Learning Hub
Welcome to Little Stars
A place where everyone belongs!
This term we have been welcoming in our new Little stars as well as welcoming back our older stars! Together we have been helping to settle in our new children by showing lots of care and kindness which has helped them feel safe and secure.
Communication and language
Autumn term 1 and 2
During the Autumn Term, we have been focusing on nursery rhymes and songs. We have been encouraging the children to select their favourite song by choosing from a selection of images representing the song, this helps children with their focus and attention.
We have been reading the story ‘Owl Babies’ Children have been getting involved using the story props which support the story, taking turns to be the owl mummy, ‘who always comes back!’
We collected lots of conkers for natural play and the children have been excited to explore them, this has brought lots of language opportunities for the children and developed imagination in the various play that is extended from it.
Spring term
This term the children have enjoyed singing their favourite songs and rhymes, joining in with actions and finishing the verses. The children have also learnt a new song called 'The Jellyfish', which has lots of actions for the children to follow, and the children have really embraced it, even singing the song during their independent play.
We have been reading 'Brown bear, Brown bear, What do you see?' by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle. The children have enjoyed recognising the colours and animals in the story, and have gotten into the rhythms of the story telling. Children are now beginning to sequence the story themselves recalling what each animal sees.
Children have been using their fingers to make representation of numbers when counting the animals in the story.
During our visits to the Nature Garden, the children have enjoyed exploring the outdoors and our natural environment, in which we created our own story hunt, looking for the hidden animals from our story. Children were excited to search for the animals hidden throughout the large space.
Physical Development
Autumn term 1 and 2
We have developed our gross and fine motor skills through lots of play. Our play dough is very popular and children enjoy squeezing, rolling and manipulating the dough in their hands to create unique objects.
We have covered our floor and tables in paper to encourage making marks, children are in early development for handwriting, free marking helps to develop pencil control and confidence to be creative.
Our topic this autumn was 'All About Me' so one of our songs is 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and toes' this helps the children to identify different body parts and the children love to point out when you get it wrong or mix it up adding a new body part.
We have also been enjoying ‘sleeping bunnies’ and other sleeping animals with different movements to join in with, Jumping, Stomping, Squatting, Hopping, and a few Roars along the way.
The children have been using building blocks to build tall towers as big as themselves or taller!
Spring term
This term, the children have been practising their balancing skills and learning how to jump safely off an apparatus. We have been practising in the top hall during our movement sessions, children have extended this learning into their own play in our outdoor areas.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
In the autumn term we have focused on different hello songs for the children to familiarise themselves with each other and become friends. We have focused on our emotions and how to express these by adapting the song 'If you are happy and you know it', the children have really enjoyed expressing their different emotions and feelings this way.
In our 'All About Me' topic, we have been caring for the babies and talking about appropriate clothing for different weather and the children have been attempting to dress the babies. We have also been doctors, applied plasters to our babies where they've hurt themselves.
Children have also had lots of imaginary play in our home corner preparing lots of interesting meals for staff and friends with a great quantity of tea to wash it down!
Spring Term
This term we have had new children in our setting for which we have been introducing our class rules and routines to. The older children have enjoyed going over them too as a helpful reminder.