Hello It is Friday AGAIN...Where do the weeks go!  It turned out to be a lovely sunny afternoon on Thursday. I hope that you managed to get outside after a morning of heavy rain... Did you find any snails and see their spiral shells? 

How did you manage with your spiral pictures? Forming a spiral is harder than we think because it involves the coordination of SO many skills. This simple challenge shows why letting children Scribble and Scribble onto blank paper is extremely important. Keep exploring the scribbles that you can make, each scribble is important in the development of finger, wrist, hand, arm coordination. As children’s skills develop their scribbles turn to recognisable forms without  an need for copying. I wonder how many F2 children managed controlled anti-clockwise and clockwise spirals? 

Building a Foundation for Literacy with Imagination, Role play and Story squares.

A mother once approached Albert Einstein and asked him what she might do to prepare her young son for a successful career in science. “Read him fairytales,” he replied. “And, if you want him to be very intelligent, read him more fairytales. This short statement was part of an article I was sent today as I was developing an  Early Years  course for schools,  it is from an Early Years Specialist group. I thought it linked PERFECTLY with our focus this week on told stories, imagination and story squares and it was something  to share. We all have our own favourite fairytales. Have you shared your favouite tales with your child? They will hear the excitement in your voice as you read something that you love and recall from your own childhood.   I wonder which story you will each choose? I would choose Snow White and Red Rose.

I was thrilled to bits to read some of your emails;  explaining your children’s love of engaging in role play exploration for the first time,  reading your children’s Story Squares (scribed stories) and watching your children use different mediums to express their imaginative thinking. Keep exploring story telling in as many different ways as possible, it is so valuable in the development of their language and creative thinking and children LOVE it.

Friday’s Challenge links to role play and story telling. Can you create a mask for yourself or your family? 

You are all GREAT at drawing your own masks, what ever shape or character you want to design. It could be bigger or smaller than your face but that doesn’t matter. Its the imagination and confidence to try, which is the most important part.

Your mum or dad can cut out your mask, if cutting a shape is still difficult for you. However, I know lots of you can cut shapes out without any support,  so do try. Remember how we use and hold safe scissors.

Who is behind the mask.. I wonder if you can all remember?

Another challenge you might like to try is………

I wonder how you can make a 3D snail out of a flat piece of paper?

F2 children looked at different ways of folding paper …Do you remember? . I wonder if you can remember how to make a snail / spiral from a thin strip of paper and a pencil?  

F1 children will need your support to start the spiral but after a few turns they could try to coordinate their fingers and thumbs to turn the spiral. See what happens. Its great to develop finger strength and manipulation.

Day Four of our Rhyme Time...Enjoy your singing session. Click here for the words Day Four

We have looked at this story with the F2 children,  I wonder if they can remember the repeated refrains in this traditional Fairy Tale?  Can you change your voice so that you sound like the three different trolls?  Enjoy and have FUN..

We love acting out The Three Billy Goats in class,  I wonder if you can act it out as a family? 

Enjoy today’s challenges and any other house hunts, cooking or walks you explore together as a family. Have a lovely weekend and I will look forward to finding out about your learning on Monday.  From Miss Butler,    Miss Breakwell and Miss Lofthouse. 

Hello everyone!

It was so good to talk with some of you on the phone and receive some emails of the things you have been doing at home! Some of you have been learning to ride your bikes without stabilisers and succeeded, while others have enjoyed craft activities and writing.

Maybe you could make some little people and create a story which your grown up could write down exactly in your words to share with us. This is called a story square!

Mrs Coleman just wanted to say hello and she says she has been busy at home knitting! She has knitted the characters from the story of “Jack and The Beanstalk” They are marvellous don’t you agree? Can you spot all of the characters?

It was a very rainy morning but a lovely afternoon. In the garden we saw lots of snails  enjoying the rain. Can you find some snails and maybe race them along a chalk line or create an obstacle course for them? Can they climb up and over a block or go through a tunnel? Did the biggest or smallest snails win? Take a closer look at the snail and it’s shell. Take a look at this facts about snails.

Are ready for Mrs Heap’s rhyme time complete with a tube! Mrs Heap had such a long tube didn’t she! It has been good to hear you are enjoying these sessions and I know some are trying to send video , try emailing it to: Admin@haytorview.devon.sch.uk for the attention of Mrs Penn. I am waiting to see this and to share with Mrs Heap!

Please Click on the blue writing for the words: Day Three

Don’t forget to stop and listen together. What sounds can you hear today?

Are they different from yesterday? Are you finding it easier to stop and quietly listen for a minute?

Also put on your favourite music and dance! Maybe you can dress up to do this?

Have fun together and enjoy your wonderful learning

Mrs Coleman, Mrs Heap and Mrs Penn

Hello Everyone ,  THE  PHOTOS YOU ARE SHARING ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING and being in a school without your wonderful children, the photos bring A HUGE smile to my face. I even had someone singing Our Pirate song down the telephone to me yesterday afternoon. It’s Fabulous news that you are remembering our class songs that always made us laugh together. A personal Thank you from me for your time. It means a lot to me. 

So today I have a few of those lovely photos to share…You are all GREAT LEARNERS.

Active Learning encourages all areas of development and is SO much FUN. I love seeing it in action. 

We have previously spoken about Baking and Cooking and identified how many skills your child is using by making their own breakfast,  lunch or snack…!! These photos show their fine motor control developing as the tools are being coordinated. Beautiful learning with such a yummy end product… mmmmm.

So today’s challenges:-  We have been looking at snails this week and I wondered if you could create your own spiral pattern. This is a complex skill. You can make it easier by just letting your child start as a spiral and then because it  is a coordination task the spiral will turn into a scribble …but that’s fine and will happen because are muscles developing.  As fine motor control develops through play the children will be able to keep controlled lines to form a spiral. All attempts are PERFECT. 

Can you draw your own coloured spirals, like you see on a snails shell?  If a spiral is easy… they can you create different sized snails with your spirals? Even harder……completing clockwise and anti-clockwise spirals. 

Meet ‘ Sonic the Snail ‘ He has a lovely snack…..look strawberries how nice. 

I wonder if you can find a snail to look at while you draw your own spirals?

Day Three of Mrs Heap’s Rhyme Time session…We need to ask her,  where did she find her long long tube! You only need a little cardboard tube! Click here for Day Three Words 

TODAY’s story is one of our familiar stories ( Our Core Stories )  I wonder if you can recall parts of the story or can you join in with phrases you remember… Enjoy,  it is a very classic imaginary story. 

Keep exploring active ways of learning, choosing things that make you happy.  Keep Smiling. I look forward to finding out what you have decide to learn next. Miss Butler, Miss Lofthouse and Mrs Breakwell.