Indoor learning:

This week the children have continued to explore animal habitats and construct models of them independently, showing the knowledge they have gained in their learning.  They enjoyed a lotto game matching the animals to their homes.

They have also began exploring Easter, listening to Easter stories and  learning songs using the Promethian Board. They have been dressing up in the Imaginative area, enjoying the Easter/Spring costumes.

Number recognition and formation writing has been a focus indoors and the children are showing their writing skills ready for P1.

In the art and craft area the children have been creating their own pictures of jungle animals and are continuing to make lovely patterns of colour and shape. They also explored the Easter Bunny story and drew their own Easter Bunnies, some children also used their cutting skills when making their pictures.

On Monday we went our Community Walk, it was very wet so we were all dressed for the weather in our waterproofs and wellies, we turned left going out the school and went up to the Hilltop where we used our binoculars to look down into Mauchline and beyond, we also looked for birds and insects. There was a lot of road signs to see and we were very good at using our road safety rules of stop ✋ look 👀 and listen 👂.

They have been exploring planets, where they learned the names of them and were practising their dribbling skills going in and out the planets. They have also been using their problem solving skills when making “jet packs” ….what materials to use, how to stick them together and how to fasten them onto their backs???

Indoors

This week we have continued exploring our interest in animals and further explored animal habitats and animal pattern. We have been learning about the tropical jungle and forest in Africa and the Wetlands and Waterways. We explored shape and pattern throughout this learning and also enjoyed lots of imaginative play and construction/problem solving. We created our own African necklaces in the art area, focusing on pattern and colour and also drew our own jungle scenes.

We continued to expand our learning through research using iPads and the Promethean board. The children learnt some new words this week such as; endangered, species and extinct!

“Endangered means there isn’t many animals left in the world”

“Species is the different animals”

“It means there’s none left”

Links to the Curriculum; Social Studies, Science, Technology, Numeracy, Expressive Arts.

Outdoors

This week we have began exploring space. The children were keen to take part in the planet hop where they discovered things about the different planets, this is part of our focus outdoors in line with the book “How to catch a Star”. Some children made their own rocket-ships using magnetic shapes then expanded on this by making larger rockets that they could sit in. Lots of imagination and team work through construction too.

Links to the curriculum; Science, Health and Well-being, Numeracy, Literacy

Out in the Community

We explored the local community when out a walk and discussing the importance of road safety and keeping ourselves safe when in the community 🚦 We also popped in to the local shop to say hi to the shopkeeper 😊

Our woodland Wednesday we continued to expand our focus on insects and used our investigation and exploration skills to find them.

During both of these visits we focussed the importance of listening to an adult, road safety and keeping safe , the purpose of the green cross code, stop, look and listen ✋👀👂 recognising key traffic signs and noises.

Links to the curriculum; social studies, health and well-being, science

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!
Beth✨

I n d o o r s

This week in the ECC we have continued with our interest of jungle animals and we have been using the interest research engine to research different facts about jungle animals 🦁 🦓 🐅 🐘 

Through exploring small world jungle animals it sparked wonder and questioning…

“Can pandas climb”

“Why do zebras have stripes”

“How tall does a giraffes neck have to be to reach the trees”

We then used the internet to research our wonders and discovered our findings.

We continued to explore the story of Handas Surprise and some children were able to retell the story and create their own handa story 📕 📚.

Links to the Curriculum; Literacy, Expressive Arts.

For STEM week this week, we set STEM challenges in relation to exploring the jungle and constructing our own designs. Most children were able to complete the STEM challenge.

As part of STEM week this week the children have been using their problem solving skills to see who could create the largest fruit tower, setting challenges and achievements for themselves 🍎 🍌 

Links to the Curriculum; Technology, Engineering Disciplines, Health and Well-being.

O u t d o o r s

Big well done to everyone who took part in our STEM Home Link challenge to create your own boat. A lot of hard work, problem solving and engineering skills went into create these boats, well done to everyone such great effort 🛥 🚤 

Outdoors this week the children have tried and tested their boats to see if they could float or sink.

I n d o o r s

This week in the ECC on the lead up to World Book Day we have been exploring the story of Handas Surprise, predicting what happens next, retelling the story and exploring the characters in the story.
One of our parents also attended the ECC and read a story to the children as part of World Book Day 📚 

This has led onto the children exploring the culture of Africa and African families and researching different facts around this.  A staff member within the ECC was born in Africa and shared her experience with the children and also her African resources/family culture 🌎

Links to the Curriculum; Literacy, Social Studies.

 

C r e a t i v e / N u m e r a c y

Linking to the story of Handas surprise, the children have been exploring in a fruit shop within the numeracy area, taking on the role of a shop keeper, exploring and using money.

In the creative area the children have been painting real life fruit paintings and discussing the different fruits in Handas surprise story 🍌 🍍

Exploring the story Handas surprise outdoors, opportunities to explore the real foods from the story in the mud kitchen, working upon our cutting skills and utilising our imagination 🍎 🍌 🍍 

Then further extended the children’s knowledge through exploring more imaginative stories, focusing on the smartest giant in town. We focused on using our imagination to retell the story and we even created our own boots using junk modelling materials and tested out boats to see if they could float or sink 📚 🛶 

Outdoor learning…..we have continued to explore construction and den building. We have created our own houses, gaming rooms ,slides and bridges. We have also been extending our learning about capacity in the mud kitchen and water tray. The children have shown an interest in ring games and have worked hard on their team building skills.

At the woods we are continuing to work on our problem solving skills, decision making and risk assessing. This week we have started to explore insects. 🐛🐞🪳.

Indoors…..In the art area the children have been recognising the initial letter in their name through environmental print, stampers and dough  moulds. They having been using their name cards to help with letter recognition.

The children are beginning to learn all about animal habitats and have been using  the Promethian Board to research this. They have also been creating their own animal stories, being the author and illustrator.  The “Curiosity Case” has been popular with the children where they have been exploring a variety of items like magnets, torches, a laptop and talking clipboards.

Just a wee reminder that Thursday 7th March is “World Book Day” and the children can wear their pyjamas to promote bedtime reading or a costume of their favourite character.

Thankyou to the parents who have volunteered to come into the ECC and read a story to the children.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Jan.