We hope that you enjoyed the weekend (as much as we can at the moment!) and enjoyed a break from screens and work responsibilities. We love to see your photos and read your emails so please make sure you send us one each week. scholesf1@spherefederation.org
This week, our learning is going to be based on a book that lots of families will already be familiar with, ‘Dear Zoo’ written by Rod Campbell. We’ve saved all of this week’s remote learning ideas to a pdf – we thought that this might be an easier way for some people to view them.
Reading
- Before you read the book, ask the children if they are familiar with it. Have they read it before? Can they remember what the story is about?
- If you have a copy of the book, as you’re reading, pause each time for children to guess what animal is next.
- Listen to the story a few times and encourage your child to join in with the words that are repeated. Once they’re familiar with the book, use the pictures to have a go at retelling the story using the repeated pattern of words. “So they sent me a_____. He was too ____. I sent him back.”
- What do you think would be a good pet to have? Why? Can you think of any animals that wouldn’t make a good pet?
Phonics
Listening to rhymes and being able to keep a simple beat are all important elements of our Phase One phonics teaching in Nursery. Here’s a new rhyme to learn all about going to the Zoo. Watch this video and join in with drumming the beat at home. You’ll need something to bang like a drum so see what you can find at home, a pan/box and wooden spoon work well!
1,2 We’re going to the zoo.
3,4 crocodiles by the door.
5,6 Monkeys doing tricks!
7,8 Lions at the gate.
9,10 Elephant’s stomping in his pen.
Do you remember our ‘Guess the animal’ Key Worker game? Here’s another one for you to try; we need to keep practising our listening skills!
Mark-Making
- Have a go at drawing your own pet or an animal that you would like to have as a pet. Think carefully about what it looks like. Does it have big, floppy ears? Does it have legs?
- In the Key Worker video this week, some of the teachers have drawn patterns on a snake. Draw a snake outline yourself, or ask a grown up to help, and have a go at adding your own patterns. Will it be a spotty or stripy snake?
- You could have a go at making your own ‘Dear Zoo’ book. Draw some pictures of different animals (or print some pictures if you prefer and have a printer) and then cut out some flaps to stick over them. Have a go at telling your own version of the story! We’d love to see it – send us a photo or video of you reading your book.
Mathematics
Do you remember learning about shapes during our ‘Zog’ themed week? This week, we’re going to continue learning about shapes. First, watch this shape video to remind yourself of the names and properties (such as the number of sides and corners) of the basic 2D shapes (circle, square, rectangle and triangle). Then, draw one of each of the shapes on a piece of paper and go on a shape hunt around your house.
- Can you find each of the shapes? If you find more than one, you could put a tick or tally on your sheet. Which shape did you find the most of? We’d love to see some photographs of the shapes that you find.
- Next time you go for a walk, try and spot some shapes along the way. What shape are the road signs?
Extension ideas
– Have a go at feeding the ‘shape monsters’ on this Topmarks game.
– Do you remember creating a repeating colour pattern? Ask a grown up to help cut out some different shapes. Have a go at creating a repeating shape pattern with just 2 shapes. Circle, square, circle, square, circle…. What would come next?
– In Nursery, we often use different objects to investigate what shape they make when we dip them in paint and print with them. Find some objects (eg. a tin, Duplo brick, a small cardboard box – like a toothpaste box) and pour a bit of paint onto a plate. Dip the object in and then print with it! What shape can you see? (You could use these to print a repeating pattern, too.) Are there any shapes that are tricky to find?
Creative
- What is your favourite animal from the story? Have a go at making it using boxes and other recycling materials that you may have.
- In the story, each of the animals was delivered in a different shaped box or container. Find your favourite animal toy and have a go at making it a home. What would it need to be comfortable? What size and shape would it need to be?
- If you have some toy animals, you could make your own small world area. You might use Duplo bricks or you could go outside and collect some leaves, sticks and pebbles to add to a tray or an empty shoebox.
https://entertainyourtoddler.com/safari-small-world-play/ – Photo credit
- Here’s another of the songs that we enjoy listening to before lunch time – Walking through the jungle.
Understanding the World
- Have you ever been to a safari park or zoo? What did you see? Whilst it’s not possible to visit animals at the moment, you could watch some snippets from the virtual tours on Chester Zoo’s website and find out about meerkats and giraffes. (The information from the Keeper is quite tricky for Nursery children, but your child may enjoy just watching and talking to you about the animals they can see in the video). In Nursery, we often talk to children about why some animals are looked after in wildlife parks and where the animals would normally live, in their natural habitats.
- In the ‘Dear Zoo’ story, the boy wanted a pet. Do you have a pet? If you have a pet, talk about how you look after it and what it needs to be healthy. If you don’t have a pet, which animal would be a good pet for your family? Would you be able to look after a pet and give it everything that it needs?
- Are you ready for some quiet time? Find out about different pets in an episode of My Pet and Me.
Physical Development
Fiddly Fingers
We’re going to make our own snakes in this activity, so you’ll need some small strips of paper and some glue. Show your child the picture and talk about how to make the snake. Look carefully at how the body is made. They might remember making paper chain decorations in Nursery before Christmas.
Make a paper chain, linking each strip of paper together and then make a head to add on at the end. How long will your snake be? Linking the paper strips is a great way to get your child moving their fingers and hands to increase dexterity.
Movement
We love to have a good boogie at Nursery and dancing is a great way to get us all moving in different ways! Join in with the Animal Boogie at home and have a go at some of the actions.
Movement play is really important in Early Years; it helps children to develop and strengthen connections between their body and brain. These connections lay important foundations for children’s future learning and development. We encourage all kinds of movement in Nursery, including crawling like animals and laying on the floor to slither like snakes – just as this song encourages children to do!
Independence skills
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been trying to encourage you to help your child to become more independent, ready for their return to Nursery. We’ve been practising getting our coats on and fastening zips, putting on our own gloves and how to blow our own nose. This week, we’d like you to have a go at putting on and taking off your own shoes. This is where Velcro or elasticated fastenings make it much easier!
If your child is already confident at doing this, can they put their own socks on? Have a go and see!
Key Worker activity and videos
For this week’s Key Worker activity, you’ll need some paper to draw your own snake or a snake outline and some crayons or colouring pencils/pens. Watch the video to see how each of the teachers draws a different pattern onto the snake’s body. When you’ve finished watching, have a go at your own.
Key Worker video – Snake patterns
Here’s another activity for you to join in with – you’ll need two wooden spoons or utensils. It’s a song you might already know, all about ‘Going to the zoo’ and afterwards, you can learn some signs for some of the animals that you might see if you went on a trip to the zoo!
Key Worker song- Going to the zoo
Friday Story Time
This week’s story time is with Mrs Gosper. She’s going to read ‘What a Mess!’ by Adria Meserve. Find a comfy spot to sit and enjoy the story!
Zoom sessions (for children learning at home)
This week, we’re going to do a ‘Scavenger hunt’ with the children. They’ll need to listen carefully to what they have to find and may need a bit of support to go and find the item and to return to the camera to show us.