Dear Parents/Carers and family members,

It is incredibly sad that the coronavirus has caused us to have to close our school. I want you all to know that teaching your child has been an absolute pleasure. They have all got a special place in our hearts and although they can no longer come to school for now I want to stress how many opportunities they have to learn at home.

Each week I will add some learning ideas, this will be activities to enjoy together, with siblings or on their own, which inevitably they will be at times as life gets busy for adults.

Keep safe, stay in doors as often as you possibly can and be kind.

Thank you for all the support so far this year.

Listening and understanding challenge

watch the video in the link below called Taking Flight and answer the questions. You can watch it as many times as you like.

How did the boy feel at the beginning? 

Use because to explain  why?

Where was his Dad going? 

What did the boy see in the garage?

Was it safe for the boy to climb to the top shelf? 

What made the boy feel happier?

How many places did the boy visit on the adventures with his Grandad?

Drawing and writing challenge

Can you draw a picture of one of the adventures the boy went on. Write a sentence about where he went and what he saw.

After watching the video in the link above can you draw a story map. Think about what happened in the beginning the middle and the end. 

Who were the characters and what was the main setting? 

Spelling challenge.

Can you practise these spellings.

rocket

truck

boy

fly

car

This week I am setting you a potion making challenge. Save any old empty juice bottles or tubs you have and use them for your potions. 

You could make your potion in the bath. Ask your grown up if you can take some different sized spoons, plastic bowls, cups, if you have a sieve or funnel that would be a good help too. Your grown up might even let you take some dandelion heads or grass into the bath too to make it extra exciting. You don't have to make it in the bath. Freddie and I have been making potions in the garden too. He likes to make pokemon potions to help his pokemon characters evolve. We use different leaves, grass and petals to help us. I also let him use a little bit of food colouring to make the potions vary in colour but you can use different flavored juice for this too and make your potions drinkable. 

Have a go at mixing an stirring. You could make trolls drool, witches brew or Fairy flutter. I wonder what you will come up with. 

Make sure you explain how you made it using time words; First, then, next, after that and finally.

potion making - writing

Can you write a list of ingredients you used in your potion. Choose a name and write a name label for your potion. If you really want a challenge you can write instructions for making the potion. 

I would like you to have a go at reading this recipe using you excellent phonics skills. You can then draw a picture of your potion and what it would look like with all of these ingredient in it. 

What is a cauldron? Can you find out? 

If your grown up will let you they might let you use real house hold objects to make your potion. You could pretend and use spaghetti for the worms and Im sure you will have some great ideas for the rest.

Maths Challenge - Fact Families 

Using your number facts we can make different fact families. You can have 6 and 4 and 10 in a family. 

6 + 4 = 10

4 + 6 = 10

10 - 6 = 4

10 - 4 = 6

All the same numbers making lots of different number facts.

Can you try making a fact family using 7 and 3 and 10?

What about 2 and 8 and 10?

Then  try 3 and 2 and 5?

This week I wonder if you can find the flowers in the photographs above. Do you know the names of these common flowers?

Which one is the daisy, daffodil, dandelion, snowdrop and tulip?

Can you draw one of these flowers? What colours can you see? 

This week I would like you to write me a sentence about the pictures. Remember to use finger spacers and try to form your letters correctly. 

The chick is in the flowers.

The chick is yellow.

The chick is fluffy and yellow.

Developing an understanding of positional language is very important and we focus on this during a childs time in reception. We do this by playing games and constantly reinforcing the correct wording. 

Try hiding something for your child to find or play hide and seek. Have fun!

This week I want you to explore seeds. If you find seeds inside it is always a fruit and if it had been left on the tree those seeds would of eventually grown into a new plant. Sometimes we find seeds inside fruit we didnt know was a fruit. Ask your grown up to carefully help you find seeds inside fruit. 

What do the seeds look like?

What size are the seeds?

How many seeds are inside?

Do you find the same amount of seeds in the same fruit?

It is important we keep our bodies fit and healthy and one way to do that is by eating a rainbow every day! I've been challenging my son with this each day and he is enjoying the challenge of finding the right colours he needs. 

I really liked this idea as the rainbow has become a bit of a symbol during this strange time. 

If you have not got the fruit to chop up at home why dont you have a look at this picture and see if you can find the seeds?

Are the seeds usually in the middle of the fruit? 

Are the seeds the same size?

Are the seeds the same colour?

If you have been able to chop any fruit try getting some soil and planting the seeds you have found. Look after them and see what happens.

Remember:

All seeds need water and sunlight.

Dear Ash Class 

I wanted to write you all a letter, which I hope either one of your grown ups will read to you or you could try to read some of it yourself. I hope you are all staying safe at home and finding fun things to do each day. It is very different for me to spend so much time at home but I am keeping busy learning new recipes to cook, teaching Freddie my son and I've been taking online piano lessons, hopefully I can show you what I've learnt soon. Even though I have been very busy there has not been a day I dont think about every one of you. 

I put work on here each week which you can do if you get time. Please make sure you all continue to be kind and helpful and offer to help your grown ups at home. 

