Welcome to the Doves Class!
Staff
Teacher: Rachel Hayes
TAs: Katie Harris and Aqsa Arif
Mid Day Leader: Jayne Lees
Newsletter
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
This half term, we have focused on two different stories. The first being ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?’ Where the children listened to the story, while playing in trays containing: multi-coloured cereal, pom-poms, shiny colourful paper and a mixture of visual and concrete animals. The second story, we have focused on is, ‘Pete the Cat: I love my white shoes’. During this time, they listened to the story while exploring: blue paint with blueberry scent, brown paper, white flour, red sand and water. The children really enjoyed these sessions!
The Doves have also really engaged with our thematic ‘Skill-building’ lessons, where they have developed their fine motor skills and concentration through activities such as: posting the colourful lollipop sticks and pom-poms, popping the bubble wrap rainbow and sticking coloured paper on the ‘sticky rainbow wall’. In ‘Sensory Food Play’, the children have explored different foods each week, according to their colour. For instance, one week we focused on orange foods including: peaches and apricots. Whereas, in another week we used red foods including: strawberries and apples. The children engaged with the foods by: mixing, chopping, scooping, squeezing and mashing. These opportunities have allowed them to explore and develop their tolerance of different textures, tastes and smells in a calm and happy environment.
The pupils have also participated in class-based ‘Being in Nature’ sessions, where they have used natural materials in a fun way such as: creating nature noise makers, painting with mud and exploring camomile playdough. Within our outdoor sessions, they have explored: bubbles, feathers, balloons and pinwheels, while engaging in intensive interaction with an adult. In ‘Respond-Create-Interact’, the children have enjoyed the sensory music part of the sessions, where they have: banged on a drum and watched the glitter bounce up and down, plucked the elastic bands and watched the paint splat on the paper, as well as, shook the pom-pom, glitter and dry pasta maracas.
In Physical Development, they have focused on ‘Body Awareness and Balance/Movement’. The children have loved dancing around the classroom, with ribbons and dancing in the dark with glow sticks and light-up sensory toys. In ‘Using Technology’, the children have explored ‘technology around the home’ by using a blender to make smoothies, a hairdryer to blow tissue paper into the air and an iPad to take photographs. What a wonderful half-term!
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 support activities, which you can enjoy with your child and reinforce the learning we are focusing on this half term –
Communication and Interaction
- Sing nursery rhymes with your child at home, using props to support their understanding.
- Give your child a choice between 2-3 food items, when having a snack at home.
Sensory and Physical
- Encourage your child to use their senses, to explore and have fun with different coloured foods, e.g. strawberries, apples and watermelon (red) and bananas, mango and custard (yellow).
- Take your child’s learning outdoors, either in the garden or at the park and play with items such as: bubbles, pinwheels and feathers.
Well-being
- Can your child wash and dry their hands?
- Can your child put their socks and shoes on?
- Encourage them to help you to tidy at home.
Cognition and Learning
- Listen to the stories that we will be focusing on in class:
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
Red Rockets & Rainbow Jelly
Can you say some of the words?
