Class Updates
A short but sweet term, with some outstanding progress made! Below you will find information on all that your child has explored in the seven areas of EYFS.
Personal, social and emotional
During our 'feel good Friday' sessions, we have explored dreams and goals whilst linking our super powers; kindness, resilience and self-belief. The children set goals and thought about how they will achieve it. Towards the end of this half term they reflected on something they are proud of so far this year.
Communication & Language
Nursery have continued to explore phase 2 sounds in fun and exciting ways; creating art work linked with the sound, playing I spy and what's in the box. This term they explored 'm, n, g, o, b and h.'
Reception have continued to explore the following phase 3 sounds 'ai, ee' igh, oa, ur, er, ear, air, oo, oo, ow and oi.' The children are becoming super stars at now recognising these in their reading books and applying them in their independent writing. The children have also consolidated their knowledge of Tricky words (words that cannot be sounded out). Songs and games have helped develop a stronger knowledge of the phase 2 and 3 tricky words. Do continue to rehearse these at home, by finding them in books or hiding post-it notes around the house for your child to find.
Phonics play, ICT games and Alphblocks- could be used as positive screen time to support phonics at home.
Physical development
In P.E, the children have been enhancing their ball skills through football and tennis. They have learnt how to carefully control the ball and stop a moving ball.
Dough disco has continued, which followed by our ‘Letter join’ lesson, is enabling us to try and form letters the correct way and carefully on lines. This can be easily done at home following one of the dough disco suggestions below.
Suggested websites to support this area:
Cosmic kids Yoga- YouTube
Just dance kids- YouTube
Rachel's dough disco dance party- YouTube
Dough disco with Early Years Emily- YouTube
Literacy
In our literacy lessons, we have been exploring traditional fairy tales and using our Phase 2 and Phase 3 phonics to support our writing. We have practised segmenting and blending sounds to write character lists, labels and simple descriptions. The children have enjoyed writing speech for different characters, thinking carefully about what they might say and using their phonics knowledge to spell tricky words. We have also created exciting wanted posters for story villains and written our own recounts of familiar tales, retelling the beginning, middle and end in our own words. It has been wonderful to see growing confidence in applying phonics skills in meaningful and creative ways.
In Nursery, the children have used their drawings to retell familiar fairy tales, creating simple story maps to show what happens at the beginning, middle and end. They have talked about their pictures, describing the characters and thinking about who is kind, who is mean, and what happens next in the story.
Maths
In reception, the children have been using a range of manipulatives, such as counters, cubes and ten frames, to explore number bonds to 5 and 10, supporting their understanding of this important Early Learning Goal. Through hands-on activities, they have practised combining and partitioning numbers in different ways to see how numbers fit together. We have also explored time and money in meaningful, real-life contexts, including purchasing their own snack at the snack bar. The children enjoyed selecting their item, counting out the correct coins and understanding that money is exchanged for goods, helping to build their confidence and independence with everyday maths skills.
In Nursery, the children have been learning the names of 2D shapes through songs, rhymes and practical activities. Each week we focus on a different shape, exploring its properties through hands-on play, shape hunts and creative tasks to help consolidate their understanding in a fun and meaningful way.
We all took part in 'Number day', where we raised awareness and money for the NSPCC charity.
Expressive Art and Design
Linking our theme Once Upon a Time to Expressive Arts and Design, the children enjoyed creating their own crowns, exploring colour, shape and different materials. They used watercolours to paint bears and pigs inspired by traditional tales, created beautiful blossom trees using collage, and carefully manipulated paper with scissors to make lanterns as we celebrated Chinese New Year.
Understanding of the world
To support our literacy theme Once Upon a Time, Reception linked their learning to Understanding the World by visiting St Albans Library for a special story session. The children enjoyed listening to new tales in a real library setting, learning about how libraries work and how we can borrow and care for books in our community. Nursery will be heading out of school to take part in a Tots Tales session at St Albans Museum, linking Understanding the World with literacy next half term.
In science, the children have continued to explore materials, materials in real life, material properties and completing a material hunt.
In R.E, the children have learnt about Chinese and Persian New Year whilst developing an understanding of the celebration ‘Holi.’
We all took part in 'Internet safety day,' where we spoke about voice assistant devices and comparing them to real people.
We would love to thank you for your efforts this half term, we hope you have a restful break.
Mrs Ralph, Miss S and the EYFS team
Autumn 2
What a great term! The children have not only grown a few inches taller, they have grown in self-belief and a little more in all that they do. Below you will find information on all that your child has explored in the seven areas of EYFS.
Personal, social and emotional
We have spent the term continuing to embed our learning powers and understanding how we show each and everyone of them. We have spent time learning to wait our turn and sympathise with others needs. In our 'feel good Friday' sessions, we have explored kindness in depth; what makes a kind friend, what kindness is and how we would stand up for ourselves.
Communication & Language
We have spent the past half term ensuring our words are heard and that we are listening carefully to instructions. All this, along with our Nativity performance, have rehearsed and put our oracy targets into action.
In reception, we began exploring phase 3 sounds and have now addressed and learnt the following sounds: 'j, v w, x, y, z, zz, qu, ch, sh, th and ng.' Use the suggestions on Tapestry and the little wandle website for ideas on how to consolidate and recap any sounds your child is unsure of.
In nursery, we have began exploring thew following phase 2 sounds 's, a, t, p, i, n.' We also have been a part of rhyme time every Friday, where we identify a particular rhyme through sounds, pictures and props before singing the rhyme of the week.
