Signs of spring - Make a list of the things that spring is:
List 1: What things LOOK spring?
List 2: What things SOUND spring?
List 3: What things SMELL spring?
List 4: How does spring FEEL ?
List 5: What makes YOU FEEL spring?
List 6: What things TASTE spring?
List 7: What EXPERIENCES or IDEAS
seem spring?

Ask the learners to write a response to the list - and discuss their observation of spring.

Design and then keep a weather diary for the week: when you wake up and when you go to bed.

Go on a mini-beast hunt outside your home : draw or record what you find. The children can discuss the beasts and
bugs they find - and why they are shaped the way they are.

Research, learn and prepare to teach others in school a game that your gran, parents or neighbours used to play.

https://www.tes.com/teachingresource/hunt-insect-hunt-6123653

Thursday 26th March

I am sure you are all working very hard at home but it is still important to stay connected. Make some time to network as parents and find a way to facilitate a virtual play date with another child. Children need time with their peers. They could share some of the work they have done with each other to encourage their friends or simply chat with each other at an age appropriate level. It's important that our children don't feel isolated.

Always monitor your child while they are accessing the internet and stay safe online following our internet safety rules.

Have fun connecting this week.

Wednesday 25th

I have been a fan of The Imagination Tree for years and there are lots of great activities based around play and making learning fun. Please have a little look. They also have lots of activities that lend themselves to the outdoors. I will be sharing some of the activities I think are helpful soon.

https://theimaginationtree.com/stay-at-home-survival-guide/

Wednesday 25th March

Good Morning All

The Pope has asked that we all stop what we are doing today and pray The Our Father at 11am (which will be midday in Rome where he is).

Please try and join us as we pray for an end to this virus. I hope you are all well and look forward to seeing you soon.

Mrs Bruce

Here are some activities from the scouts. They are appropriate for children from 6 years old but I think our children would get a lot out of these activities with adult supervision.

https://www.scouts.org.uk/the-great-indoors/

Expressive Art and Design and Personal Social and Emotional Development activity

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-51988671

Talk to your child about spreading messages of hope. Explain that this may bring a smile to a NHS worker or a key worker on their way to work.

Use whatever you have in the house to make the rainbow. This can include recycled packaging or materials from your craft box. (Please don't go out to buy resources for this activity)

Additional activities -

Talk about an easy way to remember the colours of a rainbow. Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vein for Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Indigo, Violet.
Sing the rainbow song.
Learn the Makaton signs for colours and add it to the song. (This is something I have already been working on with Class Reception)
Talk about your favourite colour.
Go on a colour hunt around the house. Can you find something that is red...green...blue?
Make a banner with an inspirational phrase.
Talk to the children about the work we did as part of Children's Mental Health week called 'Find your Brave' https://www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk/

Ongoing tasks

Try to work on one or two of these ongoing tasks every day for 10 minutes.

Practical/ life skills are just as important as academic tasks.

Fastening buttons. You can do this on a shirt but you can also try this out on a quilt cover. In Year 1 children will be expected to become more independent when getting changed.
Tie shoe laces. This is a very important skill for the future and when children can do this it saves a lot of learning time.
Getting dressed independently. This can take time to begin with but it gets easier every day.
Pencil grip and finger gym activities. These are tasks that build the muscles in your child's hand and helps them to grip a pencil.
Reading a book. This can be you reading to your child or your child reading to you.
Play a short game. For example, snap, eye spy, domino's, bingo, hopscotch.
Mathematics Money - Recognise coins and their value. Talk about the differences between the coins. Order them from most to least in value.
Mathematics time - Children can get very confused when they are out of their ordinary routine. Talk about regular activities in the day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Talk about when it's bath time, TV time, story time and bedtime. Make a visual timetable and set out pictures of these events to display the passing of time.

