Our RE topic for the next four weeks is based around the theme of Signs and Symbols.
We will be considering the big question Are signs and symbols important? Why? Please talk about this question with your child, looking for the signs and symbols that the children encounter on the way to and from school.
The children will learn to describe and sequence the baptism service and we will explore the different parts of the sacrament and their significance. We will focus on important symbols associated with baptism, such as the sign of the cross, white garment, font, candle, chrism and Easter candle.
Key words for the topic are: white garment, Easter candle, font, chrism, Good News
Please talk to your child about their own baptism artefacts and how they were used within their baptism.
For their RE home learning, the children are asked to design a baptism candle. Encourage your child to think about what signs and symbols they would like to include on their candle. It would be great if your child could write a key to go with their candle, that explains what each of their chosen symbols mean. Please ensure that your child takes pride in their candle as it would be lovely to make a display of them. These baptism candles should be sent into school by Wednesday 3rd November.
Over the past few weeks Reception children have been introduced to the fact that numbers are made up of other numbers. The children’s understanding has been developed through a sequence of 3 steps.
Step 1 – we began by exploring regrouping a whole into different parts and identifying what values are hidden within numbers.
Children are encouraged to use subitising (recognising a small group of numbers at a glance without counting) when looking at groups of objects. For example, in the photo below rows of 3 and 4 were identified.
Step 2 – we talked about combining parts to create a whole. This is the start of calculating – addition.
The children were encouraged to notice and find different parts that can be combined to make the same whole; concluding that there are lots of different ways to make a total. The photo below illustrates how we used a 10 egg box carton to look at multiple ways of making number 10.
Step 3 – calculating the part of a whole that is missing. This is the introduction of subtraction.
In the photo below the children played a game finding the missing number from a total amount of carrots.
In the photo below the children were given a starting amount (the part), a target to reach (the whole) and they found ‘how many more…?’ (the missing part) when building towers with Duplo.
How to can help at home
Talk about how a collection of toys can be regrouped eg. farm animals, all the animals are part of the whole farm but they could be regrouped into sheep, cows, horses, pigs and farmers (humans). Each group is part of the whole farm. Or 7 vehicles could be regrouped as 4 cars and 3 trucks.
Give your child a target number and, using dominoes, can they try to find all the dominoes that have that number of dots altogether where either side of the domino would become a part. Talk about what they notice if one side of the domino shows 0 dots.
At meal/snack time find the total two groups of items. For example, pears and bananas. Ask your child to find the total initially starting with the pears and then adding the bananas, then starting with the bananas and then adding the pears. Talk about how the order of the fruit doesn’t matter when adding.
Introduce a range of different problems that require your child to calculate a missing part.
How many more…? If we need a snack for four people and there are two bananas, how many more do we need?
How many left…? How many cakes left now that Mummy and Daddy have taken their cake?
What is the difference…? You have three sweets and Mummy has two sweets. What is the difference between the numbers of sweets you have?
Play Kim’s game. Show your child a small collection of different objects on a tray and identify the whole (the total number of items). Hide them all and remove some objects. Reveal the objects left. Can your child calculate how many have been taken – the missing part.
The vocabulary of parts and whole has been emphasised throughout our learning. The children’s understanding of equal, more and less and ‘altogether’ has also been developed to describe the whole.
Maths Challenge
Your child may wish to have a go at the following maths challenge:
Collect a small amount of items outside eg. sticks, leaves, stones (10 items to begin and extend to 20 for extra challenge)
Once there are a few items, explore how they might be grouped.
Create groups and then use subitising to say how many are in each group (if the amounts are small enough).
Talk about the parts and the whole and then count to find the total.
I would love to hear about your child’s mathematical discoveries on Tapestry. We always have fun sharing the children’s home learning in class. This also often inspires their friends to also ‘have a go’!
As part of our Relationships and Health teaching the children discovered how God created the world and why the Bible is so special.
