Summer 1 week 1

Welcome back from the Easter holidays, the children have shared all the exciting things they have got up to over the half term.  This term we are focusing our learning around ‘Occupational’ texts, looking into all the important people who help us in our local area. 

We have explored the important role of a postal worker this week.  The children listened to a story called ‘Post Man’ and we focused on key vocabulary such as post office, post van, letters, mail, parcels.  The role play was enhanced into a post office and the children enjoyed role playing writing and posting letters, wrapping and weighing parcels, paying for stamps and sorting mail. 

In the writing area the children wrote a special letter to Mr Dugdale, we planned our route to the nearest post box and walked into Hoddlesden village to post the letter.  We discussed which direction we would need to go and drew a map to help us find the post box. 

In the construction area the children explored building with the large bricks, using shapes appropriately for their models for example a triangle for the roof. 

In the outdoor area the children painted and made marks to represent a map of Hoddlesden and landmarks such as the School, Ranken Arms, Cenotaph, Village shop and Millennium Green.

On Wednesday the whole school joined in a charity event raising money for the East Lancashire Hospice.  The Pre-school children jumped, hopped and skipped around the main playground 8 times!  Fantastic work and wonderful fund raising!

On Thursday the children joined in with their Gymnastics lesson with Mrs Winward.  The children showed amazing listening, balancing and stretching skills.  Well done Pre-school!

On Friday morning the children continued with their French lesson with Madame Wardle. They listened to the Nounours song and used the pictures to deduce what was happening.  They sang the song together adding actions and gestures.

Next week we will be focusing our learning on ‘Police’ and their important role in society

Spring 2 week 6 

The final week before the Easter holidays and the children have been very busy! They listened to the story ‘Superworm’ and discussed the different insects that appear.  We looked closely at our five caterpillars using a magnifying glass and noticed how much they have grown!  We re-capped the life cycle of a butterfly with some children re-telling ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ story in sequence and singing our caterpillar song with actions.  

In phonics the children have focused on initial sounds in words, playing games such as ‘odd one out’.  They focused on the sounds ‘S’, ‘A’, ‘T’.  In maths the children matched the correct amount of carrots to the numbered bunnies and could use the mathematical language such as ‘more’ and ‘fewer’ to compare amounts. 

This week the children have created wonderful Easter creations.  They have collaged chicks, painted Easter cards and designed their own Easter eggs.  We read an Easter story focusing on the Christian meaning of Easter and the traditions surrounding this special time.  In provision the children made ‘hot cross buns’ with the playdoh linking to the theme of Easter.  We looked at the season of Spring and the things we might see in the environment such as, warmer and lighter days, daffodils growing, trees budding, baby lambs being born etc.  

On Wednesday we had a special surprise visit from the Easter bunny!  The children had to collect the chocolate eggs and then we counted how many they found! The children then decorated egg boxes and took their eggs home to enjoy!

On Thursday the children show cased a gymnastics performance for parents/carers showing off their skills they have been working on so hard!  After the show the parents enjoyed a Stay and Play session in the classroom sharing wonderful Easter themed activities and creating memories with their little ones.  In the afternoon the children tasted a hot cross bun.  They used a knife to spread the butter and we talked about the meaning behind the cross on top linking to Jesus and how Easter is a special time for Christians.  The children enjoyed them very much! 

On Friday the children re-capped their learning of colours with Madame Wardle and in the afternoon they were awarded with a behaviour treat and enjoyed exploring on an inflatable assault course with a big slide! 

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter break! 

Spring 2 week 5 

This week the children have continued to focus their learning around the story ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’.  The children listened to the story and could re-tell parts of the story independently in the correct order of sequence.  We practiced the ‘Days of the week’ song and used our fingers to count how many fruit the caterpillar ate each day.  We looked at the cycle of a butterfly and focused on key vocabulary such as ‘Egg’, ‘Leaf’, ‘Caterpillar’, ‘Chrysalis’, ‘Cocoon’ and ‘Butterfly’.  The children had a go at drawing the life cycle in the writing area and copying letters from the key vocabulary.  In the malleable area the children created different insects using the playdoh and the loose parts to enhance their imagination.  In the creative area the children explored painting butterflies, mixing colours on one side of the wings and folding it in half to reveal a symmetrical butterfly!  

The children made their own Mother’s Day cards this week for someone special in their lives.  They printed handprints and created a flower shaped card and practiced writing their names. 

In maths this week the children explored threading green and red pasta onto pipe cleaners to make ‘caterpillars’.  They compared the length of their caterpillars to others using mathematical language such as ‘more than’ and ‘fewer than’.  They also made patterns and counted the pieces of pasta.  During phonics the children explored initial sounds in words and joined in a game of ‘Kim’s game’, recognising which object had been removed from the group.  

We have been watching our caterpillars grow this week!  They are eating the food and getting much bigger.  We can’t wait to see what happens next week! 

During music and movement this week the children focused on different insects/bugs and explored moving around the space such as ‘slithering like a slug’, ‘buzzing like a bee’, ‘wriggling like a caterpillar’. 

In the outdoor area this week the children enjoyed making their own bird feeders and hanging them on the paddock for the birds to eat. 

In gymnastics this week the children practiced for their performance next week that will be in front of parents/carers.  On Friday they joined in with their French lesson with Madame Wardle and practiced the three colours of the French flag and played a matching game.   

Next week we are looking at the story ‘Superworm’ and focusing on Easter themed activities.  

