Our story this term is ‘The Gingerbread Man’. We will retell the story of The Gingerbread Man which has plenty of repetition. We will learn lots of new words and during free flow, they will make their own gingerbread man books, story maps, lolly stick characters and paintings. We will look at other stories that have been adapted to different cultural versions e.g. The Runaway Chapatti. We will write simple instructions for making gingerbread.

Welcome to Acorn Class! We are so excited to start the new academic year and can't wait to learn and have fun. We have lots to look forward to this term!
 

This term, our curriculum to start will have a Personal and social aspect where we focus on 'What makes me special?' We will then move into a understanding the world and expressive arts and design element looking at being 'How do I make a healthy snack?' 
 

In English, We will start by recapping nursery rhymes and how we can innovate these to create new versions. We will then explore the traditional story 'The little Red Hen'. We will practise to retell this story using actions. We will have lots of opportunities to retell during continuous provision.

What is Phase 1 Phonics?

• It involves a lot of oral activities, such as games and songs, rather than focusing on letter shapes. 

• It is the first step in phonics, laying the groundwork for future reading and writing. 
• It concentrates on developing listening skills to recognize and distinguish sounds in the environment, music, and within words. 

The Seven Aspects of Phase 1 Phonics

• Environmental Sounds: 

  Developing awareness of sounds in the world, such as animal noises or sounds from a listening walk. 

• Instrumental Sounds: 

  Learning to recognize sounds made by various musical instruments and noise makers. 

• Body Percussion: 

  Using body sounds like clapping or stomping to develop an awareness of rhythm and sound. 

• Rhythm and Rhyme: 

  Engaging with songs, rhymes, and clapping to develop an ear for the rhythm and sounds in language. 

• Alliteration: 

  Identifying words that start with the same sound. 

• Voice Sounds: 

  Making different sounds with the voice, like animal noises or vocal effects, to practice vocal dexterity. 

• Oral Blending and Segmenting: 

  The crucial skill of hearing sounds in a spoken word and blending them together to say the whole word (e.g., d-o-g makes "dog"), and segmenting a word into its individual sounds. 

Why is Phase 1 Important?

• Foundation for Reading: 

  The skills learned in Phase 1 are essential for children to confidently identify and match sounds to letter shapes later on, which is crucial for reading words. 

• Speaking and Listening Skills: 

  This phase enhances children's ability to listen attentively, speak clearly, and understand what is being said. 

Number 

The Nursery maths scheme revisits key mathematical concepts and develops them throughout the year. There is a variety of opportunities to develop the understanding of number, shape, measure, and spatial thinking. The scheme supports the teaching of early maths skills through both adult-led and continuous provision activities. The focus is on introducing the foundations of mathematics through key practical experiences. We build on early mathematical concepts slowly and develop these throughout the year, so children gain a deep understanding.