Nursery Spring Term
We hope the information below gives you a good understanding of what experiences your child will have over the coming term.
Spring Term-
This term we will be looking at ‘People Who Help Us' and ‘Traditional Tales’. We will explore these topics through all seven areas of learning.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
This term we want your child to develop their confidence, independence and self-esteem. In class we are encouraging them to maintain attention, concentrate and sit quietly when appropriate and to respond to questions. Assemblies, Circle time and Religious Education all contribute to the children’s development in this area.
By making and keeping friends we want the children to understand that friends/people have different views, cultures and beliefs that need to be treated with respect. We encourage all the children to become sensitive to the needs of others and to form polite and respectful relationships with adults and children alike.
We will also continue to explore the ways to stay healthy with a particular focus on Healthy Eating and Exercise.
Communication and Language
This area is divided into two areas; Listening, Attention & Understanding and Speaking.
The children will be listening to and responding to stories, songs and poems around our topics. We will be encouraging the children to speak clearly and audibly with confidence, we want them to show an awareness of the listener by using strategies such as polite greetings, looking at the person who is speaking to them and not interrupting. We want them to organise and clarify their own ideas and thoughts before they speak. We use our role play areas to encourage children to engage in imaginary play with opportunities to mark make and write.
Literacy
We follow the government’s Letters and Sound programme to teach the children phonics. We play different games to encourage our children to listen carefully and to discriminate between the different sounds they hear. We encourage an understanding of rhyme and oral blending and segmenting of sounds. You will hear about our PIP robot who speaks in sound talk - and we have to guess what is hidden in his tummy using our phonic skills.
Reading
We share stories every day and encourage the children to answer simple questions and talk about their favourite (or least favourite!) parts. We are also sharing non-fiction books to support our topic work and poems where we are looking at rhyming words.
Writing
This term we will be working on holding pencils and other mark making equipment using the correct grip. Please encourage them to try and praise their efforts. Colouring and cutting at home help to develop their confidence and enjoyment.
Maths
There are two areas: Numbers and Number Patterns. Running through all these strands, the children are encouraged to use and apply the skills they have learned when engaging in problem solving activities. This term the children in Nursery will enjoy singing number rhymes, playing number recognition and counting games, measuring, sequencing and number writing. They will continue to consolidate their knowledge of numbers up to 10 and beyond. The children will also be learning shape names and using shapes to make pictures and models.
Understanding the World
This term we are finding out about ‘People who help us’ in our community. We will be having lots of visitors from the fire service, the police and nurses.
The children will be using computers and the interactive whiteboards in the class to support their learning in all areas on a daily basis.
Expressive Arts and Design
We want the children to respond and offer their opinion to what they see, hear, smell, touch and feel through creative development. We link much of our Design and Technology and craft activities to our topics.
The children will be given the opportunity to experiment with various media and explore the various textures, shapes and effects they achieve using paint and collage. The children will be developing their fine motor skills by engaging in many cutting and sticking projects.
We develop imagination through role play, dance and small world activities. We encourage children to use the art skills we have taught them to develop their creativity in many forms.
Physical Development
Please could you ensure that your child’s kit is named and that they do not wear earrings on PE days. (Thursday) Please help your child to learn to dress and undress themselves as this is an important part of developing independence.
We are learning about the importance of keeping healthy (sleep, diet, hygiene and exercise) and to recognise some of the changes that happen to their bodies when they exercise.
During this term the children will be developing their physical skills such as climbing, balancing and moving safely. They will have either a P.E. lesson in the gym where they will be learning gymnastic skills or a dance session where they will be learning to control their bodies to respond to a variety of music. They will also have daily access to small equipment such as bats, balls, hoops, bikes and bean bags. Weather permitting we try and get out every day. Having appropriate clothes is very important.
We will be continuing with the Write Dance programme which develops your child’s gross and fine motor skills through different movements and various activities in the classroom.
Assessment, progress and parental feedback
We use the Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage to evaluate your children’s progress. Children do not know they are being assessed, as the teachers record their findings by observing the children as they play. Each half term we will send photo observations out to you showing your child’s progress and achievements.
If you have any queries please ask Mrs Cavanagh or one of the Nursery team.
Thank you.