Spring 2 week 4 

This week we introduced the story of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’.  The children listened to the story and could re-call the different fruits that appear, the days of the week and the life cycle of a butterfly.  In the writing area the children used the resources to draw their favourite fruit and to draw caterpillars and butterflies.  In the creative area the children used toilet tubes in paint to print circles for their caterpillars and used brushes to paint the features.  In the malleable area the children used loose parts to enhance their playdoh into caterpillar and butterfly shapes.  During the focus maths groups the children threaded beads and pasta onto string and then compared with their friends if they had ‘more’ or ‘fewer’ than.  During phonics the children joined in games recognising initial sounds in words.  They had to match the objects to the correct sound bag. 

The children joined in a music and movement session focusing on songs relating to different bugs.  The children crawled like caterpillars, buzzed like bees, marched like ants to the beat of the music. 

On Wednesday the children joined in with their Outdoor Adventure Learning with Louise.  The children discovered in the woods a Very Hungry Caterpillar!  Louise connected our core text to real life exploration for the children to learn about nature, searching for bugs and finding natural objects.  The children enjoyed picking wild garlic and spent time washing and chopping in preparation for Louise to make garlic bread over the fire!  A perfect mixture of nature, creativity and cooking!    

The children continued with their gymnastics lesson this week, practicing for their performance in two weeks with Mrs Winward.   

This week the children have observed their cress seeds growing!  On Thursday the children then used scissors to cut their cress and add it to their egg sandwich!  It was delicious! 

We have had a special delivery this week of five tiny caterpillars!  We will look after them and watch the cycle of them transforming into butterflies!  

On Friday the children joined in their French lesson with Madame Wardle.  They practiced the three colours of the French flag, bleu, blanc, rouge and sang songs to remember them.  Well done Pre-school!  The children came to Pre-school wearing something red to raise money for Comic Relief and joined in with red themed activities. 

Next week we will continue to focus on ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ 

Spring 2 week 3  

This week we introduced the story ‘Oliver’s Vegetables’.  The children listened and discussed the different vegetables that appear in the story.  We compared the vegetables that grow above the ground to the ones that grow underground.  The children shared their favourite vegetable with the group and talked about the importance of healthy eating.  They explored feeling, smelling and looking at real vegetables such as leeks, potatoes and broccoli.  

In provision the children sorted vegetables and fruit into groups and questioned the unfamiliar.  In the creative area the children explored printing with potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower.  They collaged and made different patterns and shapes with the vegetables.  In the maths area the children used hammers to knock the correct amount of sticks into numbered potatoes.  In the malleable area the children explored making caterpillars, vegetables and fruit shapes!  In phonics this week the children have joined in a game of ‘I went to the shop and I bought..” to identify objects beginning with the same phoneme.   

In the outdoor area this week the children planted their own cress seeds and we are going to watch them grow over the next week!  In the mud kitchen the children enjoyed making mud pies and stews using a variety of utensils.  The children loved joining in with parachute games outdoors, singing number songs and stop and go games. 

During the week the children had a go at chopping up different vegetables and tasting them with a dip of hummus.  

On Thursday the children continued with their gymnastics lesson with Mrs Winward.  They practiced balancing and joined in with listening games. 

On Friday the children joined in with their weekly French lesson with Madame Wardle. They recalled the colours they have learnt so far- bleu, blanc, rouge (le Tricolore) and then they looked at jaune and vert. 

Next week we are going to focus on the story ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. 

Spring 2 week 2  

Another busy week in pre-school.  The children continued to focus their learning on the story of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’.  The children listened to the story and used a story map to re-tell the events in their own words and in the correct order of sequence.  The children used their communication and language skills to enhance their imagination in the home corner, role playing the characters from the story.  In the creative area the children used different sized bear footprint stamps to create their own collages.  The language of ‘big’, ‘medium’, ‘small’ was used to describe and compare the different sized footprints.  In the malleable area the children explored with playdoh and counting the correct number of bowls and spoons for the bears ‘breakfast’.  In the construction area the children used bricks to build the bear’s cottage and the small world figures to enhance role play.  

In the maths area and during group time the children explored with 2D shapes and describing their properties.  During phonics the children practiced hearing the initial sounds in words through games such as ‘I spy’.  

During music and movement this week the children used images to re-tell the story of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bear’ and sang a Goldilocks song with actions to help remember parts of the story.  

On Tuesday we celebrated Pancake day and looked at the ingredients and the step by step process on how to make a pancake.  The children then enjoyed eating their own pancake. 

On Thursday the children brought their favourite teddy bear from home into Pre-school and shared with the class their favourite thing to do with their teddy.  In the afternoon we had a teddy bears picnic outside in the lovely sunshine! 

This week the children continued with their gymnastics lesson, strengthening their core muscles and building on their balancing and co ordination skills.  On Friday the children continued with their French with Madame Wardle.  The children learnt the colours of the French flag, le bleu, blanc, rouge and practiced a song. 

We celebrated World Book Day on Friday and the children came dressed as their favourite book character.  The children joined in a character hunt outdoors and read their favourite stories.  We had a special visit from an author this week who read a story to the class and answered lots of questions. 

Next week we are focusing on the story 'Oliver’s Vegetables'. 

Spring 2 week 1  

The children have settled back into Pre-school wonderfully and have shared their half term adventures with the class.  This term our core text is ‘Goldilocks and the three bears’ and this week we have read the story and the children have joined in with re-telling the events in order.  The children have repeated lines from the story to enhance their role play as the home corner has been transformed into the bears cottage. 

