Story Time, Home Learning and a Trick Shot!
It may be a special VE Day Bank Holiday, but we still thought you’d enjoy a story time with one of our Nursery team. Today’s story is read by Miss Pennock and we think it’s a story that many parents/carers will relate to right now. It’s called ‘Five Minutes’ Peace’ by Jill Murphy (published by Walker Books) and is all about the Large Family.
Here are a few questions you could talk about after you’ve listened to the story.
- Who are the characters? Can you remember any of their names?
- What did Mrs Large want to do? What did she put on her tray?
- Can you remember what tune Lester played on his recorder?
- Which story did Laura read to Mrs Large?
- How do you think Mrs Large felt when all of her children went into the bathroom?
- What was your favourite part of the story?
If you enjoyed the story and would like some activities to do at home, here are a few ideas.
- Sing along to ‘Elephants have wrinkles‘ at home. This is one of the songs we sometimes listen to before lunch at Nursery.
- Laura read Little Red Riding Hood to Mrs Large. Have you read this story? You might enjoy watching the CBeebies ballet which tells the story of Little Red Riding Hood through ballet dancing.
- Do you have any instruments at home? Try playing a tune or shaking along to ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little star’ like Lester. If you don’t have any instruments, have a go at making some. There are some suggestions to get you started here, but we’re sure you’ll have lots of your own ideas.
- If you have some little toy elephants (or other animals), you could put some bubbly water in a bowl and let them have a bath like Mrs Large.
- Why not help an adult at home to make a tray like Mrs Large did. You could could add a snack, a drink and find a book or magazine too. Then, sit down somewhere quiet and enjoy five minutes’ peace! (That’s Mrs Long’s plan later…)
Remember Nursery, try to give your grown-ups five minutes’ peace this weekend! Try to play somewhere by yourself for a little while or sit and look at a book quietly. Think about poor Mrs Large!
Home Learning
Thank you to everyone who has been able to email us with an update on how you all are. Lots of people seem to have found the previous week trickier than others. Perhaps the change in weather, or simply just that we’ve been at home for 7 weeks now – that’s tough! It’s longer than the summer holidays when we all have lots of plans, outings and gatherings with friends and family. Keep going! You’re all doing a great job. Please remember that our ideas are just suggestions and there are no expectations to complete them. From our own experiences of family life in lockdown, sometimes it’s good to take a step back and have a break too. Perhaps a movie, a cuddle on the sofa with a book or a walk in the sun.
Whatever you choose to do each day, we really do enjoy seeing your photos and reading about the things you have been getting up to. This week you have been really busy again.
- There were some brilliant tinfoil boats. We think the highest number of pennies in a boat was 67. However, we know that some of you ran out of 1p coins and had to use other, heavier coins as well. Well done, everyone!
- You created some fantastic fish to swim in the sea with Barry; we loved all of the different colours that you used.
- And a few more activities including glow-stick dancing in the dark, counting paper fingers, painting VE Day bunting and playing in the great outdoors.
- Finally, before we say goodbye for the long weekend, here is another entry into the Trick Shot Challenge. What a great shot!
07 May 2020: Hall of (home learning) Fame
Hello everyone
Welcome back to another edition of the Hall of (home learning) Fame #HoHLF – are you chanting? I think here some people!
Today, we have a mix of learning and trick shots (insert audience ‘wooooooo’ noise here).
So, here goes…
We start with an incredible trick shot.
Awesome work – you’re in the Hall of (home learning) Fame. Congratulations!
Lucy sent in some methods she has to stay calm:
Well done, Lucy – you’re in the Hall of (home learning) Fame. Congratulations!
Molly also sent in some tips for staying calm:
Well done, Molly- you’re in the Hall of (home learning) Fame. Congratulations!
Our next entrant has been busy…again!
He smashed his art learning:
Has prepped for his VE day celebrations:
And, updated us on the development of the porch he’s been helping to build:
Awesome work! Well done – you’re in the Hall of (home learning) Fame. Congratulations!
Our final entrant sent in this video which combines reading with extreme sports to pull off a seriously impressive trick shot.
Incredible stuff – you’re in the Hall of (home learning) Fame. Congratulations!
Highlights of the week
Just a few pictures from the week. Keep sending them – we love to see what you’ve been doing!
Video Charlie
Love of Reading
Some people have been in touch today to let me know what books they are enjoying at home and in which places they like to sit and read. Violet has been reading about Ancient Egypt, as this is something that particularly interests her. She knows a lot about the Gods and the hieroglyphs they used and she liked that fact that the book described mummification and the afterlife. She has chosen to read in the garden this morning so that she can enjoy this lovely weather.
