Singing number songs will help your child gain an awareness of number, especially songs which count forwards e.g. 1,2,3,4,5 Once I caught a fish alive. Incorporate counting into play activities e.g. how many red cars do you have? Can you count the cows in your farm? Use whatever your child is playing with at the time to try and link in counting. Encouraging your child to touch and count whilst counting toys or small items will support accurate counting skills.

We will be thinking about different measures this half term.

• Can your child choose three favourite teddies and talk about their different sizes?

• Can they match different sized bowls/spoon to each teddy? This will link to the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

• Use junk modelling or bricks to make bridges to re enact the Three Billy Goats Gruff.

• Can your child respond to questions such as ‘Can you put the goat under the bridge?’ Then, change it around and you put the goat on the bridge and ask your child where it is.

• Bake together: ask your child to help you to weigh out ingredients. Use the words heavy, light to compare. This will link to the story Gingerbread. Use your imagination to make characters out of food!

Phonics Phase One

Plays sound games with your child. Stand in your garden and just listen to the sounds around you. What can they hear? Is it a loud s ound or a quiet sound? Do they like the sounds? Why?

If you have any instruments talk about the sounds they make. Listen to different sounds the instruments make and then ask your child to hide their eyes. Play an instrument can your child guess which instrument you have just played? If you haven’t any instruments have a go at making some. Fill pots with pasta or rice!

During the month of January it is Big Bird Watch Week. Listen to the story Bird Count.

Why is it important that we look after birds? Talk about the season winter. How has the weather changed? What happens when it is the winter?

Can you make some binoculars to look for birds outside? You will need 2 toilet rolls, wool or string, sticky tape, paper or felt tip pens to decorate. Have a look out of the window and see how many birds you can count? Create a tally to show how many birdsyour children can spot.

Birds find it difficult to find food during the winter. Can you make a bird feeder to help look after the birds?

Listen to the song ‘I’m Like a Bird by Nelly Furtado’. Talk about whether your child likes the song? Does it remind them of anything? Is it a gentle song?

Sing the nursery rhyme ‘Two Little Dickie Birds’. We sang this song when we learned about the number 2. Can your child count out 2 objects? Can they show 2 using their fingers? Can they try and write the number 2?

Get the paints out and try to paint a bird. Look on the internet and find out the names of some garden birds. Do they all have the same bird song?

Get crafty and make a bird using playdough and creative materials.

Reading Books

Here is a list of the books we are enjoying this half term:

Bird Count
Susan Edwards Richmond

Winter Garden
Ruth Brown

The Ginger Bread Man

Three Billy Goats Gruff

Three Little Pigs

Goldilocks and The Three Bears

Sharing stories is crucial in developing your child’s vocabulary.

Communication
and Language

Talking to your child and playing with them is crucial in a child’s development. Here are some links to some useful websites to give you some ideas.

Physical Development

Make some playdough and go to your own Dough Disco. Can you manipulate the dough in different ways? Roll it, squeeze it, splat it, pinch it… Playing with playdough will help strengthen your child’s fingers ready for using pencils, paintbrushes, pens, crayons etc. Squiggle While You Wiggle is another fun way to strengthen our arms ready for writing and using mark making tools.

Fairy Tales

Which Fairy Tales do we love?

When listening to different stories, talk about any new vocabulary. Don’t be afraid to introduce new words! Children love new and interesting words. There are also lots of activities on our ‘Spring One Remote Learning Sheet’ which can be found on Class Dojo. We will be adding Resources to our Class Dojo each day. Click the CD logo above.

Exercise at Home

We are also taking part in a Healthy Living Week.

• Can your child help to make a healthy sandwich or pizza by adding vegetables?

• Can they make up their own fitness routine e.g. 5 jumps, 2 hops, 3 stretches etc?

• Can they join in with some relaxation? Cosmic Kids website has some super ideas to join in with at home.

Can you make your own ‘obstacle course’ around the house?

Health and Self Care

Encourage your child to wash their hands independently and to be an Independent Iguana.

• Can they put on and take off their own shoes?

• Can they put on their own coat? Why don’t you set your child a challenge and time how quickly they can do this skills? Can they beat their time the next day?

We are introducing Tooth Brushing this half term. Here is a lovely song to sing about tooth brushing

PLEASE, send us any photos of your children completing these tasks!