Last week we read the story of creation and talked about how our bodies were created by God. We are all God’s children and part of his special plan.
The children learnt the following song ‘If I were a Butterfly’
You may wish to share the following class prayer at home:
Dear God, You made our amazing world and all the amazing things in it. Thank you for making me and loving me. Help us to take care of ourselves and the world. Amen.
This week the children began to understand that the Bible is special because we are all in it and part of God’s family. In the Bible we hear stories about Jesus and that still has meaning for us today.
We acted out a story from the Bible, Jesus and his disciples during the Last Supper. I washed the children’s feet to show the children how Jesus is our role model. Jesus is showing us a way of behaving, he showed love to his disciples and he wants us to show that love to others.
The children made some great suggestions about how they can show love to others “You can take turns”, “You help tidy up”, “Look after someone who is sad”. I made a suggestion that you can give someone a smile.
You may wish to share the following class prayer at home:
Dear Jesus, Thank you for being my perfect role model. Thank you for loving me. Help me to share that love with others. Amen
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend in God’s amazing world.
We have had a successful start to the Summer term with the children all refreshed and eager to learn.
Our focus story for the next few weeks is a traditional tale, The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
The children have been learning to retell the story as part of our ‘talk for writing’ teaching. They are learning the words superbly and I hope your child will be able to tell you the story at home.
We talked about key words and phrases within the story. The children asked some very interesting questions: ‘Why did the troll want to eat the billy goats gruff?’, ‘Why did the billy goats gruff want to eat the grass on the other side?’, ‘Why were they hungry?’, ‘Why wouldn’t the troll let them go across the river?’ ‘Why did the troll live under the bridge?’.
The children have also enjoyed listening to different versions of the story kindly brought into school by their friends. If you child has a copy of The Three Billy Goats Gruff at home we would love to read it in class.
I hope you’ve all had a great weekend in the sunshine. Please continue to enjoy daily exercise and outdoor activities. Enjoying outdoor activities not only benefits children’s emotional wellbeing but also encourages an active life style.
Please also feel reassured that doing the simple things as a family, such as preparing meals together, helping with the washing, sharing a book and having cinema time at home are just as important in terms of your child’s home learning.
This week we’re going to focus on ‘getting ready’ for school. I have, therefore, reduced other home learning activities to allow parents and children time to relax and adjust in preparation for our return to school.
Personal, social and emotional development
There will be mixed emotions about our return to school next week. Some children will be excited whilst others may feel a little apprehensive. I am sure this is the case for parents too.
Please feel free to contact me either via Tapestry or the School Office if you have any concerns about the return to school. In particular, please let me know if you feel your child may require extra support or if there is anything that I should be aware of prior to our first day. It is important to me that all parents and children feel supported and our first week is a happy time for all.
Happy box
Please create a ‘happy box’ with your child ready to bring into school on Monday, 8 March. We will display the boxes in the classroom for the children to share with each other. This activity is not only great for language skills but will provide a link with home that your child can revisit during the day at school.
You will need:
An empty food packet/any kind of box that can hold a few things. No larger than a shoe box.
What to do:
Start by talking about being happy. What does happy look like? What does happy feel like? Make some happy faces together, maybe looking in a mirror. Draw a smiley face. When they smile or feel happy, do they feel it anywhere else in their body – warm tummy, tingly toes?
Explain that you are going to make a Happy Box – in it you will put 3 things that make you feel happy. You could model this by having your own Happy Box to show them. Talk about the things you put in it and why they make you feel happy.
Ask your child what makes them feel happy? What would they like to put in their box – e.g. a pebble, a photo of Nana, a special toy. Together, go in search of 3 things. Use lots of happy words – smile, laugh, giggle, warm, cosy, joy, cheerful. Chat about why they have chosen each thing.
Your child can put the things in their Happy Box. They might want to decorate the box first – you could talk about what colours make them happy and use felt tips/paint matching their happy colours.