In the malleable area the children have explored making breakfast for the bears using the playdoh and sorting the different sixed bowls into order.  In the maths area the children counted the correct amount of cakes for the bears and found the correct numeral.  The children enjoyed drawing the characters from the story in the writing area using the different tools and making their own bear masks in the creative area, using paints, scissors and glue. In the construction area, children used the bricks to build the bear cottage.  

During the week the children joined in a music and movement lesson, following instructions and responding to the music. The children re-created the story of ‘Goldilocks and the three bears’ using their bodies to move around the space acting out the key vocabulary and sequencing the story correctly.  

The children this week had a chance to make their own porridge after reading the story of ‘Goldilocks and the three bears’.  The children discussed the different sized bears and bowls in the story and they mixed warm milk with oats and tasted their porridge.  They used describing words such as ‘tasty’, ‘hot’, ‘cold’, ‘warm’ as they ate the porridge.  The children voted if they liked or disliked the porridge after tasting it.  

On Thursday the children joined in with their gymnastics lesson.  They practiced balancing on different equipment using their core muscles.    

On Friday the children continued with their French lesson with Madame Wardle and practiced counting up to 10 with actions.  They then counted les filles et les garcons in our class.  They then met Hugo the snail again and shared the colours he was wearing in French. 

Next week we will continue focusing on the story 'Goldilocks and the three bears'.

Spring 1 week 6 

Pre-school have had another busy week.  This week we have continued with our focus learning of ‘pets’ and explored animals that are found in the wild.  During story time we looked at the book ‘Dear Zoo’ and compared the jungle animals that appear in the story to the animals that we have as pets.  The children looked at photographs of the different jungle animals and during daily doodle they drew their favourite animal.  We talked about their features such as their patterned bodies and how big or small they are.  In our music and movement session the children joined in a stop and go game pretending to be jungle animals in the wild.  In the enhanced role play provision the children explored in the ‘Veterinary surgery’, taking care of poorly pets, making appointments and answering phone calls. 

This week the children have enjoyed the Valentine’s activities.  In the playdoh they created flowers, hearts and chocolates using their fine motor skills and imagination.  The writing area has been very busy with the children writing Valentine’s cards for someone they love and collaging heart decorations in the creative area using the tools and resources. 

In phonics the children have practiced recognising rhyming words.  They played a game of ‘rhyming ribbons’ and matched the correct words that rhyme.  In maths the children explored making their own repeating pattern using different animal patterns such as tiger stripes and leopard prints. 

In gymnastics this week the children practiced forward rolls and used their gross motor skills to pull themselves up on the ropes! 

On Friday the children joined in with French ad practiced counting from 1-10.  They then counted the girls and boys and played a game by choosing a box by saying a number and say whether they think it is a fille or a garcon. 

The children have also enjoyed joining in with their behaviour treat this week using Nerf guns!  It was lots of fun!   

We hope you all have a lovely half term holiday. 

Spring 1 week 5 

Another busy week in Pre-school. This week we continued with our ‘Pets’ theme and the children enjoyed painting rainbow fish using their fine motor skills to collage their paintings with the seven colours of the rainbow.  In our R.E session the children listened to the story of ‘Noah’s Ark’ and discussed the rainbow that appears at the end of the story.  We then used our bodies to create a rainbow in the sky and named all the colours correctly.   

This week is also ‘Children’s mental health’ week.  To raise awareness of the importance of our own mental health we read stories based around different emotions and talked about the different feelings and how we can make ourselves feel better.  In the creative area the children chose a friend to paint their handprint to create a friendship painting.  In the writing area the children used the pencils to draw themselves with a friend.  In music and movement, the children chose a friend to hold hands and move around the space hopping, jumping and skipping with their friend.   

In phonics the children joined in with different rhyming games.  They played rhyming matching pairs, a rhyming hoop game and rhyming bingo.  In maths the children explored prepositions using language such as ‘under’, ‘on top’, ‘next to’, ‘in front’ using dolls and furniture. 

In the outdoor area the children enjoyed developing their gross motor skills using hula hoops to roll, spin and balance with.  They also enjoyed exploring building towers with the bricks and riding on the bikes and scooters. 

In gymnastics this week the children practiced roly poly’s and log rolls.  In French this week the children practiced counting 1-10 and singing songs.

Next week is our last week before the half term and we will be focusing on the story ‘Dear Zoo’.   

Spring 1 week 4 

Another busy week in Pre-school.  This week we have introduced the story ‘I’m thinking of a pet’.  The children sent in photographs of their own pets and shared them with the class.  We discussed the different animals we could have as pets and how we would look after them.  The children painted pictures of their favourite pet in the creative area and made marks in the writing area.   The role play area has been enhanced into a veterinary surgery where the children have enjoyed role playing doctors and pets.  In the maths area the children have explored with counting the correct amount of coins saying a number for each item.   

This week we have also celebrated the festival of ‘Chinese New Year’ that is celebrated in China and around the world.  We explored the 12 different animals that appear in the Chinese Zodiac calendar and focused on this year as the ‘Year of the Snake’.  The children joined in with their own traditional ‘Lion head’ dancing, moving their bodies in different ways to the sound of traditional Chinese music.  In provision the children used chopsticks to make marks that represented the Chinese numerals 1-5.  They explored counting the correct amount of gold coins to each number.  In the creative area the children made their own lanterns, observing photographs of different types and using the resources to create their own.  The children enjoyed tasting traditional Chinese food such as spring rolls and prawn crackers and had a go at using chopsticks correctly. 

