Shapes

We believe the children are more interested and engaged when they choose the theme/topic, they decided they wanted to know more about shapes, so we will be looking at a different shape each week for this half termWeek 1 8th September – circleWeek 2 – squareWeek 3 – Week 4 – Week 5 – to be displayed each week as Week 6 – the children decideWeek 7 –

There will be activities, games, songs, stories each week based on the shapes they have chosen. We will be developing a display and developing the construction area to include lots of shapes and tools. There is also a dedicated table in the maths area for shape activities, although as with all topics it will run through every area of Pre-school and all the children experience.

How to support your child’s learning at home: Spot shapes in the environment, pictures,

books etc Discuss differences such as the number

of sides etc Allow them to bring in objects to show

their friends that they have found that match the shape

Above all we believe the children should have fun, have time to play and have time to relax at Pre-school. We aim for all children to move onto reception class with the desire and passion to discover and find out more, be inquisitive, have a thirst for knowledge and the confidence to take on challenges.

If you ever have any questions about our activities or how your child is developing at Pre-school please speak to your child’s keyworker as they are responsible for working with you to identify your child’s individual next learning and development steps.

How to further support your child and Pre-school:

Volunteer at a session or an individual activity

Join our committee Share activities that your child

has enjoyed at home or events

Ask any questions you may have

For more information about Pre-school, the EYFS and current notices please talk to a member of staff, check the notice board in the foyer, visit our website www.allendalepreschool.co.uk or search for Allendale Pre-school on Facebook

Autumn 2014First half term

1st September – 24

Areas of interest and activities

01434 683042allendalepreschool@googlemail.com

The aim of this leaflet is to keep you informed of what is happening at Pre-school this half term; we hope it will help extend the children’s development by supporting their learning at home. The themes may change throughout the half term as we follow the children’s interests, so please keep checking the information board, website or Facebook page for updates. If you have any questions please speak to a member of staff

Our curriculumThe EYFS The Early Years Foundation Stage is how the Government describes the time in your child’s life from birth to age five through nurseries, pre-schools, and reception classes. It is a vital stage that helps your child get ready for school and their future learning and development.The EYFS sets out:

the legal welfare requirements to ensure your child stays safe and promotes their welfare

The seven areas of learning which helps guide the provision of play and activities as they learn their new skills and knowledge

Expected development levels through to the end of reception that help inform assessments and progress summaries.

Your child will be learning new skills, acquiring new knowledge and demonstrating their understanding through the seven areas of learning and developmentThe three prime areas are:

Communication and language Physical development Personal, social and emotional

developmentThen as they grow the development of the prime areas will lead to developing skills in the four specific areas:

Literacy Mathematics Understanding the world Expressive arts and design

Activities that suit your child’s individual needs are provided; Pre-school believes that the EYFS framework allows for great flexibility in delivery and methods of activity provision. The staff at Pre-school are all highly qualified and experienced, they build great relationships with the children so they can alter activities to suit your child’s developmental level, their needs and their interests.

Autumn This half term we will be exploring autumn. It’s happening all around us now so we will be out and about lots exploring and experiencing the weather and how autumn affects our community and local environment. There will be lots of activities based on the autumn theme happening daily! While out and about we will be discussing road safety and the green cross code; Stop, Look and Listen.We will be learning about festivals such as Harvest Festival, Halloween, and Diwali. Pre-school has been invited to join the Primary School at Allendale Methodist Chapel to celebrate Harvest Festival on Thursday 23rd October at 9.30am, please come along and listen to the children sing their song!

How to support your child’s learning at home:

Talk about seasons when you are out and about, the changing weather, colours of leaves, what it means to animals, food, festivals and harvest.

Practice road safety with your child Talk about harvest festivals and sing the

song below to the tune of ‘here we go round the mulberry bush’

Here’s what we do at harvest time, at harvest time, at harvest time,Here’s what we do at harvest time,At harvest time in the autumn.Dig up potatoes…….Pick all the apples…….

PhonicsWe plan fun activities with support from the letters and sounds national strategy programme; this half term we will be focusing on listening and identifying activities and games; such as sound lotto or ‘describe it and find it’.

We work in small groups with a staff member initially leading to challenge the children as appropriate to develop their listening and identifying skills, over time the children are all encouraged to lead the games and share their knowledge.

Our two main feeder schools follow the ‘Read, Write Inc’ phonics programme, so the children are introduced to the letter sounds and images at Pre-school through displays, activities and games such as ‘pass the purse’ which involves identifying initial sounds of words and names.

How to support your child’s learning at home:

Help your child to find and identify things beginning with the letter sound of the week (week 1 15/9/14 ‘m’ a long stretched mmmmmmm sound then we will be following the order above) this may be their name, pictures in books, objects, food or toys

Clapping syllables – at Pre-school we begin by clapping the syllables of your child’s name and progress onto other words, this is the very early stages of segmenting words to support spelling and reading at a later date

Talking and sharing stories – there is nothing more valuable than spending time sharing stories with your child, let them suggest how a story might end or make up an entire story from the pictures. Stories don’t have to come from story books; children may enjoy looking at magazines, catalogues, leaflets. Spent some time spotting the letter their name starts with amongst the print

Can we politely request that children are only shown their names in the ‘capital for initial letter only’ format e.g. Dani, this saves confusion when they start to recognize letter shapes and write their names at Pre-school and school.