You can refer to the box every so often. Perhaps if your child is feeling sad and needs cheering up, you could suggest you look in their Happy Box and choose one of the things to look at and talk about. Or if they find something else that makes them feel happy, they could add that to the box later.
Top tips:
Don’t include any precious items just in case of loss or damage
Limit to 3/4 items
Box no larger than a shoe box
Name the box and items in the box
Maths
This activity will build on your child’s ability to subitise (recognise the amount of objects in a group at a glance without counting). Your child will also to learn that a whole number can be created by combining small parts.
You will need:
A dice Collection of objects eg. dinosaurs, buttons, bricks, pasta
What to do:
Show your child a familiar dot pattern, e.g. the five on a dice. Check they instantly recognise the value.
Ask your child to copy the pattern with objects. Initially use the same objects to make the pattern.
Ask your child ‘Do you see any familiar dot patterns within the dinosaurs?’ Your child may answer ‘Yes I can see a 2 on the top’ or ‘I can see 3 diagonally’ or ‘1 in the middle’.
Encourage your child to swap the objects for different ones to show the value they can see.
Extension and playing outside
Ask your child to collect natural objects around the outside area such as twigs, leaves and stones. Once they have a small collection, make little groups and explore how many there are by subitising where the group is small enough.
Note: subitising is recognising a group of objects at a glance without counting. The highest number that even adults will normally subitise to is 6. Try it yourself. Count a random collection of objects, say 10. You will notice that you immediately notice the groups eg. you may see 3, 5 and 2 to quickly count the objects and know there are 10.
Zoom meeting
You will notice from my timetable that I plan to hold an extra Zoom meeting on Tuesday at 1.15 pm. I will send the invitation to you all today. Up until now, we have met in small groups. However, I thought it would be nice to provide an opportunity for all the children to get together. There probably won’t be a chance for everyone to talk to each other. However, hopefully we will be able to share some news.
If up until now your child has been reluctant to join one of my meetings, try turning the camera off to allow your child to watch. Alternatively, your child could watch from a safe distance and nominate a soft toy to ‘stand in’ on the camera.
I hope you all had a wonderful half term and managed to have a rest. I appreciate that many of you are juggling family life with working and home schooling. Hopefully, everyone is feeling ready to begin this week’s home learning.
Here are my plans for the week.
Religious Education – Lent
A promise for Lent
As you are aware, the church season of Lent began last week with Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. Remind your child it is purple time again in the church year; a time of getting ready for the celebration of Easter.
It is also a time to think about how we can change and grow inside to be more like Jesus. We are growing not only physically but inside in goodness, kindness, caring and loving. Our learning will begin by thinking about what the term ‘growing’ may mean. I have, therefore, included a couple of activities this week that observe the growth of plants.
I am sure you will have discussed Lent with your child and may have taken the opportunity to attend St. Bartholomew Roman Catholic Church to receive the Ashes. I would really like to hear about your child’s Lenten promise. If you haven’t already agreed upon a promise, please make a Lenten promise with your child to send to me.
The cornerstones of Lent are praying, fasting and giving. You may find the list of suggestions below useful ideas.
Pray
Say grace at mealtimes Say a please, sorry or thank you prayer at bedtime every day Pray for a different person every day Read a bible story every day
Fast
Give up something you enjoy eg. only have sweets or treats at the weekend Choose to look at a book instead of the television
Giving
Helping with a chore in the house Playing with a brother or sister
Encourage your child to draw a picture. Scribe your child’s promise on the picture and pin it up somewhere prominent to help your child remember this special time of the church year.
Letters and Sounds
Today’s new sound – ‘ear’ (trigraph three letters but one sound)
This video introduces the ‘ear’ sound.
Show your child how to write ‘ear’ using the correct letter formation.
Letter formation for ‘e’ ‘a’ and ‘r’ can be found in your child’s letters and sounds book.
Encourage your child to ‘have a go’ at writing the ‘ear’ sound.
