10/12/2018 – Stepping Stones – Christmas Makaton signs & Parent’s Evening

Updates and Notices

We would like to politely remind our parent’s of our upcoming parent’s evening on the 12th & 13 the December. If any parents have forgotten their time slot please speak to one of the members of staff in your child’s room.

We would also like to wish all of our parents a wonderful Christmas and New Year. We can’t wait to see you all in the New Year. 


In the Yellow Room

Over the next two weeks in the baby room, we will be doing Christmas activities to celebrate the festive period. The activities will include Christmas cards and salt dough decorations. As well as the Christmas activities being done to celebrate Christmas, they also encourage the babies to enjoy sensory experiences.

For the older babies, we will be doing activities to help strengthen their leg muscles and encourage them to take their first steps. Our younger babies will be doing lots of tummy time activities to help get them into the crawling position.


In Red Room 1 & 2

In the next two weeks in Red Room 1 and 2, we will be using the sign ‘where’. We are now starting our Christmas makaton signs which include making; Christmas cards, a picture to send to Santa, a variety of Christmas scented play eg. playdough and cornflour with scents such as cinnamon, ginger, mint and orange.

Through our play we are focusing on the words; mix, cut, more, using messy play to emphasise these words and using their Makaton signs to reinforce and expand their learning.


In Green Room 1 & 2

Over the next two weeks, we will be starting oru Christmas activities; making calendars, cards and decorations. Our Makaton signs will be ‘snack’ and ‘nappy’. Please ask us to show you these signs in the room when you collect your child.

Our story sack for this fortnight will be ‘Mr Grump’s Outing’ we will be using the following words in our play to help the children learn and use them more frequently; boat, car, duck, chicken, cat, sheep and pig.


In the Pre-School

Fortnightly Book

‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ is Blue room 1’s book, they will be making storyboards, creating symmetrical butterfly pictures and learning about the life cycle of a caterpillar.

In Blue Room 2 ‘Wake Up Do, Lydia Lou!’ is our fortnightly book. Our children will be making animal masks, creating story boards and story maps.

Blue Room 3 will be reading ‘The Gruffalo’. Gruffalo masks and storyboards are going to be made as well as a Gruffalo shopping list and animal masks.


Letter/Phoneme

Our letter of the week is Cc in Blue Room 1

Kk is the letter of the week in Blue Room 2

In Blue Room 3 our letter of the week is Ee

We are all trying to think of lots of things beginning with our letters/the sound it makes, what items do you have at home beginning with our letters? What can you see beginning with our letters on the way to nursery? Can you bring anything in to show us beginning with our letter? We are using our new phoneme bags which are just next to reception, we will also be learning an alliterative rhyme that matches our letter (for example ‘C’ Carol the Cat clicks her castanets). We will also be learning the jolly phonics action.


Number

7 is the number of the week in Blue Room 1

Our number of the week is 7 in Blue Room 2

In Blue Room 3 our number is 8

Talking to your child about these numbers will really reinforce our teaching. This helps your child’s ability to recognize numbers and aids in their mathematical development. In all rooms, we will be counting to our number. Talking about the different ways we can make our number (for example 5 = 3 + 2, 4 + 1, 5 + 0 etc.). Also looking at where it is on our number line and which numbers come before and after it.


Skill

Recognising and ordering numerals are the focus for Blue Room 1’s children. The children will be playing hopscotch, singing number songs, going on a number hunt and threading numbers.

In Blue Room 2 our children will be looking at comparative language and measuring skills. We will be putting cars down a ramp and measuring how far they travel. The children will also be measuring hands and feet and charting them.

In Blue Room 3 the children will be studying shapes. Building sculptures is a great way of looking at how different shapes work together, the children will also be doing a shape hunt.


Homework sheets for the Pre-School are available in both the rooms and on the door in a plastic wallet. Please ask your room leader for a sheet if you cannot find one.

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