Category: Reception – St Adrian

Good morning Reception parents and children,

Welcome to today’s home learning.

Personal, social and emotional development

Revisiting happy times

Revisiting the happy times your child had at school and their unique educational successes is a great way to prepare your child for our return to school.   Share your child’s Tapestry learning journal with your child and look at all their wonderful achievements at school.

Perhaps your child could send me, via Tapestry, a video to tell me all about what they are looking forward to once back at school.  This will also help me ensure that the classroom and resources create a welcoming start for your child.

Wear your school uniform for the day

The children loved this idea when preparing to return to school following the first lockdown period.  It helps cultivate an excitement about going back to school and also familiarizes your child with the feel of the uniform again. 

Maths/Physical Development

Bunny ear game

Research shows that finger use is an important factor in developing connections between numeral quantities and symbolic representations, as well as giving support for making sense of calculations.  This activity not only develops those mathematical skills but will also help your child manipulate their fingers and strengthen those all-important finger skills.

Try the activities below which are in order of difficulty.

• Say to your child ‘Show me three fingers’.  Then ask for 5, 2, 4 and 1.  Follow this by asking your child to do the same with their other hand. 

Watch to see if your child is counting the fingers each time or can they quickly ‘throw’ the correct amount of fingers.

• Model ‘throwing’ fingers to help your child to move on from lifting fingers one at a time.  Say ‘Watch me as I can flash a number on my fingers’.  Flash a finger and say ‘1’ as you throw out 1 finger, repeat for 2, 3, 4, 5.  Then ask your child to try and flash 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.  Repeat in random order.

• Ask your child to show you 2 fingers.  Ask how many more to make 5?  Repeat for 1-5.  Ask again using the other hand.

• If your child is confident doing all of the above, explore doubles.  Model to your child and ask him or her to join in.  Make 1 on one hand and 1 on the other.  Push the hands together and show your child 1 and 1 makes 2.  Ask your child to repeat with 2 and 2, 3 and 3, 4 and 4, 5 and 5.

• Ask your child not to look at their fingers, make a finger pattern for 3 and hold their hand behind their head.  This is called ‘Bunny Ears’.  After they have done this, your child can look at their hand in front to check.

• Repeat the ‘bunny ear’ game using two hands.  You could ask questions such as ‘Show me double 2’ or ‘Show me numbers that make 5’.

Wishing you all a fantastic day.

Nicola Palmer

Good morning parents and children,

Keeping safe and handwashing

Children want to feel assured that their parents and carers can keep them safe. One of the best ways to achieve this is by talking openly about what is happening and providing honest answers to any questions they have. Explain what is being done to keep them and their loved ones safe, including any actions they can take to help, such as washing their hands more often than usual.

Below is a link to an interactive resource to support and reassure children aged 7 and under, it is designed to help children explain and draw on the emotions that they might be experiencing during the pandemic.  It is a lovely short book which provides a child friendly explanation of the COVID virus.  You will notice at the end it says ‘while doctors help to find a vaccine’.   This, of course, is a little out of date and the good news is that doctors are now ‘working to give everyone the vaccine’.

https://660919d3-b85b-43c3-a3ad-3de6a9d37099.filesusr.com/ugd/64c685_0a595408de2e4bfcbf1539dcf6ba4b89.pdf

At school we are, of course, playing our part to ensure your child is safe. When the children joined Reception in September, we dedicated time to teach the children how to wash their hands thoroughly.  They learnt the following song and handwashing procedure:  

Please revisit this video at home and check your child is washing their hands correctly.  Being confident washing their hands on the first day will help give your child a good start and boost self-esteem.

Personal, social and emotional development

Talking about feelings

An important part of your child’s learning is how to express emotions and find solutions to problems.  It is worthwhile taking the time to talk to your child about the return to school and explore any worries.  Here’s some tips on how you can explain feelings to your child in a way they’ll understand so they can learn to manage them.

