On the Beach
Week 3
22nd - 26th June

In our topic work this week we have been learning about shells, creating shell patterns and using shells to create play dough snails.

   

We read the story, 'Sharing a Shell' by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks, and talked about all the things we share at nursery.

In our mathematics, we used numbered ice-cream cones to practise our careful counting by adding the corresponding number of ice-cream scoops.

  

In our phonics work, we used all the phase two letter sounds we have learnt to try and blend and read cvc words. For example; 'sit, cat, pen, sun, dog.'

We used our mark making skills to draw pictures and patterns and write our names with wax crayons. After drawing our pictures we brushed watery paint over them to reveal our wax resist magical pictures!

   

As a group, we explored the different textures of shells, using words such as 'bumpy' and 'spiky' to describe them, and then having a go at using these to create rubbings of these different shell patterns.

  

We have been experimenting with cars and a ramp to see which cars go the furthest by making the ramp higher or lower.

  

We have had lots of fun in our nursery garden learning together in our large sand pit and with water play, and building a house together with the large plastic shapes.

  

As we near the end of term, we are beginning to think about everything we have learnt and what we would like to get better at. Many of us have started to visit our new schools and Reception classes. On Friday, we had our school transition day and visited our new teachers and explored the Reception classrooms and garden.

Next week, we will begin to learn some phase 3 letter sounds in our phonics lessons and learn about sharks!

 

On the Beach
Week 2
15th - 19th June

In our Literacy lessons this week we have been reading ‘Kipper’s Beach Ball’ and stories about dads.

We learnt the letter sound ‘l for leg.’ We thought of lots of things that begin with the letter sound and practised writing the letter in our handwriting lessons.
  
We also used the interactive board to practise writing our own names and chose different colours for the letters.
 

 
In our mathematics work we have been doing lots of counting; counting each other, objects and seeing which number we can count to.

     
We have been sorting objects and making repeating patterns.
   
We used mathematical vocabulary to describe the weight of objects, saying which was heavier or lighter using the balance scales.
   
In our topic work, we have been exploring a range of different beach related materials, and using these to create a textured seaside picture!
   

In our PE lessons we have been practising tennis skills with a partner using a tennis racquet and bean bags. In our self-chosen outdoor play, we have been working together to build a wall.

  

The children have also been creating a special surprise for their dads for Father’s Day and listening to and reading stories about dads.

 
Next week, we will be revisiting all the phase 2 letter sounds and blending the sounds together to read and write words.
In our topic work we will be learning about shells.

 

On the Beach
Week 1
8th - 12th May
Holidays

This week, we began our new topic for this half term “on the beach” and we looked specifically at holidays. We read stories such as “You Choose” and “The Train Ride” to think about the different places we could go on holiday and how we would get there.

 
In our topic work, we created some transport pictures - using a variety of paint, printing and different resources to think about the different ways we could go on holiday.

    

We looked more closely at the “You Choose” book during a communication and language focus, looking at pictures and working together to discuss where we would like to go on holiday and why.

  

Working in our key worker groups, we also looked at the weather, cutting and sticking the different items we might pack in our suitcase for both warm and cold destinations.

The children have been enjoying our new 'Travel Agents' role play, and have loved dressing up to go on holiday!

 

In our maths learning, we focused on length, using the vocabulary of tall, medium and short in context. We worked both whole class and as a focus to order objects by length.

 

Our new phonic letter sound this week was “f for fan” and we used this to explore a range of new words, alongside recapping the previous sounds we have learnt to begin to look at building some early CVC words.

  

Next week, we will branch into looking at beaches & the seaside as our weekly focus, and our new phonic sound will be “l for leg”.

Living Things and Life Cycles
Week 6
18th - 22nd May
Living Things at the Farm

This week, we looked at all of the living things we saw on our trip to the farm; thinking about our favourite animals, what they look like and their families. We read lots of animal stories and sang animal songs such as 'Old McDonald's Farm' to help support our learning.

We created a poster about our favourite animal, drawing a picture and explaining why we liked them.
   

In our Understanding the World learning, we went on to paint our favourite animal using reference photos and observational drawing.

 

We also explored a matching activity, looking at a set of cards and matching farm animals to their young.

 

For maths, we looked at both counting and sequencing, having a go at counting farm animals in a picture using different concrete resources.

 

We also sequenced numbers 1-5 in a puzzle to create a farm animal photo.

 

In our phonics learning, we have been learning 'b for bag'. We have also used some of our previous letter sounds to begin to look at segmenting and blending the names of some farm animals in some early CVC writing.

After half-term, our new topic will be 'At the Seaside', looking at holidays during the first week back. We will also be moving on to the phonic sound 'f for fan'.
We hope you have a restful break and a lovely half-term.

Living Things and Lifecycles
Week 5
11th - 15th May
Human Growth & Farm Trip

This week, our focus topic was looking at the life cycle of a person, and the different stages in a human's life. To familiarise ourselves with this, we completed a sequencing activity in our Key Worker groups, and read lots of topic books - such as all 'All about Me' and 'Peace at Last'.

 

To consolidate this learning, we then had a go at independently sequencing the stages of human growth in a timeline.

