Foundation 1 - 2023-24

Welcome to Foundation One (Nursery)
 
Our teachers are Mrs Alder and Mrs Armstrong and our teaching assistants are Mrs Kilcommons, Mrs Wingfield, Mrs Jennings and Mrs Barr.
 
Children spend their time in Foundation 1, with a keyworker, who will support them on their learning journey.
 
However, please feel free to speak to any member of staff about your child we are always happy to help!
A typical morning or afternoon session will include:
- a welcome activity (please feel free to stay and support your child with this) 
- a phonics group time, including Phase 1 Letters and Sounds activities
- snack time (usually after phonics but children are free to access this whenever they choose to)
- time to explore the indoor and outdoor environment 
- time to tidy up, including learning how to care for the toys and put them back in the right place
- a final grouptime to include Circle Time or Maths and a story.
Here are some photos of our indoor and outdoor environment.
 
Our current theme is 'All About Me'. We are talking about our feelings, rules and routines and our families, including our pets.
The Autumn Term Plan below will tell you more about our learning. 

How you can help your child with their learning

Below are some useful links and ideas about how you can support your child with their learning. 

Physical Literacy (Writing)

Lots of gross motor (big physical movements) and fine motor (small scale movements) skills need to be developed before children have the strength to hold a pencil effectively for writing. Please look at the suggestions from ‘Derbyshire County Council Every Child A Mover’ for activities to help your child’s physical development. Youtube has lots of useful videos for encouraging children’s physical activity for example Tumbletots (if you have younger children) PE with Joe Wicks, Cosmic Yoga and Dough Disco.

Communication and Language
 
Talking to your child and giving them time to talk is the best way to encourage their language skills. Share stories and sing nursery rhymes, over and over so that children became familiar and start to join in with them. If you are concerned about your child's speech or would like some more ideas for developing their language skills try some of the Every Child a Talker activities below. 

Phonics/Reading

Before we start teaching any letter sounds in nursery the children do lots of Phase 1 phonics activities. These are basically speaking and listening activities as children need to be able to make lots of different sounds with their bodies and voices, including recognising rhyming words and the rhythmic patterns of speech. They should also be able to hear and say the sounds in words, for example the word ‘cat’ has three sounds c, a, and t. If your child is showing an interest in learning letters please start with the sounds in their names or family members. You could also try the following apps: Teach Your Monster to Read or Jolly Phonics as they teach the sounds in the order that the children will learn them when they start school full time. If you are saying letter sounds with your child it is important to pronounce them correctly. (Click on the link to hear these sounds and the files to see examples of Phase 1 activities you can do at home). 

https://www.jollylearning.co.uk/resource-bank/learn-the-letter-sounds/

Mathematical development

When we teach children to recognise numbers we help them to understand what each number means (the value of numbers). Children should learn about Maths in their everyday world and in meaningful contexts for example ages on birthday cards, door numbers and in recipes when baking. They should be encouraged to talk about the shape and size of objects all around them, to sort and match objects and make patterns. Click on the link if you would like to watch Numberblocks series 1 with your child.  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b08bzfnh/numberblocks

What should I do if my child refuses to do an activity or finds it difficult?

Please remember learning should be fun and children are more likely to remember an activity if they enjoyed doing it. Try to make the most of learning opportunities when they arise by encouraging the children to learn more about the things that they are interested in. If you start an activity and it is not going very well, try something different or go back to it later. Most children respond to praise. Let them know that it is important to try their best and that you will be there to help them.

Any Questions?
 
 
If so, speak to a member of the team!