Welcome to Nursery! 

The first few weeks have been very exciting in Nursery. The children are settling in well and have enjoyed taking their time to learn their way around their new classroom, both inside and outside! Here are some of the exciting things we have been getting up to so far this year!

Communication and Language

Autumn 1

This half term our focus is settling in and learning how to use our classroom sensibly and safely. During the last couple of weeks, the children have been getting familiar with being around and communicating with other children in their play, as well as sitting on the carpet and using their listening ears and looking eyes to enjoy stories and songs in carpet times. We particularly enjoy our music lessons every Thursday morning with Claire, where we are learning to join in to music with shakers!

We have listened to many stories so far and particularly enjoyed our key text ‘So Much’. We really enjoyed using the actions in the story and showing baby how we would like to greet him!

The children loved bringing in photographs from home and sharing them with their friends and teachers to talk about who is in their family!

Physical Development

Autumn 1

This half term, the children will be developing their gross and fine motor skills by climbing on different equipment in our outdoor area. We have made obstacle courses out of tyres, crates and balance beams and have been practising how to take turns on these to keep everyone safe.

The children have already taken part in lots of fine motor activities which allow the children to strengthen their finger muscles ready for writing activities later in the year. The children have been manipulating playdough, lego and using looped scissors to cut card.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Autumn 1

The first few weeks in Nursery has involved the children getting to know unfamiliar faces and feeling safe and secure in a new setting. We have been using the visual timetable for children to become familiar with the daily routine and we have played name games to get to know each other in fun ways. We are all learning to tidy up and look after our classroom!

In freeflow, children are starting to initiate play with others by building towers and making food together in our kitchen! We are focusing with the children on using simple words and phrases when they may want something or feel frustrated.

Maths

Autumn 1

This term we are learning counting songs to 5, such as 5 Little Ducks, 5 Green Bottles, and 5 Little Monkeys. Ask your child if they can share these songs with you. We have also been exploring with early concepts of shape and pattern by building with different shapes blocks and beginning to recognise and sort using colours.

Literacy 

Autumn 1

Our core texts this term are ‘So Much’, ‘What Makes Me Me’ and ‘The Leaf Thief’. We share these regularly with the children at carpet times and use the stories to influence our play and learning around the classroom to develop the children’s language and understanding of the world.

Reading

Autumn 1 

We love stories, and the children are all read with in small groups at least once a week in Nursery. They have loved remembering the words in some of their favourite stories and beginning to sing or speak them when enjoying a book by themselves during their independent play.

Every Tuesday we send the children home with a new sharing book which the children pick with a teacher. Please read this at home with your child and sign their record to let us know how they enjoyed the story!