On Wednesday the children joined in with their Outdoor Adventure Learning with Louise.  They started by playing an animal game and discussing the animals of the Chinese zodiac. After that, they took part in an obstacle course, which included lifting weights, balancing, and crawling through a tunnel. They then went on a walk through the woods where they found a Tiger, which they brought back to join them by the fire, where they toasted delicious marshmallows! 

The children continued with their Gymnastics lesson on Thursday, practising their balancing, rolling and jumping techniques with Mrs Winward.  On Friday the children joined in with their French learning practicing to count from 1-5 and learning new songs.

Next week we will continue with the story ‘I’m thinking of a pet’ and activities linking to Children’s Mental Health week.  

Spring 1 week 3

We have had another busy week in Pre-school!  We have continued to focus on the story ‘The Tiger Who Came To Tea’.  The children listened to the story and used a story map to re-tell the events in the correct order.  We focused on key vocabulary and described the characters that appear in the story.  We researched real images of tigers and discussed their features and habitats.  We then discussed other animals that live in similar places to tigers and compared them.  We looked at the different patterns that appear on jungle animals and in the creative area the children painted stripy tigers, zebras, spotty cheetahs, snakes, giraffes.

In the writing area the children practiced their pencil control to copy patterns and used scissors to cut around images from the story ‘The Tiger that came to tea’ and used glue to stick them in order.  The children in provision practiced recognising their names and had a go at writing some letters.  In the malleable area the children used loose parts in the playdoh to make jungle animals using the tools and resources.  In the home corner the children role-played in the ‘Jungle Café’ and enjoyed taking orders and serving customers.  The construction area was busy with children making ‘dens’ for the tigers using the large building bricks.   

In phonics the children have explored rhyming words.  They played a game of ‘silly soup’ and completed a rhyming string of ‘cat’, ‘hat’, ‘mat’, ‘bat’.  During maths the children compared sizes of jungle animals using language such as ‘bigger’, ‘smaller’, ‘tall’, ‘short’.  

During the week the children made their own 'Tiger kebabs' after listening to the story 'The Tiger who came to tea'.  They made their own tiger sticks and placed cheese, sausages, cucumber onto their sticks.  Some children used their knowledge from our maths learning to create ABAB patterns (cheese, sausage, cheese, sausage).

In gymnastics the children practiced different movements on the mats and balancing with bean bags.  On Friday the children continued with their French lesson with Madame Wardle.  They practiced counting from 1 to 5 in French and used actions to remember the correct pronunciation.  They then counted all the girls and all the boys from 1-10.

Next week we are focusing on our supplementary text 'I'm thinking of a pet'.

Spring 1 week 2

Welcome back to all the children after the Christmas holidays!  Last week Pre-school had to close due to the bad snow and ice but we have loved looking at all the photographs from your snow days!

Well done to the new children that have joined us this term, you have settled in wonderfully and are beginning to form friendships and following the Pre-school routine.

This week we have introduced our core text for this half term, ‘The Tiger Who Came To Tea’. The children listened to the story and recognised the main characters.  The children used story props to re-tell the story recognising what happens at the beginning, middle and end.  The role play area has been very busy with children creating their own tea party and using tiger masks to re-tell parts of the core text and expand their play and imagination.  In the small world area, the children role-played with the jungle animals and matched the different prints to each animal.  In the maths area the children explored making simple ABAB patterns.  In the creative area the children enjoyed making their own tiger masks using different tools and resources.  The children created tigers using playdoh and loose parts in the malleable area.  In phonics the children sang nursery rhymes and correctly matched rhyming words they could hear in different rhyming stories.

During a music and movement session the children were engaged in using their imaginations to recreate different jungle animals through different ways of moving. 

We had a special visit from Reverend Matt this week.  He shared stories from the Old Testament and the children listened and joined in with the key parts using actions and sounds.

On Thursday the children joined in with gymnastics with Mrs Winward.  They practiced balancing, running, rolling, and jumping.  In the afternoon the children all made their own ‘Tiger’ sandwiches.  They used the tools correctly to spread butter and jam and cut the bread into square shapes.  Mrs Marden read the ‘Tiger Who came To Tea’ story and they all enjoyed their sandwiches.

In the outdoor area the children enjoyed the ice.  They spent their time digging, scooping, filling buckets and finding different ways to melt and smash the ice.

On Friday the children joined in with their French learning with Madame Wardle.  They learnt to count from 1 to 5 in French!

Next week we will continue to focus on the story 'The Tiger Who Came To Tea'.

Autumn 2 week 8

It’s the last week before the Christmas holidays and its been a very busy!  This week the children have enjoyed listening to their favourite Christmas stories.  The children have been re-telling the story of ‘Stick Man’ in their own words and using puppets to enhance their story telling.  In the  maths area the children have joined in a game of counting buttons and matching them to the correct numbered snowman!  In the writing area the children continued to write letters to Father Christmas and have practiced writing their names.  In the creative area the children made a special Christmas card for their families and they have been busy making Christmas tree decorations and reindeer hand print paintings.

On Wednesday the children enjoyed a special Christmas lunch with the rest of the school and in the afternoon, we had a surprise visit from Father Christmas!  We asked him lots of questions and he gave us all a present!  We then continued the festivities with a special Christmas party with dancing and party games!

