Welcome to the Woodpeckers Class!
Staff
Teacher: Rayann Ball
TAs: Katie Robson, Courtney Collinson and Emma Dixon
Mid Day Leader: Sophie Clayton
Newsletter
Food Glorious Food
The Woodpeckers have had a brilliant half term together and have enjoyed our topic ‘Food, Glorious food’. We focused our learning around The hungry caterpillar and used this to incorporate our skill building sessions, sensory story and sensory play! The children loved our sensory story, where we explored caterpillar toys, leaves, different foods from the story and colourful cellophane to represent the butterfly!
We have been playing with water with different fruits during our sensory play sessions. The children had fun squeezing, scooping, and dropping the fruits in the water to create a splash! We have been working hard to develop our play skills during this session. The children have been learning to share resources, play alongside their peers and experience playful opportunities with other children and staff.
During our physical development session, we used a range of equipment in the hall to develop our gross motor skills, particularly in terms of balance and awareness of space. The children have been encouraged to crawl through tunnels, walk along a balance bench and sit on the wheely board whilst an adult pulls them around the hall.
We have been developing our fine motor skills in our skill building sessions this half term. During 1:1 sessions with the teacher, the children worked hard to learn how to post things into containers, manipulate small objects, and complete a shape sorting toy. The children have made great progress and have shown some resilience as they have worked hard to complete tasks with adult support and some independently!
Have a wonderful easter break, everyone – stay safe, be happy and enjoy some quality time with your families 😊
Rayann, Courtney, Dave & 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.
