What are we doing in Dolphins this month?

From February to March we will be having an enhanced focus on animals

The children have become very interested in animals since Chinese New Year when we discussed all sorts of animals that represent the years of the Chinese calendar. Children were proud of the mostly pigs and dogs that we have in Dolphins and the medley of different animals represent the teacher. We are  going to go a bit more in depth into animal this month and learn about some different  and unusual animals and well as a bit more about some familiar ones.

The activities this month will be based around the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) areas of learning:

KUW-Learning new animals and more about ones we know PSED- Learning about how to care for animals and why looking after animals is important.  MD- Looking at sizes and shapes of animals. Comparing the differences. CLL Learning a range of new and unusual words, especially the names of animals that are not in the our usual vocabulary. PD Gross motor skills in role playing animals and moving in different ways.  CD- using a range of media to create artistic interpretations of animals.

Some of the activities we will be doing this month to support this will be:

·         Jenny will be having a focus on unusual animals for her preschool group learning new and unusual names and looking at animals they have never seen before.

·         Laura W will be setting up the home corner into a vets for the children to role play in. She will also be researching animals and facts on the ipad.

·         Laura Z will be setting up collage with a range of animal shapes for children to put together as they choose and come up with new animals.

·         Christine H will be setting out for children a range of animal pictures for children to cut out and make collages with.

·         Laura J will be setting up the junk modelling for children to make animal homes, zoos, castles, etc.

·         Laura Z will be doing an activity with the children on matching animal footprints to animal pictures with discussions about the types of feet they have and why.

·         Christina will be showing the children the process of making cookies and the children will get to choose animals to use for their shape.

What you could do to support your children at home:

·         Take your child on an animal spotting walk to look for dogs, cats, horses, cows, sheep, foxes, etc.

·         Look for footprints in snow, mud, etc and think together about what animal could have made them.

·         See if you can find out about an animal that is very unusual and bring a picture in to the nursery.

·         Go to the library and get some books out on animals to look through together.

·         Take a trip to the zoo.

What are we doing in Sea Turtles this month?

With many of the toddlers becoming aware of their feelings and how the interactions of each other affect one another both positively and negatively, we are planning a month really looking at positive and negative feelings and how our faces express that. The younger Sea Turtles will experience lots of ‘gentle touching’ smiles and cheer from the teachers and the older children too.

The activities this month will be based around the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) areas of learning:

KUW- Learning to anticipate or expect the reactions of others.  PSED- feeling good and sharing our emotions with each other. MD- Counting, comparing, etc through all activities. CLL using words and language to express feelings as well as gesture and sign language. PD Lots of dancing and activities to make us feel good and develop physical skills.  CD- exploring images of emotions and making collages and art work based around feelings and emotions.

Some of the activities we will be doing this month will involve:

• Ella will be setting the children up with a range of facial features for the children to collage with and think about facial features.
• Manjit will be making emotion faces and using them as flash cards for the children to copy and imitate the emotions.
• Manjit will be setting up baby (doll) bathing for the children to role play caring for babies.
• Sara will playing ball games with the children. Calling their names and rolling the ball to them when they smile.
• Sarah G will be helping them to play musical statues and pulling the face of an emotion when the music stops.
• Sarah G will support the children working together to explore and appreciate each other’s differences. E.g. soft hair, cheeks, etc.
• Chloe will be supporting the children with pass the parcel games to encourage sharing, patience. She will also be teaching nice cuddling..
• Sarah-Louise will be supporting the children in making art comforters, toys, blankets, etc.
• Ella will be taking photos of items that are special to the children, like their blankets, toys, etc to display at eye level for them and support a sense of belonging.

Some ideas to support your children at home:

·         Pull some emotions faces with your children and label the face you are pulling by calling out ‘happy!’, ‘grumpy!’.

·         Role model gentle touching, stroking, tickling, cuddling, kissing and interactions that make you feel good.

·         Sing ‘If you’re happy and you know it….’ And come up with a range of emotions.

Reflection

Dolphins from January to February

The topic for January in Dolphins was books. The children loved reading, thinking about and making books. They learned about different types of books, how books are made, authors and illustrators, story books and information books.

The pre-schoolers group cut out pictures of There Was An Old Lady  and then sequenced them into order. They then stuck them together to make a book. They also chose a book they’d like to make at home. Some children brought into nursery their favourite books from home to share with their friends.

Laura Z made books with nearly all of the children. The children cut out pictures from magazines they liked and then told Laura the story for her to write the words in the book.

Carole kept a really special book of nice things the children had done. She wrote quotes and nice events. These are some of the nice things children have done for one another.

I  OD had just woken up from a sleep. OC asked him if he wanted to sit with him and do some drawing.

I  F said his new baby brother was in his bouncing chair crying, so he rocked him and sang to him to make him feel better.

I  HW found JS’s shoes for him from the box and asked him to check if they fit and if  he had got the right ones for him.

I  SB took two new children from Sea Turtles to the bathroom to show them how to wash their own hands in Dolphins.

I  CH brought a toy over and offered it to a child settling in and feeling sad.

Sea Turtles

The topic in Sea Turtles for January was transport vehicles.  How the children in Sea Turtles are loving them. So, they have researched them, looked at new books about them, done loads of transport artwork and a beautiful display of buses.

They’ve made some great circuits in the outdoor play area for the children to zoom about and if they don’t have a ride on toy, they have been able to pretend.

What are we doing in Sea Turtles this month?

For January to February we will be having an enhanced focus on vehicles and transport. Many of our children are really obsessed with the vehicles we have for them to play with and also all the books to do with them too. They love to explore, talk and read about vehicles so we will be having a big focus on them.