In gymnastics they joined in with bean bag team games, warmed up to Christmas music and played musical bumps.

On Friday we had a behaviour treat!  A special visit from Mrs Bead who helped us make a Christmas bauble for us to take home and put on our Christmas tree.

We hope you all have a lovely Christmas break and look forward to seeing you in the new year!

Autumn 2 week 7

Another busy week for the Pre-school children.  The children re-capped their learning of the story ‘Stick Man’ and used their prior knowledge to re-call the events in the story and re-tell it in their own words.  In the writing area this week the children have written letters to Father Christmas and practiced writing their names.  They have also enjoyed using scissors to cut out from magazines and sticking their favourite toys onto their Christmas list for Father Christmas.  In the maths area the children used tweezers to count the correct amount of pom poms to the matching numbered Christmas tree.  The children continued to use their imaginations and build on their communication and language skills in the role play home corner.  In the construction area the children explored building ‘Santa’s Grotto’ using the lego bricks and taking turns to share and build together.  In the malleable area the children created snowmen using their hands to manipulate the playdoh into sphere shapes and added sticks, buttons and materials to enhance their creations.  In the creative area this week the children painted their own snowmen, using the tools and resources to enhance their creative imaginations.

In the outdoor area the children joined in a ‘Stickman hunt’.  They had to find the hidden characters from the Stick Man story and use marks on their tally charts to count how many they found.  We then compared the amounts and counted them all together.

This week in Gymnastics the children practiced their pike and chair positions and followed instructions to music.  They then joined in an obstacle course completing different actions and taking turns.

On Wednesday we had our Pre-school stay and play session.  Parents/carers came to join in with the activities within the provision.  It was wonderful to see the positive interactions and memories being made with the children.  The children shared stories, created letters for Father Christmas, decorated biscuits, painted Christmas decorations, role played and much more! 

In French this week the children learnt all about French traditions at Christmas and getting ready for Papa Noel’s visit.  The children joined in with Christmas songs and games.

Next week will be our final week before the Christmas holidays.   

Autumn 2 week 6

The Pre-school children were surprised to see the classroom full of Christmas magic this week!  We had a visit from one of Santa’s elves, making sure we are making kind choices and trying really hard in our learning!  We have been writing letters to father Christmas with our names on them and posting them into our magic post box!  We have also been busy making ‘Reindeer food’ and ‘Reindeer chocolate lolly pops’ for our Elf Enterprize school mission and they will be available to buy at the school Christmas fair this weekend!

This week we read the story ‘Stick Man’ and discussed the different characters that appear in the story and sequenced the events in order.  In provision the children enjoyed making their own ‘Stick Men’.  They collected sticks from the outdoor area and used pipe cleaners and string to connect the sticks together.  In the playdoh area the children used the resources to build their own Christmas decorations.

In phonics this week the children joined in copying a pattern of body sounds and actions and created their own sequences.  In maths the children counted the correct amount of sticks and matched them to the correct numbered stick man.

This week the children performed in their Christmas Nativity and parents/carers came to watch!  Everyone joined in with the singing and they sounded amazing!  Well done Pre-school!

Next week we will continue with the ‘Stick Man’ story and Christmas crafts.

Autumn 2 week 5

Another busy week in Pre-school!  The week the children listened to the story ‘Leaf Man’ and discussed all the different environmental changes that we see during the season of Autumn.  The children enjoyed creating their own ‘Leaf Man’ collages at the creative table.  The children collected leaves and sticks from the outdoors and used their imaginations for their own ‘Leaf Man’ creations.  We also looked at the names of different trees and how the leaves are different shapes and colours.  In the malleable area the children used the resources to make nocturnal animals such as hedgehogs, foxes and owls.

In phonics this week the children sang a variety of nursery rhymes and experimented with the tempo such as fast and slow, loud and quiet.  In maths the children joined in a game of matching pairs with owls up to the quantity of 5.  They used the correct mathematical vocabulary such as recognising which card has ‘more’ or ‘less’ owls or the ‘same’ amount.

In our music and movement session the children re-called the names of the nocturnal animals we focused on last week.  They joined in a listening game and the children moved around the space like the different animals such as slow like a hedgehog, fast like a bat.

This week the children joined in a baking activity to make their own ‘hedgehog’ bread.  After kneading their dough, they used scissors safely to make snips in the dough, to create prickles.  They were put into the oven and the children took them home to taste with their family.

In the outdoor area the children joined in an outdoor nocturnal hunt to find the missing animals.  They used a tally chart to mark the animals that they found and to count how many all together at the end.

In gymnastics this week the children practiced jumping, bunny hopping and hopping over the rope on the mat.  The children also practiced their forward rolls as well as different movements such as a straddle, pike and tuck

In French this week the children played musical statues, listening to instructions to stand up, sit down, turn around and dance!

Next week we will be focusing on the story ‘Stick Man’.

Autumn 2 week 4 

The Pre-school children have had another busy week this week.  We continued our learning with our focus on the story ‘Owl Babies’.  The children could re-tell the story in their own words and remembered key vocabulary.  We also looked at other nocturnal animals and described their different features.  In the creative area the children explored using sponges dipped into paint and onto silhouettes of nocturnal animals.  They created hedgehogs, bats, owls and foxes.  The children created owls in the playdoh using natural resources such as feathers, sticks, leaves to enhance their creations.  In the construction area the children enjoyed building dens and caves for their bears in the small world area to role play. 

