Changes to our 4pm snack....

We have always promoted self service during fruit snack and lunch time but our 4pm snack has often been adult led (adult preparing the snack) 

After looking at the benefits of self service the following platter will be available everyday for the children at 4pm: 

The benefits of self serving snack:

·         Giving children a choice

·         Promoting British Values such as individual liberty

·         Children spend less wasted time seated waiting for everyone to sit down or finish

·         Builds independence, confidence, esteem and self-awareness

·         Language, communication and conversation rich period of the day

·         Develops motor skills and self-help skills if children are allowed to prepare the snack and pour own drinks

Making music...

 A child showed interest in the sounds the metal plate made when he tapped it with different objects.

INTENT

Expressive Arts and Design

Using and exploring media and materials

IMPLEMENTATION
We looked for objects to see what different sounds we could make.

 IMPACT 
Expressive Arts and Design

Using and exploring media and materials

•Creates sounds by banging, shaking, tapping or blowing.

Communication and Language

Speaking

•Learns new words

Communication and Language

Understanding

•Developing understanding of simple concepts (e.g. big/little)

Talking Tables using loose parts....

To create a 'talking table' Lisa put googly eyes on different objects ie stones, shells, pegs.  An invitation to learning with loose parts (including googly eyes) and play dough were set up in the malleable area. 

Active Learning

Being involved and concentrating

•Maintaining focus on their activity for a period of time  

•Not easily distracted

•Paying attention to details

Creating and thinking critically

Choosing ways to do things

•Planning, making decisions about how to approach a task, solve a problem and reach a goal •Checking how well their activities are going

•Changing strategy as needed

•Reviewing how well the approach worked

There were lots of  opportunities to extend children's vocabulary during this activity.

Curiosity collection...

Our new curiosity collection is coming on nicely, if you have any objects that you no longer use please bring them in for us to use to create awe and wonder. The children will be choosing where which area they want the new resources. 

Monday morning quote.....

Reading daily to young children, starting in infancy, can help with language acquisition and literacy skills. This is because reading to your children in the earliest months stimulates the part of the brain that allows them to understand the meaning of language and helps build key language, literacy and social skills.

Looking for the chickens.....

Tracy showed the children a photograph of the chickens at WF school, this sparked an interest which led to a trip to the forest to find the chickens. When we got back we explored the story 'The Little Red Hen' which sparked an interest in making bread. (Helen forgot to take photographs of the yummy bread!)

UtW•Comments and asks questions about aspects of their familiar world such as the place where they live or the natural world

•Can play in a group, extending and elaborating play ideas, e.g. building up a role-play activity with other children.

PSED: showing confidence in new environments 

We found the chickens 

ABC does...

Alistair Bryce-Clegg is an established educational consultant specialising in the education of children in the Early Years. 

Alistair is passionate about inspiring children to reach their potential and equipping practitioners with the skills and enthusiasm to achieve this.

You can find out more on abcdoes.com

St Mary’s management team have the privilege of attending the following sessions in Manchester:  

1) Raising attainment (24^th September 2019) ü

2) An Effective Environment that Continues the Provision for Learning; (26th November 2019)

3) Getting Ready to Write – The Development from Mark Maker to Writer; (28th January 2020)

4) What Comes Before Phonics? When is the Right Time to Introduce Sounds; (17th March 2020)

5) Making Maths Real and Relevant for the children in your setting; (12th May 2020)

6) Outdoor Learning and its impact on attainment. (14th July 2020)