For challenge
Only if your child is ready. Write the following words:
For extra challenge
Write a funny sentence and draw a picture to accompany the sentence.
Maths
Number positions
This week in maths your child will be learning how to understand the position of numbers and their relationship to other numbers. We will focus on numbers from 0-10. However, the activities for the week can also be extended to 0-20, depending on your child’s confidence. We will be working towards understanding 1 more and 1 less.
Let’s begin with step 1: Recognise that a count starts with nothing (zero) and increases equally by one each time
Make a number staircase
This activity will help your child to see that the difference between each number is equal and goes up in ones. It involves creating a number line physically as a ‘staircase’.
You will need:
Ideally Duplo or Lego bricks to make towers. However, you can use pasta shapes, buttons, beads and create number lines on the floor.
What to do:
Write numbers 0-10 on a separate pieces of paper. You could use the numeral cards I previously sent through Tapestry. I’ve resent them for today.
Give a number to your child.
Ask your child to make a tower of cubes to match the value on the card.
Ask your child to order the towers from smallest to largest labelling each tower/length with the number card.
The idea is for your child to increase the number of items used for their towers/lengths by 1 each time.
Ask your child ‘What do you notice?’ Ideas you will be looking for:
Celebrating our Learning
The children really enjoyed learning about Chinese New Year. Many thanks for all the wonderful photos and creative ideas. I thought the children may like to share their photos with each other.
I look forward to hearing all about your learning through Tapestry and wish you all a great day.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and ready for another week of home learning.
Please find below my plan for the week.
As part of the whole school Geography focus, we will be looking at China and celebrating Chinese New Year which falls on Friday, 12 February. To help you prepare for tomorrow, I’ve posted a template and instructions for the paper lantern on Tapestry today.
I also set out below materials you may wish to gather together over the week ready for Friday’s dragon costume. Of course, you’ll be able to improvise so don’t worry too much if you can’t find everything listed!
Religious Education– St. Adrian
Chaplaincy Team Assembly
Please find enclosed a link to our Chaplaincy Team Assembly. It’s all about St. Adrian, who is our class saint.
Your child may like to take part in the school competition set by the Chaplaincy Team. Draw a picture or make a poster to celebrate our class saint, St. Adrian. The deadline for the competition is Friday, 12 February. Post your entries on Tapestry and I will forward them to the Chaplaincy Team.
Letters and Sounds
Today’s new sound – ‘ur’ (digraph two letters but one sound)
This video introduces the ‘ur’ sound.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9354FVIi0nM
Show your child how to write ‘ur’ using the correct letter formation.
Letter formation for ‘u’ and ‘r’ can be found in your child’s letters and sounds book.
Encourage your child to ‘have a go’ at writing the ‘ur’ sound.
For challenge
Only if your child is ready. Write the following words:
For extra challenge
Write a sentence and draw a picture to accompany the sentence.
Maths/PE
Spatial thinking
The language of spatial thinking is linked to many aspects of mathematics. Position and directional learning is the most obvious but also patterning and geometry. It is also essential when considering the relationships between numbers; knowing which numbers come ‘before’, ‘after’, ‘next to’ or ‘in between’ is important, as well as knowing how near or far numbers are from each other or from a given point. If the language of these are not fully understood in the real world, it will be difficult to use them in the abstract world of numbers.
The other aspect of spatial thinking covered in this learning sequence links to understanding abstract representations of the real world. The ability to transform images from pictorial to an abstract image later supports solving worded maths problems. In this sequence, the children will go from passing through a space in reality to using maps of known spaces with symbols to represent known objects.
Here’s our first activity:
This activity can be done inside or outside. It naturally builds on itself because children will want to provide feedback on specific obstacles and courses can have endless combinations. The perfect obstacle course should be challenging, silly, and easily deconstructed or reconstructed.
Using any equipment available such as cones, cushions, tables, hoops, beanbags or small mats, ask your child to devise a route to be followed and then invite other members of the family to try their route.