During music and movement session, the children used their imaginations to move around the space like a nocturnal animal.  We used describing words such as ‘a slow sly fox’ and ‘a fast black bat’. 

In phonics this week the children have listened to stories and enhanced them by playing different instruments at certain parts.  They listened to ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ and ‘Peace at last’. 

In maths this week the children have explored comparing amounts and using the mathematical language such as ‘more than, less and the same’.  

This week outdoors the children loved the snow day!  We experimented with syringes filled with paint and watched the snow changing colour!  We talked about where snow comes from and what happens when it gets warmer. 

In gymnastics this week the children practiced different movements and throwing and catching using scarves.  At the end they joined in a bean bag race! 

In French this week the children joined in with a game of musical statues.  They followed instructions from Madame Wardle in French and copied the actions.   

Next week we will be focusing on the story ‘Leaf Man’. 

Autumn 2 week 3

Another busy week in Pre-school!  This week we introduced the story of ‘Owl Babies’.  The children listened to the story and discussed the key vocabulary and what was happening in the story.  We looked at real photographs of different types of owls and other nocturnal animals.  The children expanded their knowledge of the story in the reading area, using puppets and props to re-tell the story in their own words.  During maths the children have compared amounts using owl feathers and used mathematical language such as ‘more’, ‘lots’, ‘same’ to compare.

During phonics this week the children have joined in with recognising different musical instruments and matching familiar images to sounds such as a loud drum to represent an elephant stomping or bells to represent keys.

The creative area was very busy with children creating their own owls, using different tools and materials such as feathers, leaves, twigs.  In the playdoh area the children used natural materials such as feathers and sticks to enhance their owl making.

This week is Anti-bullying week in school and the children came to pre-school wearing odd socks to raise awareness.  We discussed the ways we can show kindness to others and how to make someone feel special.  The children created a ‘kindness tree’ with their handprints.  We talked about how we can all be different but we are all connected as a family within Pre-school.

The children continued with their gymnastics lesson this week.  They had a go at a roly poly, jumping from spot to spot, practicing hand stands, crawling under the tunnel, bunny hops and balancing on the beam.

In French this week the children re-capped feelings and played a game of French musical statues.  Madame Wardle says a feeling word and the children show the correct action.

On Friday the children raised money for Children in Need and wore Pudsey/spotty/yellow clothing and joined in with Pudsey themed activities during the day.  Next week we will continue with ‘Owl babies’ as our learning focus.

Autumn 2 week 2 

This week the children have been very busy!  We have re-told the story ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ using story spoons and looking at the photographs.  During our music and movement session the children engaged in an obstacle course re-telling the story through movement.  The children could repeat phrases from the story and remember parts of the story in the correct order.  During maths this week the children explored with sticks and bears and using the mathematical language such as ‘lots’, ‘more’ or ‘same’ to compare amounts. 

In the creative area this week the children have enjoyed creating ‘Firework’ paintings using sticks, paints and glitter for their creations.  We talked about ‘Bonfire Night’ and fire safety. 

On Wednesday the children joined in with their Outdoor Adventure Learning.  Louise read the story ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ and then set off on a bear hunt into the woods to find four missing bears!  We walked through the woods and then down a steep hill to a river! We travelled through the river and then had to climb back up the hill to find the last bear! We then explored in different areas of learning such as painting, hammock swinging, musical instruments before toasting a marshmallow around the fire!  We also had a chance to meet Louise’s rabbit Ivy! We were very gentle at holding her and giving her a gentle stroke. 

On Thursday the children enjoyed creating ‘poppy’ biscuits.  They mixed the ingredients together and used a flower cutter and red icing to decorate their biscuit. 

The children continued with their gymnastics this week.  They have been practicing some new ways to move along the bench, developing our core body and arm strength.  

This week we have also focused on ‘Remembrance Day’.  Each child painted a red handprint to put towards our class poppy wreath.  On Friday we all had a walk to the War Memorial in the afternoon to pay our respects and lay the wreath.  We talked about the importance of ‘Remembrance Day’ and how we remember all the fallen soldiers.  We made sure to stay safe on our walk and discussed road safety. 

In French the children re-capped their French learning, talking about different feelings.  They played a game using visuals for the different emotions. 

Next week we will be focusing on the story ‘Owl Babies’. 

Autumn 2 week 1

A warm welcome back to all the Pre-school children.  We have loved hearing all the exciting adventures that you have been up to over the half term holiday.  This term our core text is ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ and the children have listened to the story and joined in with the repeated refrains.  During provision the children enjoyed re-telling the story using story spoons and puppets and used actions to describe what was happening.  In the malleable area the children explored with different textures such as gloop and playdoh and added materials to represent ‘grass’, ‘snowstorm’, ‘mud’ from the core text.

During phonics this week the children have been naming a variety of instruments and describing how the instrument is being played.  They explored with the instruments using the stop and go game and singing along to the song ‘I am a Music Man’.

In maths this week the children explored counting and knowing that the last number reached when counting a small set of objects tells you how many there are in total.  In provision they practiced matching the correct number of cubes to numbered bears.

This week we have also been learning about Diwali, who celebrates Diwali and how they celebrate the festival of light.  In particular we have looked at how Hindu’s decorate their houses with lights.  We had a look at Diya lights and have engaged in an expressive arts and design activity to make our own candle holders.  The children followed instructions brilliantly to mould and shape the clay and then they decorated their Diya light holders with bright coloured glitter.   

