Welcome back Woods Class!
In Woods Class we work closely with parents/carers to set the foundations of our children’s first steps in their learning.
During this half term we welcome new children and children transitioning up from the 2’s.
We recognise that children come to our setting from various starting points and having had various experiences. We will use this term to observe, interact and build strong relationships with the children and families. When considering the curriculum in the early years, it is important to think about the knowledge that children may already have. We will continue to explore and learn all about ourselves, families, our local community and developing strong relationships with Key people at school.
Each week one child will take the ‘family box’ home where they can put photos and special objects in to share and talk to their class about themselves, the people important to them, their culture and community and then put up on display.
The topic for Summer One is ‘Nature Detectives’.
Some of the planned activities include engaging with wildlife, printing and painting with natural objects, experimenting with weather with wind toys, rainy day exploration, sun prints, shadow drawing and rain painting. We will also be tending our garden, growing vegetables and flowers and introducing the compost bin, teaching children about sustainability and natural lifecycles.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
We will be learning about:
- Looking at the features of nature in the local environment
- Realising that their actions have an effect on nature and the environment
- Finding ways to solve problems
- Note different habits and weather around the world
Physical Development
We will be learning to develop skills in:
- Shadow Dance
- Moving like an insect
- Use a range of tools
Literacy
Communication and language will be an ongoing focus throughout the term. The children will have opportunities to listen to and join in with stories, songs, and rhymes, understanding what is happening with the help of the pictures.
- Develop listening and speaking skills in a range of contexts.
- Give meaning to marks they make.
- Share non-fiction texts that offer an insight into contrasting environments
- Listen and enjoy sharing and joining in with a wide range of books, poems and songs.
- Look and discuss pictures of nature
- Sing songs and rhymes.
Maths
We will be learning about:
Number rhymes and songs, counting and sorting objects, and beginning to recognise name, and order numbers from 0 to 5.
- Counting
- Matching
- Sorting Size
- Tallying
Understanding the World
The children will use images, video clips, shared texts, and environment walks as well as other resources to bring the wider world into the classroom. Staff will listen to what the children say about what they see to help develop an understanding of some important processes and changes in the natural world.
- Growing – The journey of the seed to the plate
- Recycling
- Mini-beasts
- Weather
- Life Cycles
Expressive Art and Design
The children will explore and use a variety of media for pleasure and purposely:
- Make a bird observation box
- Songs and Rhymes
- Natural materials in art
- Sing in a group or on their own.
- Create collaboratively, sharing ideas, resources and skills.
- Develop storylines in their pretend play
During this term, we will be inviting you to spend some time with your children in the class, and we are looking forward to working with you. If you have any questions or we can help in any way, please do not hesitate to ask one of us, and we will do our best to help.