March 06th, 2017

Top tips for talking:
Repeat back your child's language in the correct.
Praise the child's efforts, even if the results aren't perfect.  If a child makes an error in a word or sentence, simply say the correct version rather than pointing out the mistake.  For example, if the child says, "I goed to the park", you might say "Wow, so you went to the park".

Makaton signs:  Learning our own names, Thank you and Hello.

Welcome back everyone.  Playdough.  Have a smell.  What does it smell of? What does it remind you of? Vanilla - Icecream, cakes! Playdough such a familiar thing.  There is no right way or wrong way to play with it.  It can be whatever you want it to be.  It also helps to build up the muscles in your hands, which is needed for when children start to learn to write and cut things with sissors.  Good manipulation, sharing of the playdough and sharing of ideas of what to create.  The possibilities are endless.

'Little Rabbit Foo Foo' is our story this term.  By following a story over a period of time the children become very familiar with it and gain confidence in order that they can tell the story themselves.  We continually have props out, so the children can approach these on their own terms without fear of getting the story wrong or in the wrong order.  Children learn about how a story is constructed.  Such as a beginning, a middle and en end.  That there is a sequence or order of how the story goes.  That a book is not needed necessarily if you have props or even just pictures that you can follow.

Lots of collaboration on building pathways or tracks using planks, crates and discs.  Looking around to see what else can be used, what way to make the path go, how far apart can we put the discs, how far will our legs stretch to reach.  What do we need to do if our legs won't reach?

Laptops and keyboards - lots of chatter.  Listening as they order their food from Tesco's or looking up on Google to search for something.  Doing their work, like Mummy's and Daddy's do.

Pancake day - we had lots of fun racing with our pancakes and flipping them and we were all rather good at it!

Forest School - Growing in confidence, the children are blossoming just as the trees soon will be.  Going further, getting braver and really getting stuck into exploring.  Seeing the first signs of spring appearing, it really is a magical place in spring stretching their imaginations far and wide.