What are we doing in Dolphins for August?
Since the preschooler trip to the zoo and their concert, many of the children have been talking about animals, birds, insects, etc. as well as referring to the different stages of creatures, including reading about the different stages of animals and insects lives. We plan to continue this focus and also look more closely at some of the lifecycles of different animals/ species.
Since the preschooler trip to the zoo and their concert, many of the children have been talking about animals, birds, insects, etc. as well as referring to the different stages of creatures, including reading about the different stages of animals and insects lives. We plan to continue this focus and also look more closely at some of the lifecycles of different animals/ species.
Some of the activities we will be doing this month to support this interest will be:
Going to the library to get some books out about lifecycles to learn more from.
Introduce words associated with different species. E.g. spawn, metamorphosis, hatching, etc. and known words for different things. E.g. changing, growing, etc.
We plan to find some tadpoles to grow and then let put out once they have changed into a frog.
Going on an insect hunt out in the wider environment to spot and count insects and animals.
Arts and crafts associated with animals and creatures.
Learn some new animal songs.
Talk about our pets and how we look after them.
What you could do to support your children at home:
Go on an animal/ insect or bird spotting trip with your children. See how many different butterflies you can spot. Take a reference book with you and refer to the pictures of the birds.
Richmond Park has creature spotting guides in the RSPB shop where you can use the cards to spot different creatures in the park.
Take your child to a petting zoo for a day trip.
Go to the library and take some books out lifecycles. Also animals of the world that are unfamiliar are fascinating for children.
What are we doing in Starfish for August?
Our biggest starfish have moved through into Dolphins and been replaced with some new friends from the Seahorses room. To really support the communication in the rooms between the children with each other and the teachers, we will be supporting language through a focus on Makaton signing. Makaton is used in Starfish to support communication and is ongoing once the children have the hang of it as well.
Going to the library to get some books out about lifecycles to learn more from.
Introduce words associated with different species. E.g. spawn, metamorphosis, hatching, etc. and known words for different things. E.g. changing, growing, etc.
We plan to find some tadpoles to grow and then let put out once they have changed into a frog.
Going on an insect hunt out in the wider environment to spot and count insects and animals.
Arts and crafts associated with animals and creatures.
Learn some new animal songs.
Talk about our pets and how we look after them.
What you could do to support your children at home:
Go on an animal/ insect or bird spotting trip with your children. See how many different butterflies you can spot. Take a reference book with you and refer to the pictures of the birds.
Richmond Park has creature spotting guides in the RSPB shop where you can use the cards to spot different creatures in the park.
Take your child to a petting zoo for a day trip.
Go to the library and take some books out lifecycles. Also animals of the world that are unfamiliar are fascinating for children.
What are we doing in Starfish for August?Our biggest starfish have moved through into Dolphins and been replaced with some new friends from the Seahorses room. To really support the communication in the rooms between the children with each other and the teachers, we will be supporting language through a focus on Makaton signing. Makaton is used in Starfish to support communication and is ongoing once the children have the hang of it as well.
Some of the activities we will be doing this month will be:
Updating our display of Makaton signs for parents to learn and staff to use as support for signing to children.
Encouraging children to sign as a way of communication with staff and each other.
Introducing children to Makaton symbols and using them to help support children in anticipating the routines of the group.
Supporting children in developing confidence in learning new skills and communication techniques through the symbols and signs by making them a part of our everyday activities.
Placing makaton signs around the room for children to see recognise and use to support their understanding of what is expected/ requested.
Lots of action songs and signing throughout the days activities.
Updating our display of Makaton signs for parents to learn and staff to use as support for signing to children.
Encouraging children to sign as a way of communication with staff and each other.
Introducing children to Makaton symbols and using them to help support children in anticipating the routines of the group.
Supporting children in developing confidence in learning new skills and communication techniques through the symbols and signs by making them a part of our everyday activities.
Placing makaton signs around the room for children to see recognise and use to support their understanding of what is expected/ requested.
Lots of action songs and signing throughout the days activities.
