Welcome to the Canaries Class!
Staff
Teacher: Aminah Choudhury
TAs: Adele Berry, Madiha Bahar and Carrie Clay
Mid Day Leader: Jane Lees
Newsletter
Ticket to Ride
This half term we have had lots of fun learning about the topic “Ticket to Ride.”
In Early Maths we have explored magnetic numbers identifying numbers 1-10 and some of us have even ordered them correctly and been able to find the number asked by an adult forwards and backwards. We have also engaged in number songs on Helpkidz learn supporting number recognition and counting. We have continued to explore 2D and 3D shapes and matched 2D shapes onto different pattern cards. When an adult has asked for more bricks we have been practising giving more bricks/blocks or shapes to an adult as well.
In Early English our sensory story has been Train Ride. We are getting very good at sitting in a group and listening to an adult read the story out aloud using the props to help. We have been matching the real life animals to the images in the book and tried making the noises that the animals make. We have also done our weekly sessions of Move and Mark getting us ready for early writing skills. We have been going to the library in small groups and enjoy looking at books we individually choose and then sitting and listening to an adult read a story. We have used play mats and communication books to communicate too.
In Creative Development we have started using a new music tool called Charanga. The Canaries are good at sitting and choosing what instrument they want and playing fast/slow/loud/quiet and stopping and starting too. We have been practising using a knife to spread different foods such as tomato puree onto tortillas and margarine onto toast. We have also looked at all the different colours in the rainbow and used different tools such as dabbers, splatters, rollers, Perspex, our hands and fingers when making Eid and Father’s Day cards.
In our Understanding the World sessions we have had opportunities to explore the jungle area being out in nature looking at leaves, trees, twigs, soil and any flowers we have found. We celebrated the Muslim festival Eid Ul Adha looking at henna patterns and trying foods eaten on Eid. We explored the beautiful clothes worn and the lovely prayer mats. We love our weekly iPad sessions too exploring different apps. We also took part in Sports Week activities too which was lots of fun.
In Physical development we have been riding the tricycles and some of us on a 2-wheeler bike, soft play using our gross motor skills, swimming and used the studio to practise our simple dance skills.
We hope you have a lovely relaxing and peaceful break!
The Canaries Team
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.
You can view this half terms signalong video below:
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
The following activities are suggested as appropriate homework activities which you can enjoy with your child. We want homework to be fun and easy to complete here are some ideas of things to do at home;
- Challenge me to use my directed form of communication and if I can do this, ask school what I need to do next. – This refers to the guidelines from speech and language therapy (SALT)
- Support me in my play and allow me to play with toys which suit my skill level- not my age level, this might be sensory or physical play.
- Always encourage my independence; allow me to undress myself and to dress myself. I need to be able to fasten my own clothes, zips, buttons and Velcro on my shoes.
- When I’m spending time with family and friends who are a similar age to me, help me to interact with them for a short time.
- Encourage me to share my toys with any siblings I have.
- Notice the little things that I do which are amazing or new and tell my teacher- maybe I can practise this again at school and then become even better at it!
Topic related- “Myths, On the Move”
- Share or watch the story Travelling By, By Barefoot books (this is our story this half term).
- Make marks using chalk and maybe handprints drawing around hands.
- Move our bodies in different ways such as jumping, hopping and striding.
- Move our arms to the song the wheels on the bus using circular motions as wheels.