The idea is for your child to use directional language to explain their route. For example, “Jump over the cushion. Then hop on to the mat. Now throw the beanbag in the hoop.”
The key words you want your child to use are:
up, down, forward, through, over, turn backwards,
under, turn around, turn towards
To end today’s blog, I’d like to celebrate our learning from the last week.
Children’s Mental Health Week
Maths
Phonics and reading
Looking forward to hearing all about this week’s learning through Tapestry.
Thank you for your feedback regarding the ebooks I shared on the Memo Section of Tapestry yesterday. If you have not accessed your child’s ebook yet, please note you will need to register to get onto the website, Oxford Owls. However, it’s free to subscribe and a fairly straight forward process!
Mental Health Week – Personal, Social and Emotional development
“Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” read by author Carol McCloud
This heartwarming book encourages positive behaviour as children see how rewarding it is to express daily kindness, appreciation, and love. The book is based upon an ‘invisible’ bucket to help children understand the effects of our actions and words on the well being of others and ourselves.
I thought it would be nice for the children to see a ‘real life’ author and hear Carol McCloud read her own book.
As a visual reminder, parents could use a small bucket/bowl and cotton buds, beads or a similar small object. Each time your child shows an act of kindness, pop a cotton bud into the bucket to recognise their thoughtfullness. You could also encourage your child to do the same for you!
Letters and Sounds/Literacy
Let’s go shopping!
This is an idea that I hope will inspire your child to write for fun. Set up a shop – this could be any shop that your child chooses eg. sweet shop, shoe shop, fruit shop, ice cream shop. Search around the house for resources that could represent the various items, a box for the till, upside down box covered with a cloth to display items, paper and pens.
Writing ideas your child could contribute: shop sign, open and closed signs, shopping list, labels for the items, price tags. Can you child write some rules around the shop? For example, wear a face mask, keep your distance – No Kids Allowed! (From our Jack and the Beanstalk story.)
Remember, encourage your child to ‘have a go’ at writing. Promote independent writing and confidence in writing skills. Encourage your child to ‘sound out’ words and use their sound mat to find the sounds they can hear. Celebrate emergent writing, your child may just begin by only writing some of the sounds they can hear.
Maths ideas: writing numerals for the price tags, counting the correct amount of items requested by the customer, deciding upon open/closed times. Perhaps you could add some real money (1p, 2p or 5p coins) or decide upon something to represent the money eg. beads.
Maths
Roll a dice and balance game
You can use the ‘beanstalk in the clouds’ suggested yesterday for this game. Or just use a cardboard tube standing upright and balance a paper plate on top.
What to do:
Gather together a collection of small objects eg. small bricks, miniature toys, pieces of pasta.
Roll a dice – how many dots can you see?
Balance this amount of objects on the plate.
The challenge is to balance the objects without the plate falling off the tube.
Keep going until the plate falls.
How many objects did you manage to balance?
Recognising a small number of (a group of items) at a glance without counting is a key mathematical skill. Playing games with dice really helps develop this skill. If you have any board games, these are an excellent resource to support the development of maths.
You could extend your child by using two dice and encourage addition.
Celebrating our learning
Thank you to those parents who responded to my email regarding home photos. I’ve decided to delay this week’s learning celebration until I have gathered together the responses. Watch this space!
Today our home learning will also celebrate the fantastic learning you have been doing at home. I have been overwhelmed by your enthusiasm and energy. Not only have you embraced my home learning, but posted additional learning activities some of which I’d like to share for extra inspiration.
Communication and Language
Making predictions
You will recall this activity posted previously. However, I thought I’d repeat it because it is so important in terms of your child’s reading skills.
Read a story together. This could be a story book or maybe your child’s reading book.
Read a few pages to introduce the characters.
At key places, stop and before you turn the page ask ‘What do you think might happen next?’
When you read the next page ask ‘Was your prediction right?’
