This Term's Learning

Spring 1 Curriculum Newsletter

Welcome back to Term 3 in Nursery!

This term we will be welcoming a few more new children into our nursery. All the children currently in Nursery have got used to the routines and are beginning to become more independent in the nursery. We are looking forward to some hopefully warmer weather in the next few weeks to be able to be outside more and use our outside space for our engineering focus this term.

STEAM

This term our STEAM focus is Engineering. We will be looking at how to build a variety of different objects and how we can plan before we build. There will be stories we are using to support our engineering, including The Three Little Pigs, where the children will be looking at how to plan and build their own houses and what material is best. Another of the stories will be Goldilocks and the Three Bears and following this story the children will be developing their engineering skills and helping baby bear to fix his chair. Three Billy Goats Gruff will support our final STEAM showcase build which will be a bridge that will stand up unsupported. Using these stories will support the children in developing their understanding of what an engineer is and what their job entails. We will be encouraging all the children to become engineers themselves next term and create and build all kinds of creations!

The areas of learning and development

There are seven areas of learning and development in the Early Years Foundation Stage. All areas of learning and development are important and inter-connected. Three areas are particularly important for building a foundation for igniting children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving.

These are the Prime areas:

• Communication and language: the number and quality of the conversations they have with adults and peers throughout the day in a language-rich environment is crucial. By commenting on what children are interested in or doing and echoing back what they say with new vocabulary added, practitioners will build children's language effectively. Reading frequently to children, and engaging them actively in stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems, and then providing them with extensive opportunities to use and embed new words in a range of contexts, will give children the opportunity to thrive.
• Physical development: Physical activity is vital in children’s all-round development, enabling them to pursue happy, healthy and active lives. Gross and fine motor experiences develop incrementally throughout early childhood, starting with sensory explorations and the development of a child’s strength, co-ordination and positional awareness.
• Personal, social and emotional development: PSED is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives and is fundamental to their cognitive development. Underpinning their personal development are the important attachments that shape their social world. Strong, warm and supportive relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others.

We also support children in four specific areas, through which the three prime areas are strengthened and applied. The specific areas are:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

This term we will be exploring the following principles within each of the specific areas:

Literacy	Beginning to be aware of the way stories are structured and tell own stories. To talk about principal characters and events in the stories they listen to. Recognising familiar words and signs, such as own name. Making up stories, play scenarios, and drawings in responses to experiences.
Mathematics	Children will gain confidence in counting forwards as well as backwards from 0-5 Children will show an interest in shape and will be learning the 2D shape names for a square, rectangle, circle and triangle to create designs with these shapes. The children will be using language of position and direction while building this term. Children will be learning to order objects by length
Understanding the world	Children will explore the differences between materials and changes they notice. Developing positive attitudes about the differences between people.
Expressive Arts and Design: exploring media and materials	Children will explore construction materials and make a variety of objects with these they will discover that enclosed spaces can create 3D structures Children will select materials they want to use for a house, chair and bridge. Children will experiment with joining materials together and learn how to do this effectively

Reading

It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading. Reading consists of two dimensions: language comprehension and word reading. Language comprehension (necessary for both reading and writing) starts from birth. It only develops when adults talk with children about the world around them and the books (stories and non-fiction) they read with them, and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together.

Our Read Write Inc phonic scheme starts in nursery with the children beginning to learn the rhymes that match the letters. Please look on our website for these.

This term we will be continuing to build the foundations to early phonics by teaching children to discriminate sounds, including environmental, musical, body percussion and voice sounds. At this stage in children’s development, rhythm, rhyme and alliteration are very important, so do please read lots of Nursery Rhymes at home to support our work in class.

We are very excited to be continuing ‘Talk through stories’ this term, which provides the opportunity for children to really explore key texts, understand the principle of the story, learn new vocabulary and explore new characters. Each week we focus on one key text which the children will become very familiar with.

Our literacy key texts for this will be:

• Hugless Douglas
• The Three Little Pigs
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears
• A Little Bit Brave
• The Three Billy Goat Gruffs
• The Bear and the Piano

Please ensure that you find daily opportunities to read to your child and support them on their journey to becoming a reader.

Key Dates

• Friday 10^th February – Break up for half term

If you have any concerns, please come and speak to us. We tend to have more time at the end of the day as our priority in the morning is to settle the children and begin our learning.

Thank you for your continued support – we are looking forward to sharing your child’s achievements with you at the upcoming parents’ meetings and continuing to capture their learning through Tapestry observations.

Mrs Holt
Nursery Teacher