This week the children continued with their gymnastics lesson.  They practiced stretching, bending and roly poly’s across a mat.  The children enjoyed movements with scarves and using their listening ears. 

In French this week the children re-capped their words from last term and were introduced to different words for feelings. “Ca va bien” “mal” “comme-ci comme ca”.

Next week we will continue with our core text ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’.  

Autumn 1 week 7

Pre-school have been very busy the last week before half term.  This week we listened to the story ‘My World, Your World’ and looked at the similarities and differences of people around the world.  We discussed our likes and dislikes and how everyone is special.  We then focused on where we live and the children loved sharing photographs of their houses and telling their friends who they live with.  We compared the different types of houses and used vocabulary such as detached, semi- detached, bungalow, flats, terraced.  During provision the children painted their own house and focused on the different shapes they would need for the windows, doors, roof etc.

This week the children joined in with a special behaviour treat!  They had a visit from ‘Professor Slime’ and the children had a go at making their own slime to take home!  It was messy but lots of fun!

During phonics the children continued with recognising environmental sounds and joined in a game of matching the correct sound to the environment such as ‘home’ or ‘farm’ sounds.

In R.E this week we looked at the faith Islam and the special prayer mat and beads they use when they pray to God.  We looked closely at the prayer beads and explained that each bead represents a name that is given by God by Muslims.  The children loved feeling the beads and looking closely at the soft prayer mat.

On Thursday the children continued with their gymnastics lesson and they rotated around the gymnastics obstacles practicing balancing, jumping, crawling, throwing and rolling.  In the afternoon the children enjoyed looking a pumpkins.  Mrs Marden carefully carved a pumpkin for the children to look inside and they discovered lots of seeds!  We then cut the pumpkin into pieces and roasted them in the oven for the children to taste!

I hope you have a lovely half term holiday and look forward to seeing you all next term!

Autumn 1 week 6 

The Pre-school children have had a busy week this week.  We have looked at the story ‘Handa’s Surprise’, linking to the celebration of Black History month.  We focused on the culture of the main character and looked at the similarities and differences.  The children could name the seven delicious fruits in the basket and enjoyed feeling, smelling and tasting the different fruits.  In the creative area the children joined in with observational paintings of the basket of fruit and enjoyed drawing their favourite fruit during our Daily Doodle session. 

In our phonics lesson this week we have continued with our environmental sounds.  The children joined in with a sound bingo game, recognising sounds such as a doorbell, thunder, a train, dog barking and matched them correctly to their board. 

In maths the children have joined in with number songs and we included a  ‘Five little pumpkins’ song that the children enjoyed counting and singing. 

During our R.E focus we talked about how special our names are and how Christians believe that everyone’s name is written on the palm of God’s hand.  We made a giant hand and the children practiced writing their names. 

On Thursday we had a special ‘Yellow Day’ for World Mental health week.  The children came to school wearing something yellow to show their support.  During the day the children painted pictures of yellow things such as the sunshine, a banana, lemons, flowers, chicks. 

The children continued with their gymnastics learning this week with Mrs Winward.  They practiced jumping, balancing and a forward roll.  In French this week the children practiced the song they learnt last week, 'Frere Jacques' along with the actions.

Thankyou to the parents/carers that came to our Pre-school stay and play on Friday.  It was wonderful to see the children sharing their learning environment with their loved ones.

Next week is our final week before the half term.  We will be focusing on the story ‘My World, Your World’ and looking at where we live and what our houses look like.  

Autumn 1 week 5

This week the children have been very busy!  We read a book about the life of ‘Mae Jemison’ and how she was the first lady to fly into space, linking to the whole school theme of ‘Black history month’.  The children loved hearing about her adventures into space and we talked about what we might see if we travelled in a rocket!  In the creative area the children used junk modelling to create their own rockets using the different resources to build and join together, creating and thinking critically.  In the maths area the children recognised the numbered rockets and matched the correct amount of stars.  In our focused maths group, the children enjoyed joining in with the numbered song ‘Five Little Men in a Flying Saucer’ and using their fingers to count forwards and backwards.

This week the children have enjoyed joining in with ‘Write dance’ activities.  They used their gross motor skills to wave ribbons in the air and make marks with chalks onto paper whilst singing the nursery rhyme ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’.

On Wednesday afternoon the children enjoyed their first Outdoor Learning Adventure this term with Louise.  They began their adventure walking into the woods to find Louise sat around a fire.  Louise read our core text ‘The Colour Monster’ and the children could re-tell the story using puppets.  They then went on a leaf hunt and found different coloured leaves.  They then explored in different areas, using the musical instruments, archery, painting, mud kitchen, hammock swinging and much more!  They finished their adventure toasting yummy marshmallows around the fire.

The children continued with their gymnastics lesson.  This week they explored moving along on a beam with different movements such as slithering, crawling, pulling themselves along with their arms.  Fantastic listening!

On Friday the children continued their French lesson.  They re-capped previous learning and introduced a new song ‘Frere Jacques’ with actions.

Next week we are focusing on the story ‘Handa’s Surprise’ and continuing the theme of Black History Month.

Autumn 1 week 4 

We have had another busy week in pre-school!  The children enjoyed listening to the story ‘The Colour Monster’ and other feelings stories.  In the creative area the children made their own ‘feelings jars’, using different coloured materials to fill their jars and talk about their chosen feeling.  In the writing area the children used the crayons to colour in their favourite colour monster. 