Planning overview

Spring 2 Term Planning Overview 2020 update.pdf

Spelling Shed

Hi there everyone

I've added new assignments to spelling shed today. We can recap individual graphemes sh, ch, th and ng or if you would like a bigger challenge there are 2 lists of grapheme combos. These are a mixture of graphemes to really test your phonics skills. Have fun.

We are currently 6th in the league but I'm sure you will smash it this week.

Reading books

Some parents have contacted me regarding reading books. Obviously children will not be able to change their books but this website offers free ebooks for parents. You do have to register but it is free.

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/

Free Home Learning Resources

Twinkl is a great place to find resources to keep our little ones busy. They have just made all of their resources free for parents due to school closures.

Follow the link https://www.twinkl.co.uk/offer

Use the offer code UKTWINKLHELPS

You need to enter your email address and make a password. In the section occupation select parent.

This has lots of home learning packs.

Carol Vorderman's maths school link - this is now free to join until schools re-open

Why not learn maths with Carol? Lots of suitable resources for 4-11.

Click the link below to register.

https://www.themathsfactor.com/

David Walliams - listen to audio books

Elevenses with The World of David Walliams - click the link below to listen to free audio books.

https://www.worldofdavidwalliams.com/elevenses/

Audible by Amazon - Stories help. They entertain. They teach. They keep young minds active, alert and engage.

For as long as schools are closed, we're open. Starting today, kids everywhere can instantly stream an incredible collection of stories, including titles across six different languages, that will help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids.
All stories are free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet.
Explore the collection, select a title and start listening. It's that easy.

https://stories.audible.com/start-listen

BBC Bitesize

Lots of games and short videos for you to enjoy.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/primary

BBC Teach

BBC Teach is a website that is home to thousands of free curriculum-mapped videos, arranged by age-group and subject.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach

Useful links to Google

Join Theo Michaels from Master Cheif

Theo Michaels from Master Chief – Kids cook live with Theo – Monday/Wednesday/Friday at 4pm.

Join Jamie for online cooking

Jamie Oliver is also on every night at 5.30pm on channel 4 for online cooking.

Join Joe for PE everyday

Joe Wicks at 9am everyday and get active.

Join Ben Fogle for Wilderness and Survival everyday at 4pm

Phonics

We have been working through Phase 3 in Phonics.

Last week we looked at sentence substitution. It's a fun way to encourage children to read. It builds on a range of vocabulary they are familiar with. They can also change parts of the sentence. Talk about whether the sentence makes sense.

https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/

This is where you will find the phonics activities. I'll share the objective with you and then you can find the matching activity here.

Stay active

https://safeYouTube.net/w/vT72

Cosmic kids yoga is also a great way to improve muscle tone and balance.

In class we have been making stories in the small world area using the farm animals.

In music lessons our unit on charanga also links to Nursery rhymes.

https://family.gonoodle.com/

While children may be indoors for extended periods its important to have short brain breaks and stay active.

This is a good way to keep children moving. It also works to improve children's physical development and coordination.

Try to use one or two videos a day.

The children have enjoyed a gonoodle video called milkshake already at school.

Irregular words

https://safeYouTube.net/w/nR72

https://safeYouTube.net/w/XR72

Here are two videos I use daily with the children as part of their phonics lesson. Please share this with your children daily.

Pick one or two words a day to write and spell with your child.

(youtube videos will be shared using safetube so that children are not exposed to adverts)

Dear parents, I will be posting daily short videos and activities on class dojo and the school website from Monday. All children already have a work book to record their activities in. I understand that this could be a difficult time for families and any work you do with your children is a bonus. I am here to support and guide you through this. I will also put activities on our class page in case any parents do not have access to class dojo. Please feel free to message me photos of your child’s work if it is something they are particularly proud of. Thank you for your continued cooperation.

Praying at home.pdf

Collective worship every Monday at 9 am

Collective Worships Youth Team at the NDCYS.pdf

Supermovers Physical activities linked to curriculum areas

Forest School ideas for home learning

Library Swap Fridays letter.pdf