The Foundation Stage Curriculum

Summer Term Curriculum Overview

Nursery Summer Curriculum Overview 2020

This term will be a very different kind of Summer term, but we hope that you enjoy all of our online learning through Tapestry. We will link our learning to a range of high-quality texts and authors which are chosen from Pie Corbett’s reading spine and the CLPE Core books list. These are recognised providers of essential and classic texts to support literacy and language development, whilst capturing children’s imaginations. Throughout this term, we will be covering the 30-50 Months statements from the Development Matters Framework. If your child is confident with the skills in these statements, then we have also included statements from the 40-60 Months age band.

When posting an activity to Tapestry, we will clearly refer to which area of the curriculum that it links to. Each Monday we will post a Phonics activity, which will begin with Phase 1 Phonics. Each week we will cover all seven curriculum areas, including: Maths, Literacy, Personal, Social, Emotional Development, Communication and Language, Physical Development, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.

Personal, Social, Emotional Development (PSED)

Children welcome and value praise for what they have done and enjoy the responsibility of carrying out a small task. They are aware of their own feelings and know that some actions and words can hurt others’ feelings. Children can usually tolerate delay when needs are not immediately met and understand wishes may not be always met. Children can initiate conversations, attend to and take account of what others say. They are confident to speak to others about own needs, wants, interests and opinions.

Communication and Language (CL)

Children join in with repeated refrains and anticipate key events and phrases in rhymes and stories. They are beginning to understand ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions and they show understanding of prepositions, such as ‘under’ or ‘behind.’ Children use a range of tenses and question why things happen and give explanations.

They respond to instructions involving a two-part sequence and understand humour, e.g. nonsense rhymes and jokes. Children extend their vocabulary, especially by grouping and naming, exploring the meaning and sounds of new words.

 

Physical Development (PD)

Children can hold a pencil near the point between first two fingers and thumb and use it with good control. They can copy some letters, particularly from their name. Children can use one-handed tools and equipment, e.g. make snips in paper with child scissors. They can observe the effects of activity on their bodies and are beginning to independently dress themselves. They show increasing control over an object in pushing, patting, throwing, catching or kicking it. Children show a preference for a dominant hand.

Literacy (L)

Children are able to describe the main story setting, events and principal characters. They are able to suggest how a story might end and are aware of the way stories are structured. Children show an awareness of rhyme and alliteration. They are able to ascribe meaning to the marks they make as they draw, write and paint. Children are beginning to write their name. They are able to follow a rhyming string and can hear and say the initial sounds in words.

Mathematics (M)

Children are able to recite numbers in order to 10 and are able to match numeral and quantity correctly. They can separate a group of three or four objects in different ways, beginning to recognise that the total is still the same. Children can compare two groups of objects, saying when they have the same number. They show an interest in representing numbers. Children show an interest in shapes in the environment and can use shapes appropriately for tasks. They are beginning to talk about the shapes of everyday objects, e.g. ‘round’ and ‘tall’.

Children count objects to 10 and are beginning to count beyond 10. They are able to count actions or objects that cannot be moved. Children are beginning to use mathematical names for 2D shapes and can select a particular named shape.

Understanding the World (UW)

Children know some of the things that make them unique and can talk about some of the similarities and differences in relation to friends or family. They can talk about why things happen and how things work. Children are developing an understanding of growth, decay and changes over time. They can talk about some of the things they have observed such as plants, animals, natural and found objects. Children know how to operate simple technological equipment.

Expressive Arts and Design (EAD)

Children are beginning to move rhythmically and imitate movements in response to music. They can tap out simple repeated rhythms. Children are beginning to be interested in and describe the texture of things. They engage in imaginative role-play based on their own first-hand experiences. Children capture experiences and responses with a range of media, such as music, dance and paint.

They explore the different sounds of instruments. Children can explore what happens when they mix colours and can experiment to create different textures. They create simple representations of events, people and objects.

 

Please see the link below to the Development Matters Framework.

https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2012/03/Development-Matters-FINAL-PRINT-AMENDED.pdf

Thank you for your continued support, Miss Gorman Kiely and Mr Jeans.

 

Covid – 19

Friday 3rd April 2020 – Religious Education Home Learning

As Holy Week commences with Palm Sunday (5th April), the following documents will give you some suggestions on things you could try at home to remember Jesus and this special time in the Catholic church. In each document, you will see ideas for both younger and older children, however please feel free to pick and choose from whichever you wish.

Easter Activities

R.E Home Learning – Easter in Matthew’s Gospel

Please click the link below for a suggested Daily Timetable while the school is closed.

