• Home-learning

Welcome to Nursery!

Autumn 2024

Welcome to our new children. We are excited to begin a new adventure together. 

Meet the staff

Mrs Atherton       Mrs. Johns          Mrs Murphy

The EYFS curriculum has the following core aspects:

• Communication and Language
• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World 
• Expressive Arts and Design

Children are given opportunities indoors and outdoors to explore new ideas, engage in problem-solving activities and learn to be more independent.

In nursery we follow a story based curriculum. We have a story of the week and all our learning is based around and linked to this story. We like to choose stories that have rhyme, alliteration or repeated refrains as these allow the children to join in quickly.

 Below is a list of suggested stories that you might like to share - Lots of these can be found on YouTube.

• The Hungry Caterpillar
• Owl Babies
• Stickman
• The Gruffalo
• The Gruffalo’s Child
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
• Superworm
• The Rainbow Fish
• Handa’s Surprise
• The Naughty Bus
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what do you see?

 We also cover popular Fairytales, including;

• Goldilocks and the Three Bears
• Little Red Riding Hood
• Jack and the Beanstalk
• The Three Billy Goats Gruff
• The Three Little Pigs
• Cinderella

 If you search on Google/Pinterest for activities linked to these stories, there are lots of amazing ideas to plan story based learning. For example, during our Owl Babies week, we read the story then find out lots of facts about owls, make nests in our meadow, make bird feeders, paint portraits of the owls and mix the right colours, collage using natural resources and play instruments along with an animation of the story to show how the owls might be feeling at different parts of the story.

Maths 

We are looking at consolidating a secure knowledge of numbers to . To assist with this, we recommend using online games such as;

www.topmarks.co.uk

www.crickweb.co.uk

We have been using the Numberblocks and Numicon shapes to help us with our maths. Numicon is a multi-sensory approach using apparatus to focus on imagery, action and conversation and is designed to give children the understanding of number ideas and relationships that are essential for success in maths. We use the Numicon shapes in lots of activities in Nursery such as using them to print with in the playdough and painting areas, filling the holes with marbles/glass nuggets and creating rubbings with crayons and tin foil.

Children’s experiences at home have a huge impact on their later achievement in maths. We would love for you to work with your child to help them cut out different shapes (circles, squares, triangles and rectangles). You could discuss them and then use them to create a ‘staircase’ by placing them in order from smallest to biggest and extend this by asking your child to cover their eyes and removing one piece – can they tell you which piece is missing?

We also follow a maths mastery approach to learning.The aim of a mastery approach is to equip all children with a deep, secure and adaptable understanding of mathematical concepts.

Spring 2025

This term we will follow the children's interests and have planned the following themes: 

• Plants and Growth
• Gruffalo
• Minibeasts
• Animals and their habitats
• Dinosaurs
• Easter

Prime Areas

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Physical Development

Communication and Language

In Nursery, we focus on the areas above as these help to develop your children's skills in readiness for later reading, writing and number.

How to support this at home

• Read stories with your child daily, talk about the illustrations and have fun. 
• Watch Cbeebies Bedtime Stories
• Play games at home, developing a sense for turn taking
• To for walks in the park and observe plants and animals, talk to each other about what you can see.
• Use chalks or paint or pens to make marks
• Visit playgrounds
• Use bikes and scooters

We will continue to use core books as a guide to learning and below are some suggested reading books that will compliment learning at home. 

Literacy

• Superworm
• Dinosaur Roar
• Owl Babies
• Dear Zoo
• The Tiny Seed
• What the Ladybird Heard

Mathematics

In Mathematics this term we are focusing on creating repeating patterns, comparing sizes, describing shapes and counting objects. 

Ideas for home

• Watch Numberblocks the cartoon
• Download number apps for your children to develop counting skills
• Use everyday ideas to give your child a chance to count, such as the stairs, the cutlery for lunch or dinner. 
• Pay for items with real life money. 
• Look at door numbers as you go for walks.