The children are beginning to look at money and currency. The children started by sorting the money by size, shape and colour. The children counted the bundles of money but couldn’t count the multiple values of the coins. Some of the children also read the numbers on the coins to sort them, this resulted in some children finding out that there were some euro coins hidden in the money! They identified that they were the same shape and colour as the UK one pence and five pence.

This week in the literacy area the children have been exploring storytelling through the medium of song. The children have shown their creativity and imagination through their lyrics and demonstrated excellent phonological awareness through generation of rhyme and awareness of syllables whilst creating their rhythm. The children even explored putting their words to music with the help of Miss Goldie and her keyboard. The children explored sheet music and made positive attempts to replicate the notes within their mark making.

Examples of some of the children’s lyrics:

MW “ Baby break my heart, freak alone, baby let’s riot,

Let’s go in the zone and riot with my baby pirate,

Here we go, man I’m going, let’s fire up, pie it up”

FC “Oh Mr Block, Mr clock, I want to eat some strawberry jam,

Mr Clock,Mr Clock, put a fire and then we’ll have a fire party”

OH “ Jam and the monkey went oh! In the water, and he jumped over his house….Jam and the monkey jumped over the light, jam and the monkey jumped over his friends”

MW “ I want to write some songs for baby Hallie to help her sleep”

SC “ It’s a fast song”

MM “ They are notes, I do piano lessons  and I’m learning Mary had a little lamb”

CC “It’s a song that gives people broken hearts”

In the block and small world areas this week, children have continued to build many different types of vehicles such as boats, cars and trains.  This has been developing their collaborative skills and language skills.  Their buildings have become increasingly more complex with lots of details. There has been lots of imaginative storytelling in small world that supports developing friendships. The children have been regularly risk assessing our area to check that it is safe for play.

This week outdoors the children have been playing lots of different games. We have practised our throwing, catching and hitting a ball with a bat during ball games. One of our favourites has been basketball where the children formed their own teams and competed against each other. We have also enjoyed playing giant snakes and ladders out in the sunshine. We are learning to subitise and count, and also take turns with each other as we learn the rules of the game. 

At the end of the week we were extremely lucky to have had a visit from Gillian who works at the University of Strathclyde as a Senior Technician in the department of Biomedical Engineering!

Gillian brought in two different types of hands – a myoelectric hand and a body power hand. The children were learning about muscles in the forearms and the nerves from the brain which send signals to the hand to create movement.

The myoelectric hand is multi-functional and the children worked together problem solving to coordinate movement, opening and closing the fingers to grip and place a ball into a container. There was lots of discussion around directional movement.

Gillian also brought in a prosthetic foot which gave the children a chance to dismantle and reattach the foot to a leg.

There was also a body and brace and splints, where the children discussed weight and how they support bones and the spine.

Thank you so much Gillian!