Be Aware

To support your child with their emotions, begin by watching for any changes in their behaviour eg. facial expressions, body language, posture, and tone of voice.

Set a good example by talking about feelings and emotions in order to help your child build a vocabulary of different feelings.

Encourage your child to talk about their feelings and emotions.

Connect with your child

You can use emotional moments as opportunities to connect with your child.

Allow your child to have their feelings without dismissing, disapproving or avoiding.

All feelings are okay, but not all behaviour is okay.

 Listen and tune-in to your child

Your child will feel more secure when they are allowed to express their feelings.

Take time to stop, breathe and get curious.

Tune-in to the feelings underneath your child’s behaviour.

Take 5 long slow breaths to help you feel calm.

Check what’s going on for you. Has your child’s behaviour touched a nerve for you? Has it made you feel frustrated? Angry? Scared? Helpless?

Name your child’s feelings out loud

Your child will feel more secure when their feelings are heard.

Naming emotions helps to soothe and regulate your child’s brain.

Ask, rather than telling, them how they are feeling. If they’re not sure, offer suggestions for them to consider.

Set limits and problem solve together

You can allow all of your child’s feelings while still setting clear limits on behaviour.

Corrections should only be put in place when feelings have been acknowledged and when everyone is calm.

Where possible involve your child in problem solving, especially as they get older.

Think ahead about tricky and potentially overwhelming situations and be prepared to help child through them. Please let me know if I can help in any way. Send a message via the School Office of through Tapestry.

Letters and Sounds

Revisiting the Phase 3 Sounds

Revisit the sounds learnt at the end of last term and during this lockdown home schooling period.  They are all listed below.  I have also posted cards on the Memo section of Tapestry.  You may like to print these if you have a printer available.  The pack includes a ‘match the picture to the sound’ game.

Play splat the Sound

This is a popular game we’ve played before using the word bags.  However, it can be adapted to revisit sounds.

You will need:

Sounds listed above.  You can just jot them down on separate pieces of paper.

Something to splat the words eg. wooden spoon or your child can just use their feet.

What to do:

Spread out the sounds on the floor.

Call out the sounds.

Ask your child has to stamp on the sound, or hit the sound with the wooden spoon.

Swap places with your child and ask your child to call out the sound.

Play countdown

Again, this is a game we’ve played before whilst learning to read words.

You will need:

Sounds as above and a timer

Explain to your child that the object of this game is to say as many sounds as possible before the timer signals ‘stop’.  I suggest perhaps 1 or 2 minutes.

Repeat the game, the objective is for your child to beat their last score.

For extra challenge

Being able to recall what the sounds look like and writing them down is the next step. If you feel your child is super confident recognising and saying the sounds, play ‘count down’ by calling out the sounds and asking your child to write as many sounds as they can before the timer signals ‘stop’. 

Wishing you all a fabulous day.

Nicola Palmer

Happy Friday everyone!

Reading tricky words/Letters and Sounds

Let’s revisit our recent sounds and tricky words learnt so far.

Watch the video below with your child.  You may wish to pause the video at various points to discuss some word meanings, particularly the ‘ure’ words.  It also introduces the concept of double consonants ‘When we see a double consonant, we normally just say one phoneme’ eg. as in ‘letter’.  This will be a new idea for many children.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob7bOrRtX3Q

For extra challenge:

• Spot tricky words in your child’s story books.
• Learn to spell the tricky words.

Write a sentence –  I can …..

Encourage your child to write a sentence.  

I can …….

To begin, talk to your child about things they can do.  For example, ‘I can brush my hair’, ‘I can jump’ or ‘I can run’.

Write your own sentence and model writing for your child. 

As usual, encourage your child to use their sound mat for support and write the sounds he or she can hear and knows.

 ‘I can run’ is a good sentence to start if you child requires a little encouragement.

This activity is to encourage your child’s independent writing, so celebrate their efforts and use of sounds even if not spelt correctly.  The idea is that the words spelt match the sounds they can hear and they can read back their writing.

