Welcome to second steps Nursery. We are looking forward to getting to know all of the children and their families and are also pleased to welcome back our returning children. We have had a wonderful first week and can't wait to settle in all the other children. The children have all settled so well into the routines of the day and it has been lovely to see friendships beginning to form and develop amongst them. Their independence is growing by the day and we really appreciate your support in allowing your child to have a go at simple self-care tasks such as putting on their shoes and coats independently - children feel such a sense of pride in being able to complete these tasks by themselves. 

Take a look at some of our play and learning for this half-term.

 

What will we be learning?

As well as having lots of time within the day for independent, self-chosen play both inside and outside, we will also begin our short focused carpet times. This is what we will be focussing on in these sessions this half-term.

Phonics

In nursery, children learn phase 1 phonics. Phase 1 phonics is the first stage of phonic learning and builds the vital foundation for skills needed for reading and writing later on. There are 7 aspects within phase 1 phonics that children will be exposed to throughout the year. This half-term, we will focus on the aspect: Environmental Sounds. Children will be developing their awareness of sounds in their everyday world, such as a phone ringing or bird song, and learning to identify and discriminate between the different sounds. 

There are so many ways that you can continue this learning at home to support your child. Take a look at some of these ideas: 

• Listening walks: Taking a walk around the park or local area and encouraging children to listen for and identify sounds like cars, birds, or rustling leaves.
• At-home listening: Pointing out noises in the home, such as the kettle boiling, a door closing, or the washing machine.
• Sound guessing games: Using a bag of everyday objects to make sounds for the child to guess, such as a crisp packet, keys, or a squeaky toy.
• Sound bingo: Using a game where children match a sound to a corresponding picture on a game board.
• Imitating sounds: Encouraging children to copy sounds they hear, like a dog barking or an ambulance siren. 

 

Maths

In maths this half-term, we will be focussing on sorting and classifying objects and then grouping various items based on colour, size, shape and type. These activities build foundational skills in maths by helping children identify similarities and differences, understand categories, and develop problem-solving abilities. 

Here are some simple ideas for continuing to support this learning at home:

• Laundry: Sort clothes by colour, or separate socks by size or pattern.
• Toys: Put toys in different baskets based on type, colour, or size, like sorting all the red cars together or putting all the stuffed animals in one place.
• Cutlery: Have your child help put away cutlery - sorting forks, knives, and spoons into the correct compartments.
• Craft supplies: Sort items like buttons, pom-poms, or paper clips by colour, size, or shape. 

 

 

Don't forget to check Tapestry for regular updates on our learning in nursery and to share anything from home as well. If you are still struggling to access your child's Tapestry acccount, please see a member of the nursery team.