Category Archives: Numeracy and Mathematics

Not A Box!

For any parent wondering who our visitor in the foyer is……..or why?

Miss McNeill has used the book ‘Not a Box’ to support children’s developing knowledge across the curriculum.

Based at the creative arts area over the past few weeks Miss McNeill has incorporated curricular areas literacy, numeracy, health & well being and expressive arts into children’s learning……

Literacy: Extending book knowledge  through discussing the title, author, illustrator of the book  ‘It’s Not a Box’ which was used to develop the context for learning. Encouraging children to develop an interest in print, texts and pictures. Recognising words, understanding print is meaningful and can convey as message. Understanding positional and comparative language, giving a personal response.

Numeracy: Describing and ordering in simple mathematical language ‘first, next, last’, touch counting items required, following and giving instructions using: in front, behind, beside, under, in, out, on top of, next to. Describing position, identifying and naming 3D shapes and objects. Describing length using long/longer, short/shorter and height using tall/taller and small/smaller. Solving problems and evaluating solutions.

Health and Wellbeing: Expressing thoughts and abilities, communicating with growing confidence within a group of friends. Recognising mistakes can provide opportunities for learning and working as a team – co-operating with others. Demonstrating how to tackle a ‘problem’. Taking responsibility.

Expressive Arts: Gaining confidence to explore and experiment with materials. Using tools and equipment to develop control of fine movement of fingers and hands. Selecting own materials. Use 3 dimensional form to convey thoughts and feeling and the experience of having a piece of work being ‘exhibited’.

And you thought it was just a box………………..

Can you think of any other skills your child may have developed through recycling junk!?

Welcome Back!

For those who were off …..we hope you enjoyed your mid term break!

I wonder if you can spot something new in our foyer as you return to the Family Centre on Wednesday!?

Please ensure your child is careful – a lot of work went into producing our ‘visitor’ and we would be so upset to see him damaged.

Miss McNeill will be working with the children to plan a new project…..I wonder what creation will come next!

 

‘People Who Help Us’ – Can you help?

Children in our Cara playroom have been developing their skills across various areas of Curriculum for Excellence through the introduction of ’People Who Help Us’.

Relating to the Social Studies area of Curriculum fro Excellence; children are beginning to explore and investigate the roles people, shops and services play in the community with Miss March who has recently taken some groups of children to our local Waitrose. Children investigated money and the vital and important role of shop staff. Children also developed skills in numeracy and literacy as they wrote out their own shopping list and proceeded to count out and weigh items in store.

 Miss Gaffney is supporting children as they begin to develop aspects of Health and Wellbeing. Children are sharing their thoughts and ideas in relation to describing the roles and responsibilities of people in the wider community, such as the doctor, police and lollipop services.

 We will observe and see how the learning develops in response to children’s thoughts over the coming weeks.

Can you help?

To further support children’s learning – it would be wonderful to have a variety of parent’s share their skills and talk about their job with the children. Perhaps you are a florist? You could share your creative skills with the children and tell them about what floristry involves. Perhaps you are a dentist, a police officer or a lorry driver…..what ever your skill….the children will be very interested to hear from you!

If you can give up half an hour of your time, it would be very much appreciated! Speak to Miss Gaffney if you are interested in coming along to the Family Centre to share your knowledge!