What you could do to support your children at home:
If you do or have done baby signing with your baby, let the staff know.
Take a look at our display and learn some symbols and signs.
Take a book out on baby signing and start using them with your children.
Ask a team member for a sheet of symbols to take away and use.
Learn and sing songs with your child that involve signing (you know loads already; ‘Where is Thumbkin?’ ‘Two little dicky birds sitting on a wall, etc’.
Take a look at the Makaton website;
http://www.makaton.org/about/about.htm
What are we doing in Seahorses for August?
The children have had such fun playing with fruit and vegetable toys and sampling the different fruits. We are going to continue exploring them while supporting all of our new babies into our room by providing lots of spaces for quiet cosy play with little cosy corners and spaces for quiet reflection. This month is about calmness, stability and lots of love and cuddles for all our babies and especially our new friends.
If you do or have done baby signing with your baby, let the staff know.
Take a look at our display and learn some symbols and signs.
Take a book out on baby signing and start using them with your children.
Ask a team member for a sheet of symbols to take away and use.
Learn and sing songs with your child that involve signing (you know loads already; ‘Where is Thumbkin?’ ‘Two little dicky birds sitting on a wall, etc’.
Take a look at the Makaton website;
http://www.makaton.org/about/about.htm
What are we doing in Seahorses for August?The children have had such fun playing with fruit and vegetable toys and sampling the different fruits. We are going to continue exploring them while supporting all of our new babies into our room by providing lots of spaces for quiet cosy play with little cosy corners and spaces for quiet reflection. This month is about calmness, stability and lots of love and cuddles for all our babies and especially our new friends.
What are we doing at the nursery to support this:
Lots of group activities such as singing, stories, water play, messy play, soft play, etc, that promotes children being together and feeling comfortable in the space with their peers.
A lot of name usage to reinforce children’s names and give them a sense of belonging.
Focussing on children spending time with staff and each other looking at things that are unique to them; facial features, clothing, hands, feet.
Taking photos of the children to display in the room to give the children a good sense of belonging and to start to recognise themselves as part of the nursery.
Talk about the children’s family members during the day. Name the people who are important to them.
Lots of repetition of the names of the fruit and veg.
Role play shopping by putting the fruit and veg toys in shopping baskets and wandering round the room.
Combining the food with tea sets to role play cooking.
What could you do to support the children and reinforce what they have experienced at the nursery?
Talk about the other children and team members to your children when you leave and are at home. Use their names to reflect on their day and when going to nursery.
For new children, parents can help by demonstrating excitement at coming to nursery and role modelling a sense of confidence and excitement in the changes in the daily routines of their lives.
Remember and talk about the nursery when you are not here. Even though you only come in at the start and end of the days, the day for the children forms a large part of their life and special times.
Bring into nursery photos of your family. It is nice for children to look at them during their day.
Lots of group activities such as singing, stories, water play, messy play, soft play, etc, that promotes children being together and feeling comfortable in the space with their peers.
A lot of name usage to reinforce children’s names and give them a sense of belonging.
Focussing on children spending time with staff and each other looking at things that are unique to them; facial features, clothing, hands, feet.
Taking photos of the children to display in the room to give the children a good sense of belonging and to start to recognise themselves as part of the nursery.
Talk about the children’s family members during the day. Name the people who are important to them.
Lots of repetition of the names of the fruit and veg.
Role play shopping by putting the fruit and veg toys in shopping baskets and wandering round the room.
Combining the food with tea sets to role play cooking.
What could you do to support the children and reinforce what they have experienced at the nursery?
Talk about the other children and team members to your children when you leave and are at home. Use their names to reflect on their day and when going to nursery.
For new children, parents can help by demonstrating excitement at coming to nursery and role modelling a sense of confidence and excitement in the changes in the daily routines of their lives.
Remember and talk about the nursery when you are not here. Even though you only come in at the start and end of the days, the day for the children forms a large part of their life and special times.
Bring into nursery photos of your family. It is nice for children to look at them during their day.
