Welcome to the Woodpeckers Class!
Staff
Teacher: Rayann Ball
TAs: Katie Robson, Courtney Collinson and Emma Dixon
Mid Day Leader: Sophie Clayton
Newsletter
Hairy, Scary Beast
Happy new year to all our families – it has been yet another fun & busy half term! This half term, our topic was ‘Hairy, Scary, Beast’ and we focused our learning activities around the story The Three Little Pigs. The children have enjoyed listening to our sensory story where they have been exploring multi-sensory resources including straw, twigs, and bricks; not to forget about the hairdryer disguised as a big bad wolf! The children have been developing their listening and attention skills during story time and have enjoyed watching the houses get blown away by the wolf!
During our skill building sessions, we have been developing our fine motor skills with the use of bricks; big bricks, small bricks, and light box bricks. The children have worked had to develop their co-ordination, problem solving-skills and patience as they learn to manipulate bricks and secure them in place to build towers and houses.
This half term we have continued with parachute games for our physical development session; this has been a huge success, and I am pleased to say that the children are all sitting on their chairs in the hall and attending the session with increased focus and patience as they wait for their turn!! Well done! The children have enjoyed taking turns sitting on and under the parachute whilst being sang to!
During sensory food exploration sessions, we have been exploring a variety of foods that relate to our story, for example: Twiglets & breadsticks, pink foods such as milkshakes and angel delight, and cereals including porridge & Weetabix. Our sensory food exploration session is a great opportunity for the children to build their tolerances of new tastes, textures and smells and we are starting to see progress in all children in the Woodpeckers. Some children are beginning to taste new foods, whilst others are learning to touch and smell different foods.
The weather has dictated our ‘Being in Nature’ sessions this half term so we have been utilising both outdoor spaces and classroom to access nature sessions. We were lucky to experience snow together this half term and the children were delighted to step outside with their wellies on and feel the cold sensation as we rolled snowballs. We have accessed nature sessions in class by exploring water play with ducks & frogs, sand play with acorns & twigs and chocolate mud sensory trays with bugs. This has been a nice time to relax, listen to nature music and follow a child-led, sensory exploration session.
Well done Woodpeckers’ children – everyone has worked hard as always! Have a safe & happy half term break.
Rayann, Courtney, Jess & Caris. 😊
Signalong
At Kingfisher we use Signalong as a part of a Total Communication Approach, we are constantly using core vocabulary with the children to support their language development and then through each of our topics we introduce new signs and language, which extends their vocabulary further. We also have two “Signs of the Week” which helps maintain and extend key knowledge and skills of everyday vocabulary.
Each half term we will be creating a short video showcasing and demonstrating signs relavent for the current term so that you can learn the signs and further this learning at home.
Click play to watch this half terms Signalong video!
Lunchtime
If your child has a school dinner, the school menus can be accessed by clicking here. For children who bring a packed lunch, please remember to provide healthy and balanced options. We are a Healthy School and will be focusing on healthy eating and how children can make healthy lifestyle choices.
How You Can Help at Home
Below are suggested appropriate homework activities for you and your child to engage in at home.
Communication
- Encourage your child to make choices from a given selection. This could be choosing a snack or a favourite toy. Will they reach or guide you to what they want?
- Engage in ‘Play’ with your child. This includes sitting alongside your child and mirroring their ‘play’
- Engage in ‘Intensive interaction’ by copying their actions and vocalisations during ‘Play’
- Provide opportunities for your child to request ‘Help’ or ‘Support’, i.e., Allow them to open a bottle or activate a toy; will they bring the item to you to request help?
Cognition & Learning
In this half-term, our topic is ‘Hairy Scary Beast,’ we will explore various activities alongside our sensory story, ‘3 Little Pigs. ‘ You can support your child by:
- Watch our story on YouTube ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’.
- Read some stories together before bed; if this is inappropriate, watch some YouTube bedtime stories.
- Explore fruits & vegetables, allowing your child to touch, smell & taste at their own desire.
- Practice posting activities, including posting dried pasta into empty water bottles.
- Practice threading activities, including posting shoe laces into holes and threading beads onto straws/pipe cleaners.
Wellbeing
- Encourage your child to carry out personal care routines with your support i.e., tooth brushing, hand washing, face washing etc.
- Support your child in dressing/undressing themselves in the morning, including putting their coat & shoes on.
- Encourage your child at mealtimes and use cutlery, if appropriate. Perhaps they will use a plastic spoon? Could you guide them to use a fork to pick up their food?
Sensory & Physical
We will focus on movement during this half-term during our Physical Development sessions. You can help your child by:
- Get some Wellies on and take a walk in the local park. (Foxdenton Park is local to the school)
- Explore bubbles in the garden and encourage your child to reach up and pop them.
- Practice balancing and climbing on appropriate equipment.
- Encourage your child to crawl through tunnels, step over things, balance on equipment, etc.