Marston Green Infant Academy Nursery ‘Meet the Teacher’ evening 2’ 12 th January 2015

The Nursery team Miss Davies - Dolphins (and starfish) Miss Taylor – Seahorses (and turtles) Miss King – Turtles Mrs Donnelly – Starfish Mrs Mason – PPA cover Miss Newton – PPA cover

A few reminders… Book bags –check daily for letters Absences –call in if your child is ill Contact details - keep updated Consent forms – keep updated Cold/wet weather clothes Parent helpers - sign up sheets available ICT – Tuesday PE - Thursday

Home-School Partnership ‘Stay and Play’ session (Friday) ‘Superstar’ cards Puppets Sound of the week (initial sounds) Library books (book changed on Tuesday)

Daily timetable 8.25am – 8.40am/12.25pm – 12.40pm Nursery doors open. Self registration. Free choice activities. 8.50pm-9.00am/12.50pm-1.00pmRegister. 9.00am-9.15am/1.00pm-1.15pmTeaching time or Family group time. Outdoor open. Focus activity with teacher/TA. Free choice activities. Observations am-10.15am/2.00pm-1.15pmPhonics/Mathematics 10.15am-10.30am/2.15pm-2.30pmSnack in family groups (with a story). Outdoor open. Focus activity with teacher/TA. Free choice activities. Observations am-11.30am/3.20pm-3.30pm Key skills 11.20am-11.30am/3.20pm-3.30pm Prepare for home-time.

Expectations… Independent in toileting and hand washing Able to take off/put on socks, shoes, jumper (PE) Put on coat and hat (outdoor) Sit quietly and listen when on the carpet Answer simple questions (put hand up) Speak clearly Follow simple instructions Work independently at chosen activities, talking to peers as they play

Spring 1 (to February half term) ‘Houses and Homes’ topic Talk about own home and who lives in our house Describe features of different house types Share read non-fiction books about houses Paint, draw and make our own houses ‘The House on the Rock’ – RE Discuss the uses of household appliances

What can you do? ‘Houses and Homes’ topic Talk with your child about what type of house you live in and who lives in your house Talk about the rooms in your house and what you can find in each room Allow children to help with ‘household’ jobs and discuss safety Look at different house types as you come to school (and house numbers)

Spring 2 (to Easter Break) ‘Nursery Rhymes’ topic Focus on rhymes and rhyming activities Draw, paint and make nursery rhyme characters Sing a range of nursery rhymes and add musical accompaniment Act out nursery rhymes Mother’s Day Assembly (12 th March am and pm)

What can you do?  ‘Nursery Rhymes’ topic Sing lots of Nursery rhymes and add actions Talk with your child about their favourite nursery rhymes Read rhyming stories and talk about the rhyming words

Early stages of writing Focusing on pre-writing skills Random scribbles Controlled scribbles * Lines and patterns * Pictures with meaning (may skip) Familiar letters and words (name writing) MUSTs Tracking from left to right, give meaning

Encourage children to engage in mark making activities and support them to track from left – right and top – bottom Create opportunities for purposeful writing activities (e.g. cards, shopping lists) Ask children to ‘read’ their writing to you Homework – name writing What can you do?

Concentrate on Phase 1 phonics during Spring Term so letters and their sounds (in the written form) will not explicitly be taught Sound of the week activities ‘Alliteration’ aspect of phonics scheme Model writing and ‘sounds’ during focused teaching sessions (cursive script) Alphabet song Can be talked about at home (pure sounds) Teaching ‘letters’

Pencil grip - MUST Children’s shoulder and arm muscles have been strengthened through gross and fine motor activities balancing, threading, weaving, painting, write, dance, squeezy bottles, sand, cornflour gloop, playdough, pegs, jigsaws Fist grasp Palmer grasp * 5 finger grip * Pincer (3 finger) grip * Correct pencil grip if needed (built – up pencils, pencil attachments)

Early reading skills Al low your child to experience a range of texts (including non-fiction) Be expressive as you read Point under each word (talk about text direction etc) Ask questions (characters, predictions, opinions) Allow children to ‘read’ the story using the pictures Make up your own stories (story language) Rhyming stories * Draw attention to alliteration MUSTs Recall stories, recognise own name, hold books correctly and turn pages

Phase 1 Phonics (continued) ‘Letters and Sounds’ program for teaching phonics Supports development of children’s speaking and listening skills and lays the foundation for reading and writing skills Aspect 7 will be taught later this term (oral blending) Practical activities NOT written MUSTS Discriminate between different sounds, developing awareness of rhyme and alliteration,

AspectActivity Aspect 1 Environmental Sounds Main purpose: to raise children's awareness of the sounds around them and to develop their listening skills Aspect 2 Instrumental Sounds Main purpose: To develop children's awareness of sounds made by various instruments and noise makers Aspect 3 Body Percussion Main purpose: to develop children's awareness of sounds and rhythms Aspect 4 Rhythm and rhyme (including singing and nursery rhymes) Main purpose: to develop children's appreciation and experiences of rhythm and rhyme in speech Aspect 5Alliteration Main purpose: to focus is on initial sounds of words and to identify words that start with the same sound Aspect 6 Aspect 7 Voice sounds Main purpose: to distinguish between different vocal sounds and to begin oral blending and segmenting. Oral Blending and segmenting Main purpose: Develop oral blending and segmenting skills

Early mathematical development Number (MUSTs) Numeral recognition to 5, then to 10 Count to 5 then 10 (and beyond) by rote including ‘0’ Count small amounts using 1:1 correspondence (how many?) Find the total - understand that numbers identify how many objects there are in a set Extension: Match total to numeral Extension: More/less

Early mathematical development Shape, Space and Measures Name and sort 2D and 3D shapes Describe shapes (using mathematical language) Continue then creating repeating patterns Time language Positional language Comparing 2/3 objects by size, length, weight Estimation “sensible guess”

Key Skills Short session before home time Monday – sound of the week (introduce and look at objects) Tuesday – library (target children to talk about book) Wednesday – Finger gym Thursday – Oral skills Friday – Sing Out!

Homework?! School reading book – fill out book card Name writing Number recognition

Any questions?

Thank you for coming. Staff are available to talk with you before you leave. Please take time to have a look at the ‘Nursery’ page on our school website DATE FOR YOUR DIARY- Our next meeting is 20 th April 2015