Home Learning Daily Timetable

Nursery Home Learning Pack

• EYFS-Home-Learning-Pack
• EYFS-Mathematics-Shape-Space-and-Measure-Ordering-by-Length-or-Height
• EYFS-Mathematics-Shape-Space-Measure-Positional-Language
• EYFS-Provision-Enhancement-All-About-the-Numbers-1-to-5

The Foundation Stage Curriculum

Spring Term Curriculum Overview

Nursery Spring Curriculum Overview 2020

Welcome back to all our parents and children after the Christmas break. We trust you are well rested and ready for an exciting term ahead.  Our Topic this term is ‘Traditional Tales’, beginning with ‘The Gingerbread Man,’ and we will be following the children’s interests within this topic.

As part of Communication & Language and Literacy, we will be beginning our Show and Tell programme. This involves the children bringing in a photo/object when they get their special bag. At the end of the day they will talk about their photo/object in front of the class and children will be invited to ask questions.

We will be continuing with phase 1 phonics, focusing on hearing sounds in the environment and rhyming words. Each week the children will learn a new nursery rhyme of the week. We will be encouraging mark marking and supporting children to ascribe meaning to their marks.

In Maths, we will be working in practical ways with numbers from 0 – 10.  We will learn about the four main shapes – circle, square, rectangle and triangle. Through practical activities the children will have experience of size – big/small, measurement – long/short and ordering – small, medium, large.

In Understanding the World, we will be exploring materials and deciding which materials are strong to build a bridge for the Gingerbread Man and a house for the Three Little Pigs. Through our topic work, the children will experience the other areas of the Foundation Stage curriculum, including Art, Language and Literacy and Technology.

We would be grateful if you could ensure a spare set of clothes is in your child’s locker; it is especially important this term as children can get muddy in our mud kitchen and sand and water area. Please ensure all items of your child’s school uniform including, hats and gloves have your child’s name clearly marked. Also, it is still important that your child has Wellington boots in school alongside their indoor shoes (plimsoles) so that we can all go outside and build on our Physical Development and make use of all of our beautiful grounds.

As our Nursery children are getting more experienced and confident with books now, we ask that you share as many stories as possible at home and encourage the children to become involved with reading in the environment, ie. signs, labels etc.

If you have any concerns or worries please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thank You

Miss Gorman Kiely and Mr Jeans

 

Ways to help at home

Routine

Try to establish a routine for school days;

• Wake your child in good time to have breakfast and wash and dress in peace.
• Make time after school to listen to them telling you about what they have been doing.
• Your child will be tired when he/she comes home from school. Please ensure that he/she goes to bed early. If he/she does not get enough sleep he/she will not learn efficiently.
• Speaking and Listening: always use speech as a model for your child’s language skills.

Reading

When parents share books with their children regularly reading becomes a more enjoyable experience and progress in learning to read is enhanced

• Share books as often as possible
• Talk about print you see at home or when you are out
• Let them see you enjoying reading
• Discuss stories, predicting what might happen next
• Share poems and rhymes with your child
• Talk about the cover and pictures in stories. Ask your child to tell their own story using the pictures
• Encourage your child to finish a sentence by pausing at a suitable place, e.g. Humpty Dumpty sat on a …….
• Playing I-spy, – use letter sounds rather than names

Writing/Mark making

Have fun with making marks and discussion about marks

• Chunky pencils/chalk etc. helps to develop motor control.
• Make play dough – develop arm strength
• Use chalk on pavements, outside walls, chalk can be removed by putting water over it.
• If your child is ready to write you could begin by helping them to trace shapes or letters to develop their pencil control. Try writing with a highlighter pen for your child to copy over.
• Encourage your child to hold their pencil correctly – it is better to learn slowly, using the correct technique. If your child alternates the pencil between hands don’t worry as dominance takes time to develop.
• Have lots of paper and writing implements readily available so that they can practise drawing and writing whenever they want to.
• If you choose to teach your child to write his/her name please use a capital for the first letter and lower case thereafter. Once children have formed the habit of writing in capital letters it is very hard to break.

Mathematics

Encourage your child to:

• Learn counting rhymes
• Weigh and mix ingredients for cooking
• Count in different situation e.g. stairs, buttons on coats, people at dinner table etc
• Identify shapes and colours inside and outside your home
• Describe and sort things into sets e.g. big/small, heavy/light, rough/smooth
• Recognise numbers up to 10, then 20
• Gardening (let them help you care for a small section of plants)