   

We also had a look at our own growth, creating a class height chart and embedding our maths learning by comparing different heights together.

 

Some of us created a collage of ourselves and what we look like, and some painted our houses and the people we live with.

  
We also designed some self portraits, completed with writing our names underneath.

 

In our phonics learning, we have been learning 'h for hat'. We have also used some of our previous letter sounds to begin to look at segmenting and blending the word 'hat' as a whole.

On Friday, we enjoyed a nursery visit to Ashlyn's Farm, getting to see and learn about all sorts of different animals, including; pumas, meerkats, wallabies, reptiles, zebras, an ostrich and lots more!

  

This will create the foundation for our focus topic activities next week, as we begin to explore the living things we saw at the farm. We will also learn the sound 'b for bag'.

Living Things and Life-Cycles
Week 4
5th - 8th May
Seeds and Plants

This week, our focus topic has been the life cycle of a plant. We had a go at sequencing and singing the life cycle, and read lots of stories to further our learning.

    

This week in our phonics and literacy lessons we have been reading and writing the letter ‘r for rat.’ We used our known letter sounds to try and read and write the word, ‘rat’ by segmenting and blending the letter sounds.

To support our use of this sound, we used a variety of materials to make our own rabbits.

 

We also practised our handwriting skills, neatly writing our names on our Mini Marathon certificates to celebrate all the running we did last week!

 

Our topic work has included; planting sunflower or runner bean seeds and learning how to look after and care for them.

 

We also released the rest of our butterflies into our nursery garden.

We painted beautiful sunflowers, carefully choosing the correct colours.

In our mathematics work we used 2-D shapes to create our own flowers and measured the heights of different sunflower pictures using cubes.

 

Next week, we will be learning the letter sound, ‘h for hat’ and talking about human growth.      

Living Things and Life-Cycles
Week 3
27th April - 1st May

Chicks and Chickens
This week, we have been learning more about the life-cycle of a chicken and continuing to observe and hold our seven nursery chicks.
Everyone had the opportunity to hold one of the chicks.

    

    

We used a computer programme to sequence the three different stages of the chicken life-cycle.

    

We mixed play dough and used this to create the different life-cycle stages of a chicken working in groups.

    

We used different sized circles, paper pieces, pens and sticky eyes to create our own chick and chicken pictures.

    

In our phonics lessons we have been reading and writing the letter u and it’s letter sound.
We have been practising our name writing.

    

In our maths lessons, we have been counting, recognising and sequencing numbers to ten.

    

Our first five butterflies emerged from their cocoons, and we released them into the nursery garden.

  

   
We all had fun running around the school field and took part in the mini-marathon.

    
Next week, our letter sound will be, ‘r for rat.’ We will be learning about seeds and plant growth.

 

 

Living Things and Life-Cycles
Week 2: 20th - 24th April
Frogs 🐸

This week, we were excited to see our caterpillars hanging from the lid in their pots inside their cocoons!

 

We also took delivery of some chicken eggs in an incubator. We are waiting very patiently for the chicks to hatch and have been watching them closely for any signs of the chicks hatching.

  

We have also been learning about the life-cycle of a frog and sequencing pictures showing the five stages of a frog life-cycle from frogspawn to tadpoles, tadpoles with tails and frogs with tails finally changing into frogs.

  

We also spent some time completing some other frog-themed activities, exploring a slimy frog habitat sensory tray and painting/creating our own frogs using shapes.

  

In our mathematics lessons we have been finding lots of different ways to make five to develop a greater understanding of numbers and quantity. The children have been learning to group objects and subitise; to recognise a group of five without counting.

    

In our literacy lessons we have been learning the letter sound ‘e for elephant’ and practising reading and writing letter e.

Next week, we will be continuing to learn about life-cycles, and hope to release our butterflies into the nursery garden.
We hope the eggs will continue to hatch and we will be able to watch and hold the chicks before they go to their new home.
Our new letter sound will be ‘u for umbrella.’

Welcome to the Summer Term.
Our topic this term is Living Things and Life-Cycles.
Week 1 - Caterpillars and Butterflies
13th - 17th April

This week we have been reading the story, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle and other caterpillar stories.

We have been observing our real living tiny caterpillars and can’t wait to see them grow and their metamorphosis into butterflies.

As part of this, we have been talking about the different stages of a caterpillar's life cycle, and putting this process into order.

 

We printed shapes and patterns on one side of a butterfly’s wings, folded them in half to print and create our own beautiful symmetrical butterflies.

  

  
We also used 2D shapes to continue our focus on symmetry and create a large symmetrical butterfly.             
We printed a repeating pattern to make our own caterpillars.

   

We retold the story of the Very Hungry Caterpillar by sequencing pictures from the story, and counting out the different amounts of fruit from each day.

  

We have been continuing our phase 2 phonics and learnt a new letter sound, ‘k for key.’

  

In our 'My Happy Mind' learning, we have been following our characters through different stories, songs and activities; learning about both what makes a good friend and how to be a good listener.

 

Next week, we are continuing to learn about different life cycles; continuing to watch how our caterpillars grow and receiving an exciting delivery of some chick eggs! We will be continuing to recap all of our previous phonic letter sounds, alongside our new sound, which will be 'e for elephant'