Maths

One more, one less game

The video below demonstrates how to play this game:

Here are the written instructions:

Top tip:

Notice the mathematical vocabulary used in the video.  It is important to encourage your child to say out loud what they are doing eg. ‘I landed on one more, I’m on 15 now and 16 is one more than 15’.  There are a variety of ways your child could articulate their thinking.  Try to model many variations in your language so your child becomes familiar with them.

Here are all the different ways of saying one more or one less.

• 

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Religious Education/Understanding the world

Growing

May I begin with a little reminder to send me, via Tapestry, your child’s Lenten promise as mentioned in my blog on Monday, 22 February.  Ideally, ask your child to draw a picture to display at home.  This can act as a visual prompt to help your child during this season of Lent. 

Lent is a time to work at growing spiritually in preparation to celebrate the death of Jesus and his resurrection at Easter.  This process involves growing in many ways. It is not always easy.  When talking to your child about their Lenten promise, stress that it’s about growth rather than change.  We are growing inside in a special way; in goodness, kindness, caring and love.

Plant some cress or something similar that grows very quickly.  Focus on what is happening over time.   

Cress is one of the easiest things to grow and what’s more, you can grow this indoors – perfect for getting those green fingers ready for the spring.  It also goes lovely in those egg sandwiches that you can have all year round!  It is ok to use cotton wool to grow cress.  Talk to your child about how other plants normally need nutritious soil.  However, cress still needs water, sunlight and warmth and love to grow.  Just like we do!

On your daily exercise, have a quiet moment together to reflect on and appreciate the plants that are beginning to grow.  Again, reflect on the things which help to make things grow e.g. food, water, sunlight etc.

The following prayer may help your child to reflect on the meaning of Lent and remember their Lenten promise.

Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom.
Jesus you are so good. Help us to grow in goodness.
Jesus you are so kind. Help us to grow in kindness.
Jesus you are so caring. Help us to grow in caring.
Jesus you are so loving. Help us to grow in loving.

Invite your child to add their own words.

Help your child recognise the cross as something special to be venerated with love and respect.  Try placing a cross in a place of honour, enshrined with growing plants and flowers.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.

Nicola Palmer

Good morning everyone,

Welcome to our home learning for today.

Religious Education

The Parish family gathers together at Mass

This is a little challenging to teach during our lockdown period.  However, hopefully many of you will have been able to access the parish live streams.

Here’s a reminder of parishes that offer this service:

Masses at Ss Alban and Stephen Catholic Church on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ49xqq4xbky9S9Aq859X1A

Online Masses at St Teresa’s Borehamwood – Fr Dominic McKenna

https://www.churchservices.tv/borehamwood

Online Masses at St Luke’s Pinner – Canon Robert Plourde

https://www.churchservices.tv/pinner

Online Masses at Westminster

http://www.churchservices.tv/westminster

Ask your child to look at the picture below:

Questions to ask: 

What do you see in the picture?

Who are the people in the picture?

What are the congregation doing? (singing a gather song)

What is happening? (Priest and altar servers processing in)

Discuss with your child about how we gather in church to welcome and listen to God’s word from the Bible.  Remind your child of the words used by the priest to welcome people ‘The Lord be with you…’.  And the people say ‘And with your spirit’. 

Link your discussions to personal experiences of attending Mass as a family. 

Talk about the special book called the Bible which tells us about God’s word.  You could select a story from your child’s Bible to read.

Letters and Sounds

This is an exciting moment!  Today’s sound is the last Phase 3 sound.  This completes the learning of one representation for 42 of the 44 sounds generally recognised as those of British Received Pronunciation.  Just one spelling is given for each sound because this is all that is required at this stage.  Children can now write most words using the sounds they have learnt.  Spellings represented by the sound they know is an equally good first choice as the correct spelling.  They will learn alternatives in Year 1 (e.g. ‘ay’ instead of ‘ai’ and ‘ie’ instead of ‘igh’).