The activities this month will be based around the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) areas of learning:

KUW- exploring the different types of vehicles there are and talking about what they do. Exploring speed.  PSED-  Working in groups with vehicles, sharing, turn taking. MD- size, multiples, shapes, CLL learning new nouns, making noises to model the vehicle noises, talking about what they do. PD large motor skills role playing driving vehicles. Fine motor skills manipulating small vehicles to do what they want them to do.  CD- exploring with vehicles through arts and crafts, making vehicle representations, tyre painting.

Some of the activities we will be doing this month will involve:

• Manjit will supporting the children to in making some train track paintings and car track paintings using card and corrugated paper.
• Sara will be making circuits outside for the children to race around pretending to be vehicles or using the toy vehicles.
• Ella will be supporting the children in making car shaped biscuits and icing them.
• Sarah G will be helping the children to make some salt dough vehicle shapes to decorate.
• Sarah G will be supporting the children in making a big red bus using red paint and black tissue paper an vehicle collages.
• Sarah Louise will be supporting the children to make hot air balloons, paper boats and aeroplanes.

Some ideas to support your children at home:

·         Find a busy but safe patch to watch traffic from. Names the vehicles, colours, comment on sizes and speed.

·         Sing some vehicle songs with your child…’The Wheels on the Bus’, ‘Down by the Station’, ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, chocolate bar…’

·         Get some books on vehicles. Trucks often draw children in especially and they love quite complicated ones at a young age. And you will learn something too. It is amazing that a truck is not just a truck.Notice and point things out to your child. They probably noticed them already as you drive down the road  but giving them language to go with their d

What are we doing in Dolphins this month?

From January to February we will be having an enhanced focus on books

Story times are a very special part of Dolphins day. We have story times three formal times a day and each child attends at least two of them. However we also have spontaneous story times with small groups of children or individuals throughout the day as guided by the children. Over the next month, we will be focussing and referring to types of books; science, information, stories, made books, bought books, free books, authors, illustrators, caring for books, favourite books, etc. We want the children to be involved in creating books and bringing special books of theirs in to share with the group.

The activities this month will be based around the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) areas of learning:

KUW-Learning new things about the world through information books PSED- feeling good about their preferences for books and sharing them with peers.  MD- Looking at the numbers on pages, size of books, shapes of books. CLL Learning new words such as author, illustrator, fiction, non-fiction, etc. PD Fine motor skills in mending books, handling books, turning pages, etc.  CD- making up their own stories, poems, illustrations, books.

Some of the activities we will be doing this month to support this will be:

·         Jenny will be taking groups of children to the Library to talk about what Libraries are for the children to learn how to use them and respect them properly.

·         Laura W will be talking to the children about different ways to use books to enhance the story experience, such as Story sacks, listening posts, acting out stories, etc.

·         Cristina will be talking to the children about how books are organised with words and pictures, how they are made and how to respect them.

·         Laura Z is going to be making books with the children; creating their own story and illustrations.

·         Rachel G will be helping the children to act out some stories and present a play.

·         Christine H will be introducing new stories to children to listen to on the listening post.

·         Laura J will be setting up the home corner as a library for children to role play using the library.

·         Lan will be getting the children to select books that need mending and creating a mending station for book mending.

What you could do to support your children at home:

·         Take them to the library. Become a member if you are not one already and get them to treasure their first library card. Teach them about its value and how to respect people, services and books.

·         Make a story book with them. Invent a story, illustrate it and even share it with the nursery.

·         Bring in your favourite book from home.

·         Make a photo album of events that your child  been a part of, write a story about what happened.

December 2011

What are we doing in Dolphins~ November to December?

Well this year we are getting on with Christmas early so they know their Carol’s and Christmas festivities in good time and before the fun arrives. The children have been nagging us to sing Christmas songs and so why not? Let’s get the glitter scattered, glue gummed about and start the Christmas production line…. We will also be learning about Hanukah, Santa Lucia and the different ways these festivals are celebrated around the world
The activities this month will be based around the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) areas of learning:
KUW-religious festivals in the world PSED- different ways in demonstrating care for others MD size, shapes, counting, organising. CLL Learning new words to songs, signing songs. PD Action songs, keeping warm in the colder weather CD- creative dance to Christmas music. The Dance performance
Some of the activities we will be doing this month to support this will be:
• Christine H will be reintroducing the children to Christmas songs and reminding us of all the ones we forgot over the year.
• She will also be helping children make salt dough Christmas decorations for your trees at home.
• Laura Williams will be supporting the Thursday dance group in preparing for their dance show. • Laura W will also be helping children make presents for their parents and talking about the meaning of Christmas and why we give gifts.
• Rachel G will be making decorations for the room, junk modelling and doing a lot of box wrapping with the children.
• Lan will be helping the children to make Christmas cards and also flashcards for our Christmas songs.
• Laura Zurita will be showing the children how to make some great Christmas decorations. • Jenny will be teaching the children about Santa Lucia and Hannuka.
• Su will be talking to the children about remembering those who aren’t as lucky as us at Christmas time.
• Carol will be putting together a book called ‘Our Story of Christmas Time’ which is about what the children in our nursery do to celebrate Christmas or if they don’t what they do instead.
What you could do to support your children at home:
• Send a few works to the nursery about your plans for Christmas so that the children can talk about it and share them with their friends.
• Take a walk through the city to look at the Christmas lights. They are beautiful and children just love them.
• Talk with your children about others less fortunate and ways that you can help.
• Make some Christmas tree decorations.
• Practice your Carol’s for Carol’s by Candlelight!
• Read them the story of Christmas. • Share your family’s plans for Christmas so that your child can talk about it and share their excitement with their friends.