Suggested websites to support this area:
Phonics play
ICT games
Physical development
In P.E, the children have been using their bodies to move and travel in different ways. We then moved onto dance, sequencing movements made with our bodies. We have also being developing our listening skills by playing response games, following two and three step instructions.
Dough disco has continued, which is enabling us to try and form letters the correct way and carefully on lines. This can be easily done at home following one of the dough disco suggestions below.
Suggested websites to support this area:
Cosmic kids Yoga- YouTube
Just dance kids- YouTube
Rachel's dough disco dance party- YouTube
Dough disco with Early Years Emily- YouTube
Literacy
In nursery, we have described fireworks, thought about who we are grateful for during remembrance, drawn our favourite character from the 'Frozen' story and created letters to Santa using drawings, as we read 'The Jolly Christmas Postman.'
In reception, children have wrote adjectives to describe, wrote facts about remembrance day, sequenced a story, wrote invitations and wrote their letters to Santa.
Maths
In nursery, children have explored and created patterns, compared groups, began using dice to subitise, recited numbers sequentially, and naming some 2D shapes.
In reception, children have explored time (o'clock and half past), compared amounts, explored addition and subtraction.
Suggested websites to support this area:
Topmarks
ICT games
Understanding of the world
Nursery headed out into our local area to post letters to Santa, whilst reception headed out on the public bus to St Albans town. Here, they posted thier letters to Santa at the post office, explored the Christmas lights and spent a day participating in two amazing workshops at St Albans Cathedral. We all then headed to Christchurch to further embed our knowledge of the Christmas story.
Expressive art and design
Here, we have created Christmas cards, polar bear chalk work, printing with a variety of materials, made the star of David using lollipop sticks and rehearsed and performed the best Nativity I have ever seen! We have used our home corner role plays to retell the story of the Jolly Postman and celebrate birthdays. Our outdoor stage has enabled us to dress up, make shows and perform to our friends. In music with Mr Mitchell, we have been learning how to sing and perform as a group for our wonderful winter concert and Nativity.
Next term we move on to 'Once upon a time.' Check out the key texts that we will be exploring, on the 'focus texts' star on our class page.
Have a lovely half term,
Mrs Ralph, Miss S and the EYFS team
Autumn 2
Autumn 1
What a fantastic start to the year we have had! The weeks have flown by and we have done so much! Below you will find information on all that your child has explored in the seven areas of EYFS.
Personal, social and emotional
We have spent the term embedding our learning powers and understanding how we show each and everyone of them. This has helped us build special friendships and relationships within EYFS, which has enabled our play to be strong and productive. We are now taking turns and waiting respectfully with timers and using skills taught in our play.
Communication & Language
In reception, we have explored phase 2 sounds and have now addressed and learnt the following sounds: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d, g, o, c, k, ck, e, u, r, h, b, f, l. Use the suggestions on Tapestry and the little wandle website for ideas on how to consolidate and recap any sounds your child is unsure of.
In nursery, we have consolidated phase 1 sounds by exploring rhyming, environmental sounds, body percussion and alliteration. We also have been a part of rhyme time every Friday, where we identify a particular rhyme through sounds, pictures and props before singing the rhyme of the week.
Suggested websites to support this area:
Phonics play
ICT games
Physical development
In P.E, the children have been using their bodies to move and travel in different ways. We then moved onto Gymnastics, using the apparatus safely and building routines with our friends. In our outdoor area, we have been digging like the farmers at harvest time, climbing and using the monkey bars to time ourselves holding on.
Suggested websites to support this area:
Cosmic kids Yoga- Youtube
Just dance kids- Youtube
Literacy
As we sat and reflected on all the texts we have explored this term, the children remembered all the fun things and experiences they have been so lucky to have so far this year. They spoke about when Little City came in and how many loved the hairdressers and some of the boys loved riding the tractors. They retold in detail about each of the professionals who visited us; the dentist, the nurse, the police and the fire service. Such lucky learners! As well as the above, in Literacy Reception have thought about speech characters use, used drama to act out stories, sequenced stories using images and labelled images using their phonics. Nursery have listened and sequenced stories, retold key events using their oracy skills and drawn and painted characters. Linking DT, we all made bread just like the Little Red Hen did.
Maths
In reception, we have explored 2D shapes by naming and exploring properties, before completing a shape hunt around our school. We created our own ABAB and ABCABC patterns using natural objects (this can be easily done at home too). We have continued to develop our subitising skills (identifying an amount without counting), and thinking about the order of number. Number blocks have helped us identify and build numbers and discover which two numbers make a whole number.
In nursery, we have explored size and language related to measure. Identifying big and small and heavy and light. We have paid attention to numbers 1-3 and exploring what the number means, what they look like and how we can build and show each number. We have used nursery rhymes to begin counting in order, which some of us find a little tricky still.
Suggested websites to support this area:
Topmarks
ICT games
Understanding of the world
As mentioned above, we had a variety of professionals which were a great hit! The free toothbrush and toothpaste were a real treat from the dentist. Little city was amazing and we can't wait to have them back in during Spring term. Holding and using the fire hose, was a highlight of the term for some of us.
Expressive art and design
Here, we have created our self portraits by using skin coloured paint and thinking carefully about our features. We have used our home corner role plays to showcase routines and home cultures. Our outdoor stage has enabled us to dress up, make shows and perform to our friends. In music with Mr Mitchell, we have been learning how to move our bodies to a beat and singing together, as a group.
Next term we move on to 'Let's celebrate.' Look out for the key texts that we will be exploring on the 'focus texts' star on our class page.
Have a lovely half term,
Mrs Ralph, Miss S and the EYFS team