Rest assured, once we’re back at school we will revisit all of the sounds learnt and consolidate your child’s knowledge of phonics. We will, of course, also teach correct spellings of tricky words and extend your child as appropriate.

Today’s new sound – ‘er’ (digraph two letters but one sound)

This video introduces the ‘er’ sound.

Show your child how to write ‘er’ using the correct letter formation.

Letter formation for ‘e’ and ‘r’ can be found in your child’s letters and sounds book.

Encourage your child to ‘have a go’ at writing the ‘er’ sound. 

For challenge

Only if your child is ready.  Write the following words:

For extra challenge

Write a sentence and draw a picture (a reminder from our Gingerbread Man story). 

Maths

Counting down and up game

You will need:

Numeral cards 0-10 (or 0-20 if your child is ready).

You could use the numeral cards posted on the Tapestry Memo section or just write your own.  Hopefully, you’ve still got the cards prepared for our previous activities.

An adapted dice with only 1 and 2 marked.  Do this by writing 1 and 2 on a small pieces of paper.  Sellotape over the 3, 4, 5 and 6 dots on the dice.

What to do:

Have a number your line ready.

Your child starts by placing a counter (stone, button, etc) on zero.

Roll the dice and ‘count on’ the number shown.  Note:  It is important that your child starts the count from the number they are on and counts on. For example: if they are on 7 and roll a two, they say, ‘I am on 7, I need to count on two places – 8, 9’.

Keep going until your child reaches the end of the number line. 

Repeat by starting on 10 to go backwards.

Adaptations:

Use a number line 0-20.

Ask your child to predict the number they will land on.  Encourage use of fingers.  For example, count on 2 from 15.  Hold up 2 fingers ‘I am on 15 … (count fingers) 16, 17’

Use higher numbers on the dice.

Play outside. Chalk a number line on the ground and play by jumping on the numbers.

Expressive Arts/Maths

Counting on song

Encourage your child to use their fingers to represent the numbers shown in these songs.

One Elephant went out to play

Counting down songs

10 fat sausages sizzling in a pan

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-ten-fat-sausages/z6vh7nb

Have a great day!

Nicola Palmer

Good morning Reception parents and children,

Welcome to today’s home learning.

Reading

Here’s a reminder two excellent websites which offer free reading activities.

https://phonicsplaycomics.co.uk/

https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/

The reading activities are delivered in phases.   Begin with Phase 2 and Phase 3 games.  However, some Phase 4 games will also be beneficial for children who are confident with all the Phase 2 and Phase 3 sounds (these are the sounds we’ve covered so far).

Try games such as ‘Buried Treasure’, ‘Picnic on Pluto’ or ‘Dragon’s Den’ and select the sounds we recently covered eg.’ ear’, ‘air’ or today’s sound ‘ure’.

Letters and Sounds

Today’s new sound – ‘ure’ (trigraph three letters but one sound)

This video introduces the ‘ure’ sound. This is probably one of the more difficult sounds to learn. It is also less frequent and your child may find it a little challenging to remember.

Show your child how to write ‘ure’ using the correct letter formation.

Letter formation for ‘u’ ‘r’ and ‘e’ can be found in your child’s letters and sounds book.

Encourage your child to ‘have a go’ at writing the ‘ure’ sound. 

For challenge:

Only if your child is ready.  Write the following words:

For extra challenge:

Write a sentence. 

Maths and Physical Development

Play hopscotch

What you need:

• Chalk (outside) or masking tape (if playing inside).
• Markers for each person playing – pebble, bottle cap, shell, button, etc.

What to do:

• Use chalk to draw a hopscotch pattern on the ground or use masking tape on the floor.

• Each player has a marker such as a stone, bottle cap, shell, button, etc.

• The first player stands behind the starting line to toss his or her marker into hopscotch grid.

• Hop to the end of the grid. All hopping is done on one foot unless the hopscotch design is such that two squares are side-by-side. Then two feet can be placed down with one in each square.

