Welcome to the Chaffinches Class!
Staff
Teacher: Lauren Whitehead
TAs: Lindy Cartwright, Nafisa Choudhury and Neve Gilraine
Mid Day Leader: Elaine Owens
Newsletter
Ticket to Ride
Another fab half term in what has been a great year for the Chaffinches!
As part of the topic ‘Ticket to Ride’ we have enjoyed listening to the story we all go travelling by. We have then responded to the story by exploring different vehicles in different sensory materials. Developing our ability to independently engage with the world around us. We also developed different skills such as our understanding of cause and effect, we loved sending the cars down the tube and watching them land in the different materials!
We have engaged really well with our skills building sessions this half term. Working on lots of different skills such as our engagement with adult led tasks and our fine motor skills. We have been engaging with lots of different resources and activities such as the shape sorters, the floor keyboard and the peg boards.
In our wellbeing sessions we have been exploring different strategies and activities that help us to self-regulate and to feel happy. Our favourite strategies have been using a foot spa, having a massage or using the hammock!
Thank you so much for a fantastic year. It has been lovely to see you all learn and grow this year. We wish you all the best as you all continue your journeys next year.
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
- Our story is That’s not my Car and train, if you have any stories, you can read them with your child at home.
- Let your children explore different materials and let them feel them.
- Encourage your child to make marks with pens, crayons and even sensory materials like cocoa powder or porridge oats at home.
- Immerse your child in numbers and embed this into their daily lives e.g. counting as you walk up the stairs.
- Play with your child and try to tap into their imaginary play skills.
- Immerse your child in language and talk to them/encourage them to talk to you throughout the day. Get them to ask for items and ask for ‘more’ if they enjoy things.
- Try to say ‘finished’ when an activity is over and see if your child can accept this and listen to your instruction.
- Ask your child to get things e.g. get a drink or get some food and see if they can follow the instructions that you ask.
- Play with musical instruments at home and play music for your children to dance to and enjoy.
- Make musical instruments at home e.g. guitars with elastic bands and tissue boxes or shakers with rice and bottles.
- Use technology with your children where appropriate.
- Use cause and effect toys with your child so they know if they press something on a toy, something else will happen.