During phonics this week the children continued recognising environmental sounds.  They explored with farm animals and the sounds they make.  They matched the correct sounds to photographic images.  They practiced sounds in a sequence and repeated this with two, three and then four animal sounds.  The children also enjoyed exploring with musical instruments within provision.  

In maths this week the children practiced number songs, using their fingers to count and joining in with number songs. The children also enjoyed fixing jigsaws and puzzles within provision. 

During our R.E focus the children looked at baby photographs of themselves and we talked about what has changed and what is different with how they look now.  We discussed how special and different we all are. 

In our PSHE group the children listened to a ‘I’m special’ song and took turns to finish the sentence ‘I’m special because…’. 

The children enjoyed exploring outdoors in the mud kitchen, mixing flour and water to make mud pies and cakes!  The children also explored pouring and measuring in the water area. 

This week the children continued with their gymnastics lesson, building on their gross motor movements, walking, jumping, balancing on one leg and focusing on a start position and finishing position on the gym mats.  On Friday the children continued with their French learning with Madame Wardle.  They learnt a new song "Comment tu t'appelle" and used this to play a simple game. 

Next week we are focusing on ‘Black History month’, looking at a story based on Mae Jemison, the first black lady to fly into space. 

Autumn 1 week 3 

Another busy week in Pre-school this week!  We have continued to focus our learning around the core text, ‘The Colour Monster’.  The children re-called parts of the story correctly and could name and describe each feeling.  In our music and movement lesson the children joined in a stop and go listening game, choosing a different colour monster to stand on when the music stopped. 

In our writing and creative area, the children have enjoyed drawing and painting pictures of their family and looking at the photographs on the wall.  The children shared the names of the special people in their lives with the Pre-school class. 

During phonics this week the children have explored indoor and outdoor environmental sounds and joined in with the noises from the story ‘Peace at Last’.  During our maths focus the children have enjoyed singing number songs and taking part in finger rhymes with numbers. 

For our R.E focus this week the children printed their fingerprint and looked closely at the different patterns that they make using a magnifying glass.  We talked about how special everyone is and how everyone has a different finger pattern. 

In our baking activity this week the children used resources to cut their own fruit and made their own ‘Fruit faces’, discussing the different emotions such as happy, sad, angry, worried. 

The children enjoyed exploring on our paddock this week.  The children joined in role-playing ‘Going on a Bear Hunt’ and some children enjoyed being super bug hunters and finding different sized sticks to dig with!   

The children continued with their Gymnastics lesson with Mrs Winward. The practiced the tuck, straddle and pike positions.  Well done Pre-school!  In French this week the children practiced saying ‘Bonjour’ to their friends and ‘Je m’appelle’.  They also learnt to say ‘oui and non’. 

Next week we are continuing with our focused story ‘The Colour Monster’.

Autumn 1 week 2

What a fantastic first full week back in pre-school!  The children have settled in wonderfully and are beginning to follow the routines and rules and its lovely to see the new friendships being made. 

This week we have focused on our core text ‘The Colour Monster’.  The children listened to the story and could recognise the different colours and the feelings that the monster displays throughout the book.  The children shared their experiences of when they have felt happy, sad, angry etc. 

On Monday we had a visit from ‘Life Education’.  Steven brought Harold the Giraffe to talk to the children about the importance of keeping ourselves healthy and clean.  Making sure we brush our teeth, wash our hands regularly and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.  They enjoyed singing lots of songs and following the actions. 

This week in phonics we have focused on recognising environmental sounds.  The children joined in with indoor and outdoor listening games.  In maths this week the children have enjoyed number songs at circle time, taking part in finger rhymes with numbers. 

During provision the children have explored in the creative area, painting self portraits and discussing their physical features and comparing themselves to others, how we look similar and different to our friends.  In the maths area the children the children enjoyed jigsaws, the role play area was busy with children building relationships with friends and the children enjoyed exploring with the playdoh in the malleable area and being imaginative in the small world area with the doll house. 

The children enjoyed their first gymnastics lesson with Mrs Winward.  The children learned how to run on the spot, jump, sit in a straddle and a pike position.  They also played a bean bag balancing game.  Amazing listening skills Pre-school! 

On Friday the children continued their French learning with Madame Wardle.  The children practiced saying ‘Bonjour Madame’ and each other's names in a turn taking game.  The children practiced a hello song in French with actions.  

Next week we will continue with our core text ‘The Colour Monster’ and explore feelings. 

Autumn 1 week 1

What a wonderful start to the new term!  A warm welcome to the new children and parents/carers that have begun their Pre-school journey at St Paul's.

This week the children have settled into the Pre-school routine and are beginning to learn new routines, rules and boundaries in Pre-school and around the school.

The children have enjoyed making new friends, building relationships with their teachers and exploring both the indoor and outdoor provision.  We have read stories based on building new friendships such as 'Will you be my friend?' and 'Making Friends'.  The children have enjoyed painting pictures of their new friends.  The children enjoyed sharing photographs of the exciting adventures they experienced over the summer holidays and drawing their favourite things they did over the summer. 

In the outdoor area the children loved exploring in the mud kitchen, sand and water area.  The children enjoyed riding on the bikes, building with the construction and making marks on the creative table.

Next week we will be focusing on our core text 'The Colour Monster' and exploring the different feelings that appear in the story. Well done Pre-school, we are very proud of you!