If your child needs a little support, ask more direct questions eg. Goldilocks and The Three Bears – ‘Whose house do you think she will find?’ or offer alternatives for your child to choose from.
Literacy
Jack and the Beanstalk – joining in
We explored this activity during our Gingerbread Man story telling activities. Hopefully, your child will be growing in confidence and, with daily repetition, can begin to join in with the story. Watch the story of Jack and the Beanstalk again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00BbNDgeBtg&t=52s
Talk about the story and ask questions to make sure your child fully understands the story. Here are some example questions:
What do you like best about the story?
Was there anything you didn’t like about the story?
Did you notice any patterns (repetition) in the story eg. ‘Jack opened his eyes wide in amazement’?
Was there anything in the story that you’re not sure about?
What would you have done if you were …. Jack’s mum, Jack, the Giant?
How would you have felt if you were …. Jack’s mum, Jack, the Giant?
If you could change one thing in the story, what would it be?
If you have a different version of Jack and the Beanstalk, talk about the differences – which ending does your child prefer?
Letters and Sounds
Today’s new sound – short ‘oo’ (digraph two letters but one sound)
There are two types of ‘oo’. A long ‘oo’ (boot) and a short ‘oo’ (look). We are going to learn the short ‘oo’ today.
This video introduces the short ‘oo’ sound.
Below is the action for the long and short ‘oo’:
Show your child how to write ‘oo’ using the correct letter formation.
Letter formation for ‘o’ can be found in your child’s letters and sounds book.
Encourage your child to ‘have a go’ at writing the ‘oo’ sound.
For challenge
Only if your child is ready. Write the following words:
For extra challenge
Write a funny sentence and draw a picture to accompany the sentence.
The following video brings together both the long ‘oo’ and short ‘oo’.
Maths
Golden eggs game
Our version of the story doesn’t include golden eggs or a harp. This is for simplicity at this initial stage of becoming familiar with the story. Next week, I will be encouraging your child to adapt the story. Perhaps you could explain to your child about different versions of a traditional tale.
This game will help your child explore addition and subtraction.
You will need some ‘golden eggs’ – don’t worry about looking for a beanstalk to climb! These could be boiled eggs, crumpled up pieces of paper, potatoes, beads, pieces of pasta, Lego bricks – children are very good at suspending belief and letting their imagination running wild.
What to do:
Place 10 eggs in a container (basket).
Tell your child that the goose has laid these eggs for the giant.
Tell your child that Jack takes two eggs and count the eggs as they are taken out.
Ask your child ‘How many eggs are in the giant’s basket now?’
Encourage your child to explain why they think there are 8 eggs left.
Model your own mathematical thinking if your child needs support to explain. Use your fingers to show your child.
Check your child’s answer.
Continue the activity by placing eggs into the basket or removing some.
Perhaps pretend to be Jack creeping up to take the eggs. Maybe your child could cover their eyes, count how many eggs are left and work out how many eggs Jack took.
You may wish to ask your child to challenge you or make suggestions about the number of eggs that the goose lays or Jack steals.
Vary the amount of eggs depending on your child’s understanding.
To help your child visualise the numbers in a context that may be more familiar to them, use an egg carton to hold the eggs instead of a basket.
For support
Begin with 5 eggs in the basket.
Expressive Arts
Make a castle for the giant or Jack’s house
Acting out stories really helps children become familiar with story sequences. It also enables children to put themselves into particular characters’ shoes and imagine how things would look from that point of view. Through drama and role-play children can imagine characters’ body language, behaviour and tones of voice in ways that they can draw on later when they write.
Encourage your child to create a castle in a similar way they may make a den. Maybe you could also make Jack’s house. Act out the story together.
If you have a bunk bed or a cabin bed, you’ve got a ready-made den structure just waiting to be transformed.
Seats can become walls. Get a few dining room chairs or two sofas? Simply arrange them back-to-back with space in between for your castle/house. Then all you need is a big sheet or blanket to drape over the top as a ceiling and you’ve got the beginnings of a castle/house.