• Once at the end of the gird, turn around and hop back again.  Pick up the marker on the way back.

Questions to ask:

What number did the stone land on?

How many hops and how many jumps will you need to take to land on that number?

Adaptations:

Ask your child to draw/find a collection of objects that matches each number and place it on the grid.

Rub out some of the numbers or write a number that doesn’t fit.  Ask your child to ‘spot the problem’ and correct it or fill in missing numbers within the squares.

Change the numbers on the hopscotch to 11-20.

Physical Development

Threading

This activity will help develop the small muscles in your child’s hands, wrists and fingers which are so important for holding a pen and writing.

You will need:

• Kitchen roll tube with holes around it, made by the adult. Use a screw driver, bradawl or pen to do this. Or use a colander, sieve or any household object with multiple holes.

• Spaghetti sticks, pipe cleaners, string or wool and a plastic child-friendly sewing needle, straws, cable ties.

• Timer (egg timer or use a mobile phone).

What to do:

• Invite your child to help you gather the resources you need e.g. spaghetti and a kitchen roll tube that the adult has made some holes in (see below).

• Suggest that you are going to do some threading together. Show your child how you might push the spaghetti sticks through the tube carefully, so they come out the other side, making sure they don’t snap!

• Encourage your child to do this independently.

• Choose a range of materials to pass through the holes – string, pipe cleaners, straws, cable ties.

• Talk to your child as they work, asking questions such as ‘Which objects went through easily? Which were harder to thread? How many objects have you threaded through altogether?’

Adaptations:

• Try using objects with larger and smaller holes and talk about which are easier to thread? 

• Make a chart to show which objects were easier to thread and which were harder. Talk about why this might be?

• How many sticks/pipe cleaners can you thread through your object?

• Introduce a timer to add challenge e.g. how quickly can your child thread 10 objects?

• Invite your child to decorate the tube before or after the threading activity.

Wishing you all a wonderful day.

Nicola Palmer

Good morning Reception parents and children,

Many thanks for all your Tapestry entries and such a great start to the half term. I am super excited about our return to school. Next week we will concentrate on lots of activities to help prepare the children for the 8th March. Our focus will be on the children’s well-being and making sure they are confident and happy to come back to school. We will start back gently and concentrate on getting everyone ‘ready to learn’ for the first week or so.

Reading

Please take the time to read with your child.  This could be the reading materials provided in your child’s book bag eg. reading books, word strips or word bag.  However, if you’ve already exhausted those materials, please have a go at accessing the ebooks I sent via the Memo section of Tapestry.   Just a reminder, the links provided for your child are via the Oxford Owls website.  You will need to set up a log in.  However, this is fairly simple and you only have to do it once.

Here’s a link to the log in page of the Oxford Owls website: 

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/please-log-in?open_loginbox=true

Please encourage your child to read each book two to three times.  Perhaps over the course of this week. This will help develop fluency.   Short, frequent reading time is most effective. Once your child is ready for new books, post a Tapestry observation and I will select new books accordingly.  Thank you to those parents who are accessing the ebooks and keeping me informed.

Letters and Sounds

Today’s new sound – ‘air’ (trigraph three letters but one sound)

This video introduces the ‘air’ sound.

Here’s Geraldine the Giraffe:

Show your child how to write ‘air’ using the correct letter formation.

Letter formation for ‘a’ ‘i’ and ‘r’ can be found in your child’s letters and sounds book.

Encourage your child to ‘have a go’ at writing the ‘air’ sound. 

For challenge

Only if your child is ready.  Write the following words:

For extra challenge

Write a funny caption and draw a picture to accompany the caption. 

Maths

Don’t forget about zero

This may seem like a strange activity, but it will reinforce that although zero is nothing, nothing can be counted.   At various points during your daily routine, ask your child to collect you ‘zero’ of something. For example, “Can you pass me two apples and zero bananas please?”   You can do this whilst playing, putting the shopping away, organising the washing etc.