Charlie has sent a picture of a cosy, small space that he likes to read in. It looks really peaceful in there and it’s good to know you have a good supply of toilet rolls in case you are reading a sad story! He is enjoying ‘Matt Millz’ by Harry Hill. Maybe this is a book you might consider reading in the future.
Imogen has been reading Mr Gum and the power crystals. She read it in the garden so she could enjoy the sunshine. She likes the book because it is funny and interesting.
Living and Learning: ways to calm down
Thanks to Leiyah for sending in her ways to calm down.
7 May 2020: Home Learning
Phonics
This lesson involves writing. Your child will need their home learning exercise book (or paper) and a pencil. Alternatively your child could use a whiteboard and pen.
Maths – number 11
- Count to 20 by two’s using this song
- Practise you number formation by writing your numbers from 0-11. Challenge – Can you write your numbers all the way to 20.
- Solve these number problems
- I have 3 pencils in my pot. It fits 11. How many more pencils can fit in the pot?
- Joseph has 11 buttons on his coat. He has fastened 5, how many more are there to do?
- William has 4 apples and Hermione has 7. How many apples are there altogether?
- Mollie had 11 sweets but she gave 4 to Edith. How many sweets does Mollie have left?
Parents: if needed, your child could use objects at home to help when counting.
Challenge: Can you think of your own number problem for your friends to solve? Email your number problem to scholesf2@spherefederation.org and we will post them next week!
Literacy
Story of the week: What the ladybird heard by Julia Donaldson
Can you design a wanted poster for the baddies – Lanky Len and Hefty Hugh?
Extra ideas for at home
Can you make your own farm? It could be on the floor, a table top or in a tray. You could get a big piece of paper and draw out the landscape. What crops will you have? Different cloths, e.g. a clean duster could be a field. Will there be a farm house? You could make this from an old box, such as a shoe box. Where will the cows and horses go? Does the farm need fences to keep the animals safe? A little pond could be made from a circular, small tub, perhaps a margarine tub. This is where the ducks might like to be. What’s a baby duck called?
You may have some toy farm animals but if not you could create your own. Draw and cut them out. Imagine a cotton wool sheep or a pom pom sheep. What patterns do cows have? What is a group of cows called?
When you have created your farm act out stories together. What might happen if someone leaves the gate open? Perhaps you can go looking for the hen’s eggs in the straw (chopped up old newspaper).
6 May 2020: Home Learning
Phonics
Words to Read:
Remember to blend each syllable and then put them together.
Words to Write:
air fair pair hair
Did you remember the trigraph ‘air’?
Phonics Activity: Write the sentence. (Adult to read aloud.)
She has fair hair.
Maths
Literacy
Story of the week: What the ladybird heard by Julia Donaldson
Listen to the story again. Can you make the animal noises?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu9mPX7DuLA
In the story the baddies make a map of the farmyard so they can work out how to steal the cow.
Make your own map and label all the places and animals on your map.
Can you make a boat?
Did you enjoy reading about Barry the Fish with Fingers? We love that story. Today, we thought we’d challenge you to make a boat using tinfoil.
- How much foil do you need to use?
- Does it float or sink?
- How many coins (or similar items) can it hold before capsizing?
- Which boat held the fewest coins? Most coins?
If you enjoy this, you could have a go at making a different type of boat using junk modelling things. Think about which material would be best to use and why. What happens to cardboard when it gets wet? Does this boat hold more coins than the tinfoil boat?
Have fun, and remember to let us know how you get on. Send us an email to tell us how many pennies your boat held and we’ll see which boat held the most at the end of the week!
Trick Shot Challenge!
Did you see the Trick Shot Challenge video that we all made? Watch it here if you haven’t seen it yet. We were really pleased to see that we had inspired some of you to have a go at your own challenge. We loved watching this one when it arrived in our inbox yesterday. Well done!
5 May 2020: Home Learning
Phonics
Maths
- Watch the 3d shape song.
- Go on a 3d shape hunt around your house. Can you find a sphere, cylinder, cube, cone? Did you come across any other 3d shapes?
- Can you solve these problems using the 3d shapes you have collected?
Some questions to challenge learning:
What is the shape called?
What can you tell me about the shape?
Why do you think this is the best shape to use?
What might happen if I use this shape instead?
Literacy
Story of the week: What the ladybird heard by Julia Donaldson
Listen to the story again.
Can you make the animal noises?
Purr, Miaow, Woof, Baa, Oink, Neigh, Quack, Hiss, Cluck, Moo
Can you draw the animals with speech bubbles. What sound do they make? What might the animal be saying?
Choose an animal and write what they might be saying in the speech bubble?
