Nursery Autumn Term
We hope the information below gives you a good understanding of what experiences your child will have over the coming term.
This term our topics are All About Me & People Who Help Us and we will also find out more about Autumn. We will explore these topics through all seven areas of learning.
Parent open sessions
We hold parent open sessions where you can join us for activities in the classroom. These will take place from 9-9.30 at the end of each half term and you will be notified of the day nearer the time. We try to offer different days so that more parents can attend.
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 Essential 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 in readiness for more formal daily, phonics sessions in Reception.
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 encouraging the children’s mark making skills using different pieces of equipment. 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 ourselves. We will be looking at our everyday lives and who we live with.
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 week we have 'focus children' and you will be asked to fill in a short questionnaire about your child when it is their turn. During this week we will send home a selection of photos of your child, showing what they are learning and enjoying in Nursery. Please discuss these with your child and ask them to tell you what they have been learning in Nursery, encouraging them to speak in full sentences.