Hiccup game

This activity will help your child learn to develop fluency when counting up and down from different points on a number line.

You will need:

Numeral cards 0-10 (or 0-20 if your child is ready)

You could use the numeral cards posted on the Tapestry Memo section or just write your own.

What to do:

• Place the cards in order on the floor or a table 0-10.
• Start from different points on your number line.
• Ask your child to start to count forwards whilst pointing at each number until you (parent) hiccups.
• Ask your child to then go back to the previous number and continue to count down.
• Repeat from a variety of start points.

For example 10, 9, 8, (hiccup) 9, 8, 7… or 3, 4, 5, (hiccup), 4, 5, 6…

Through regular rehearsal, your child will be saying one more and one less when counting but they will need to be able to state the numbers one more or one less than any given number.

For extra challenge:

Numbers 0-20

Ask your child to pick a number between 0 and 20, using the number line.

Ask your child to state one more and one less than the chosen number.

Grow your own vegetable tops

You will need:

Any root vegetable eg. parsnip, carrot
Plate
Water
Knife

What to do:

• Cut the tops off a root vegetable.
• Place on a saucer.
• Add a small amount of water – the vegetable tops shouldn’t be swimming in it!
• Place on a window sill or similar.
• Top up water daily. You do not want the tops to dry out.  

After a few days, encourage your child to talk about what they notice.  Green sprouts should begin growing out of your vegetable top.  Encourage your child to look after the veg tops by changing the water each day until these have grown to about 10cm.  This edible new growth can be cut with safety knives or clean scissors and added to sandwiches, salads or soups.

Adaptations:

Your child may want to keep a ‘diary of your vegetable tops’, and record the changes daily.   This could be done with writing or through drawings.

Why not experiment with where your tops grow best? What happens if you don’t give any water to some of them? What happens if you leave some on a plate above a radiator?

Enjoy your day!

Nicola Palmer

Good morning Reception children and parents,

Happy Friday!

Just a couple of reminders before we begin today’s home learning.

Today is the deadline for the Chaplaincy Team’s St. Adrian competition. Draw or create a poster about St. Adrian. Entries can be posted through Tapestry and I will pass them onto the Chaplaincy Team.

Please don’t forget to let me know when your child has read their Oxford Owl ebooks set on the Memo Section of Tapestry and is ready for a change. I will then be able to set new books for you.

Chinese New Year

Make a Chinese Dragon

Attached to the Memo section of Tapestry are instructions to make a Chinese Dragon.  However, as mentioned on yesterday’s blog, you can always provide various recycled materials and let your child’s imagination run wild.

To inspire your child, photos are also attached to the Memo section of Tapestry. This dragon dance video may help your child understand how the dragon features in the Chinese New Year celebrations:

I’ve also attached on the Memo section of Tapestry a Chinese New Year song.

Dress up in red for the day

Red is a popular colour in Chinese culture, symbolizing luck, joy and happiness.  It is also the colour often worn for celebrations such as Chinese New Year.  In addition, the Chinese flag is red.

Letters and Sounds

Alphabet Bingo

In phonics, letter names are needed when children start to learn two-letter and three-letter sounds (Phase Three).  The letter names provide the vocabulary to refer to the letters making up each two-letter or three-letter sound.

We explain alphabet names to children by thinking about the sounds animals make eg. ‘meow’, ‘woof’ or ‘moo’. However, the names of these animals are cat, dog or cow.  It’s the same with letters.  They have a sound and a name.

I have posted on the Memo section of Tapestry an alphabet poster.   Alternatively, you may have your own alphabet frieze, puzzle or poster for this game. 

Simply, call out a letter name and ask your child to tick the letter off on the poster. If you’re lucky enough to have large alphabet letters, you could ask your child to jump to each letter name called out.

Alphabet Song

Singing the alphabet song and pointing to letters of the alphabet is also a great way to learn letter names.  Again, you could use the alphabet poster on Tapestry or you may have your own alphabet frieze, puzzle or poster.