Tables act as all-in-one walls and ceilings, meaning you won’t need as many sheets and blankets to finish off the main structure. You can also join up lots of different tables to make quick den extensions – just add blanket walls and you’re done!
Of course, once a den is made I’m sure your child will have lots of other play ideas. Reading a book in a cosy den is a lovely activity. In school we sometimes leave some books in a den which really encourages the children to read.
Celebrating our learning
Writing for fun – home cinema and party time.
Subtraction game. Set out two teams with a flag at each end. Each player rolls a dice. The highest number wins each turn. Subtract the lower number from the higher number. The resulting figure is how many soldiers get knocked down.
Reading time.
Understanding addition using objects.
Being creative. A windmill for a mouse and Stick Man.
Making alterations to the story of The Gingerbread Man
In some way, we have already thought about making alterations through substitution and addition. However, now we are going to try to make changes that have a consequence. By ‘alteration’ I mean a change that is significant and changes the direction of the story – alterations have a knock on effect!
It is worth beginning by just making changes within the story – so that your child will still have the overall comfort of the original. This acts as a large writing frame and provides structure within which they can manoeuvre. You could try altering:
the nature of one of the characters eg. the fox is kind and helpful.
setting eg. on the moon.
the end of the story eg. The Gingerbread Man and the fox go on an adventure.
a key event within the story eg. The Gingerbread Man didn’t run away.
I hope your child enjoys making changes to the story – I find this normally generates quite a lot of amusement. Again, if you could act it out with your child and make the changes as you play, your child will probably be more inventive. Perhaps at a key point, stop and say ‘Hey we could change that bit’.
Letters and Sounds
Crocodile in the river (or is it a fox in the river?)
You will need:
Large piece of blue fabric Pieces of paper with sounds written on – see below
What to do:
Lay the fabric on the floor like a river (you can play this game outside and use chalk to draw the river instead)
Tell your child he/she has to cross the river, but a crocodile lives in it.
Assume the role of the crocodile and stand in the river.
The only way for your child to cross safely is for he/she to make a bridge.
Ask your child to lay down sounds to create a given word as the bridge eg. ‘pet’ as in the picture.
Suggested words (you don’t have to do them all!):
qu – quick, quit, quack, queen (sounds: qu, i, ck, t, a, ee, n)
ch – chop, chin, such, chip (sounds: ch, o, p, i, n, s, u, p)
sh – shop, ship, fish, rush, cash, shell (sounds: sh, o, p, i, p, f, r, u, c, a)
th – this, that, with, moth (sounds: th, i, s, a, t, w, m, o)
For support – try the following words:
mat, pen, pig, cat, dog, mum, dad (sounds: m, a, t, p, e, n, I, g, c, d, o, g, m, u, m, d)
For further support, just tell your child the word and ask them to sound out the word before crossing the river eg. ‘mat’ – your child tells you ‘m-a-t’.
Maths
Positional Language
Go on a hunt to find the Gingerbread Man! Of course, you could use any toy for this hunt or draw a simple picture of the Gingerbread Man.
The gingerbread man has run away but left directions of where he has gone. Your child has to follow the directions around your home or outside to find him. Use prepositions such as ‘under the table’, ‘on top of the cupboard’, ‘behind the laundry bin’ etc.
Swap roles and ask your child to hide the Gingerbread Man or toy and give you directions of where to find it.
Gingerbread Man Puppets
I have posted on the Memo section of Tapestry characters from the Gingerbread Man story. Encourage your child to develop their scissor skills cutting out the shapes, sellotape them onto a stick. You will have your very own puppets to retell the story.
Celebrating our Learning
Word webs
Story maps
Gingerbread Man cooking
Retelling the story to an audience
Reading The Gingerbread Story in my own language
Story scribing
Patterns
Sharing
Writing like a Jedi/writing in flour
Strong fingers
Thank you so much for all your Tapestry posts! You are an amazing Reception class.
