound and name for ‘ck’, ‘e’, ‘u’, and ‘r’.
COULD be able to use the letters they have learned to segment and blend words when reading and writing.
http://www.starfall.com/ - this is a great website. Perhaps make sure that your child focuses on the letters that they are working on for the week.
http://www.ictgames.com/cvc_machine.html - this game is great for helping your child to blend sounds together. You can select the pattern (choose those with the letters we have been working on) and then the children have to read the word and click on the tick if it is a real word.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=cvcmaker - This again is a great website for blending three letter words together.
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/learn_y4/main.asp?lesson_path=year_4/word_machine_c-v-c/&lesson_file=lesson.swf&language=eng - This helps the children see how three letter words are made up of a consonant, a vowel and then a consonant.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/cvc/crank/game.shtml - If your child is experiencing difficulties listening to the middle sound then this is a great game for them.
http://www.ictgames.com/machine - a great site for blending again. Look at the picture in the machine and click on the correct word to match it.
Mathematical Development
As well as continuing with their 3d shape recognition, the children will start a new topic on SYMMETRY and PATTERN.
By the end of the week, the children:
MUST be able to create a repeating pattern
SHOULD be able to recognise symmetry
COULD be able to make a symmetrical model from a range of materials, pointing out matching pairs on each side of the middle.
Here are some great websites the children can play around on.
http://crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=butterfly - the children have to create a matching symmetrical butterfly to the one shown. The level of difficulty can be raised by the use of two colours and then the chance to create their own symmetrical butterfly.
http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/symmetry/index.html - this is great. The children can create a kaleidoscope effect on the screen.
http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/reflection.swf - I love this one. The children can make a pattern on one side and then make its reflection on the other side. Just keep clicking on the squares to change the colours.
http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/symmetry.swf - a good website for helping children to understand what symmetry is.
http://www.adrianbruce.com/Symmetry/index.htm
Creative Development
Our classroom is ready to be adorned with beautiful pieces of art created by the children. The Fernand Leger and Wassily Kandinsky inspired pictures are beautiful and we can’t wait to put them up. This week, the children will look at Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. They will learn about how Van Gogh used the swirls in the picture to create the impression of the movement of the wind. Here is a picture of the art that will inspire us.
What a fantastic start the Spring Term we had last week with the introduction of our new topic on Transport and Journeys. The children have posed some excellent questions which they would like answered by the end of the topic. The focus for teaching and learning each week will be determined by the children themselves. On Friday they had to vote on whether they wanted to learn about space travel, travelling by land, by sea or by air. The majority voted for…(drum roll please) SPACE TRAVEL.
So what will the children be learning?
Knowledge and Understanding of the World
Last year Mr Narraway visited the Kennedy Space Centre in America and took some amazing photographs for me. I have been waiting patiently for an opportunity to use them. The children will have the opportunity to have a look inside a real rocket and learn about its contents. They will learn about the moon and the other planets in our solar system. They may have already told you that the role play area is being changed into a space rocket.
Mantle of the Expert
Last week the children received a visit from the Mayor of Little Town asking the problem solvers to design mode of transport for the citizens to go on holiday in. The children really got into this and worked well in their teams. However, this week there will be a twist to their designs. Yes! Another problem. The people of Little Town have heard that visits to the moon are all the rage now and would like the problem-solvers to design a rocket for them to travel into space. The children will therefore, take on the role of being designers. They will plan their designs on paper and decide on the materials they are going to use for them. Towards the latter part of the week, the children will all be making a junk model rocket big enough for five citizens from Little Town to travel into space. In order to do this though, we will need lots of plastic bottles, cardboard tubes and yoghurt pots etc. If you have any please do send them in.
Communication, Language and Literacy
The text for this week will be The Jigaree. This is a great book which helps the children practice reading their high frequency words in context. The Jigaree is an alien from outer space and when the astronaut visits the jigaree follows him everywhere. The repetitive nature of the text will hopefully feed into our writing activities this week.
Phonics
As with last week the children:
MUST be able to recognise the letters s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d, g, o, c and k by sound or name.
SHOULD be able to recognise the sound and name for ‘ck’, ‘e’, ‘u’, and ‘r’.
COULD be able to use the letters they have learned to segment and blend words when reading and writing.
http://www.starfall.com/ - this is a great website. Perhaps make sure that your child focuses on the letters that they are working on for the week.
http://www.ictgames.com/cvc_machine.html - this game is great for helping your child to blend sounds together. You can select the pattern (choose those with the letters we have been working on) and then the children have to read the word and click on the tick if it is a real word.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=cvcmaker - This again is a great website for blending three letter words together.
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/learn_y4/main.asp?lesson_path=year_4/word_machine_c-v-c/&lesson_file=lesson.swf&language=eng - This helps the children see how three letter words are made up of a consonant, a vowel and then a consonant.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/cvc/crank/game.shtml - If your child is experiencing difficulties listening to the middle sound then this is a great game for them.
http://www.ictgames.com/machine - a great site for blending again. Look at the picture in the machine and click on the correct word to match it.
Mathematical Development
As well as continuing with their 3d shape recognition, the children will start a new topic on SYMMETRY and PATTERN.
By the end of the week, the children:
MUST be able to create a repeating pattern
SHOULD be able to recognise symmetry
COULD be able to make a symmetrical model from a range of materials, pointing out matching pairs on each side of the middle.
Here are some great websites the children can play around on.
http://crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=butterfly - the children have to create a matching symmetrical butterfly to the one shown. The level of difficulty can be raised by the use of two colours and then the chance to create their own symmetrical butterfly.
http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/games/symmetry/index.html - this is great. The children can create a kaleidoscope effect on the screen.
http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/reflection.swf - I love this one. The children can make a pattern on one side and then make its reflection on the other side. Just keep clicking on the squares to change the colours.
http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/symmetry.swf - a good website for helping children to understand what symmetry is.
http://www.adrianbruce.com/Symmetry/index.htm
Creative Development
Our classroom is ready to be adorned with beautiful pieces of art created by the children. The Fernand Leger and Wassily Kandinsky inspired pictures are beautiful and we can’t wait to put them up. This week, the children will look at Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. They will learn about how Van Gogh used the swirls in the picture to create the impression of the movement of the wind. Here is a picture of the art that will inspire us.
Did you know that the song Starry Starry Night by John Denver (I think?) was inspired by the painting by Van Gogh?
In music the children will continue to use percussion instruments to accompany the song The wheels on the Bus.
Physical Development
Your child may have come home and told you that they had been on the climbing frame last week. They were beside themselves with excitement when we got the apparatus out. This whole half term will focus on moving along, through, under and over different pieces of apparatus, and learning to make a safe landing.
Here I Am
We move onto the RELATE part of our topic on Celebrations. This week the children will learn about the visit to the temple made by Jesus. They will discuss the different artefacts found in church and learn about what they symbolise.
Finally…
If the weather is okay next week, the children will hopefully be able to go outside throughout the day to enhance their learning. Please could you ensure your child is suitably dressed in a warm coat and a hat. Thanks.
Have a great week!
Best wishes
Jayne Narraway and the Foundation Stage Team xxx
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