It is important that your child doesn’t bunch the letters together (eg. l, m, n, o, p) and clearly articulates each letter name.

Here’s a fun video by the Alphablocks that teaches letter names and the alphabet song.

British Values

Mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths

This is the final British value in our series of British values, mutual respect and tolerance.  We learn to treat others as we want to be treated. How to be part of a community, manage our feelings and behaviour; and form relationships with others.

Our learning about Chinese New Year this week has contributed to the children’s understanding of diversity and different cultures.   It helps children to recognise
and respect both similarities and differences in relation to others.

At home you can use stories or television programmes to take the opportunity to talk to your child about the importance of tolerant behaviours such as sharing and respecting other’s opinions.

Wishing you all a great half term.

Nicola Palmer

Good morning Reception parents and children,

Below are my home learning ideas for today. 

Chinese New Year

The year of the ox

Explain to your child that each new Chinese year has a different animal sign.  This means that each person born in the year is represented by one of twelve animals. The zodiac signs include the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

This year is the year of the ox.  The Ox is the second animal in the Chinese Animal Zodiac. It is second, because, during a legendary race the Ox was kind, and gave the Rat a lift on its back. Only then to be cheated of his win, by the Rat jumping off his back and ahead of the Ox in order to secure first place. A cunning Rat, and a trusting Ox.

 Watch this short video ‘Happy New Year 2021! Happy Chinese New Year of the Ox!’  It illustrates Chinese writing and Chinese music.

Your child may ask you ‘What is an ox?’  Here’s a little explanation:

Let’s get creative

Encourage your child to create an ox using recycled materials.  Using different types of recycled objects enables children to learn about the basic properties of everyday materials – such as plastic, paper, cardboard, metal and wood – through a hands-on approach.  Children are learning how materials work, how they fix together and how they can be used to fulfil ideas.  This is engineering and engineering thinking.

Be really creative and search around the house for unusual objects that you do not need any more.  Provide and variety of different resources to help your child fix items together, such as scissors, tape, glue, string, ribbon, and malleable materials such as clay or playdough. I usually turn boxes inside out; this allows the children to paint or decorate the box. 

Don’t expect your child’s model to be as picture perfect as the above examples.  The main purpose of the activity is to encourage your child to use their ideas and let their imagination run wild.

Alternatively, your child may wish to make a Happy Chinese New Year card and have a go at Chinese writing. 

• 

Chinese cooking/food

I have posted on the Memo section of Tapestry a recipe card for Hup Toh Soh Chinese cookies you may enjoy making together.  However, you could also buy some Chinese food and enjoy the variety of tastes.

Letters and Sounds

I am good at …..

Encourage your child to write a sentence.  

I am good at …….

To begin, talk to your child about things they are good at.  For example, ‘I am good at art’, ‘I am good at jumping’ or ‘I am good at cooking’.

Model writing for your child.  Remind your child of ‘oo’ sound.  If your child wishes to write a word ending in ‘ing’, explain to your child to write ‘i’ and the ‘ng’ sound.

As usual, encourage your child to use their sound mat for support and write the sounds he or she can hear and knows. Also, remeber finger spaces.

This activity is to encourage your child’s independent writing, so celebrate their efforts and use of sounds even if not spelt correctly.  The idea is that the words spelt match the sounds they can hear and they can read back their writing.

Maths

Create your own map

Watch this Go Jetters tv programme which explains some features of a map.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0b529s2/go-jetters-series-2-29-go-jet-academy-map-readers

Ask your child to design a space; their ideal bedroom, a theme park etc.  Encourage your child to represent some of the items in the space as shapes of symbols, they could even try and add a key.

Your child may like to make their own treasure map.  A great idea shared by one of our children is to colour the map using a wet tea bag.  This gives the map a very authentic look.

I look forward to hearing all about your child’s home activities.

Nicola Palmer