I hope to see you all very soon. 

From Mrs Burke

In our writing we have been using the 'think it, say it, count it, write it' technique to help the children remember what they are trying to write. I've been going on lots of walks near my house and finding new paths and fields to explore. On my walks I've been lucky to spot lots of wildlife. We've seen ducklings, a heron, foxes, sheep and their lambs, cows and even a shrew! Can you draw a picture of an animal you have seen on a walk it might be a bird or a dog or you might choose to draw one of my animals. Could you then write a sentence about what you have drawn and describe what it looked like. A brilliant example would be:

I went on a walk and I saw a sheep. It was white and black. The sheep was very fluffy. 

On one of your daily walks or by looking out of the windows in your house could you collect data to show how.many different coloured cars you see.

Then answer these questions:

1. Which colour car did you see the most of?

2.Which colour car did you see the least of? 

3.if you add the red and blue cars together how many did you see altogether?

Have fun x

Can you read all of the words.

Play games to help. Try writing them out and putting them around the house. An adult reads the word out and the child runs to find it. Have fun.

In reception children are expected to be confident at using language to describe the position of something (positional language) and to be able to understand positional language. Making a tiny toy town for the tiny people who live in the grass is one way of doing this. My glamorous assistant Freddie has demonstrated how this can be done. Use shapes to create the town. Triangle roof, square and rectangles, circles etc then choose where things will go. Use words like; in front, behind, next to, underneath, on top, at the back etc.

Play dough 

• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon cream of tartare
• glug of oil
• 2 cups of freshly boiled boilr

mix the ingredients in a bowl. Add the boiling water and keep mixing dont be tempted to put more flour in if it looks sticky just keep mixing and it turns into perfect play dough. Store it in an airtight container so it lasts longer. Let your child make story characters, objects of their choice or just play with moving the dough. It is great for finger exercise. 

play a guessing game. Take turns to make something while the other guesses what it is they are making.

use cake cases to make pretend cakes. Make a price list and menu and create your own little cake shop or cafe. 

use language of size; teeny, tiny, minuscule, minute, humongous, ginormous, massive.

use language of length; longer, shorter, longest, shorter, long and short 

use language of width; wide, wider, narrow, narrower.

freddie enjoyed making a volcano with his Dad after helping me make the playdough. 

Have fun!

On your daily exercise time why not have a look for signs of spring. Write a list of what you find.

I spotted:

Bluebells

Daffodils

Buds on the trees

Nest

Sunshine

Green leaves 

Remember stay 2 metres away from people you might see on your walk and only stay out for a short amount of time.

On a cloudy day try and spot shapes in the clouds. 

Make a list of the different things you saw.

I saw:

Elephant

Duck

Volcano

Egg

Boat

Car

Due to less pollution in the air the sky is very clear at night and the stars are very easy to see. As a treat why not stay up a little later and count the stars. See if you can spot a shooting star. Dont forget to make a wish. "I wish school will open before Summer".

If your children are anything like my son all they want to do is snack, snack,snack.

I've been giving Freddie £2.00 in a selection of 20p,10p,5p,2ps and 1p. He can use this money to buy snacks but when his money is gone so are his snacks.

For reception children I would adapt this to show prices 1p, 2p, 3p 4p, 5p up to 10p give your children 30p in 1ps, 2ps, 5p or 10p and let them buy there own snacks. They can help to make the price list using their phonics and practise writing the numbers. 

In Reception children learnt to recognise and name the coins 1p, 2p 5p 10p and 20p they also learn to add pennies and 2ps to make a total. E.g

 2p + 3p = 5p

Using the lesson routine below check your child recognised all of the sounds in the picture.

Play i-spy using the sound. 

Daily Challenge

I have noticed lot of rainbows in people windows and I hope you have all had a go at making your own. It got me thinking about colour mixing. 

If you have paints at home have a got at mixing 

red + blue

red + yellow

yellow + blue

If you dont have the paints at home use the internet to find out which colours you make whe you mix the above colours. Another fun way to learn colour mixing is using food colouring in the bath.

When you have found out the colours you make can you use them to make a picture?

Phonics challenge:

Use the red words I, no, go and to to write your own sentences or even a short story.

Can you use finger spaces?

Today's challenge

Listen to the story of Nobot the Robot by clicking the link below. Can you design and draw your own robot. Label it and then try to write a short story. What is your robots name? Where does your robot go? What is the problem in the story? How does the story end?

Then have a go at making your own junk model robot! 

An idea to encourage writing

children always write better when they have a purpose or a reason to write such as a shopping list, birthday card or party invitation. Another idea is to create a 'hook' something imaginative to ignite interest. I have frozen a pom pom in water and I'm going to pretend it is an 'ice baby' your child might want to make a home for it or draw it and label it. They could think of a story about where the ice baby is from and what it is doing here.

All you need is: 

a little tub

water

freezer

object to freeze 

We have had a busy day today. 

Baking is a fantastic way for children to learn and talk about weight, measure, changing materials and safety. You can have great fun decorating them once theyve cooled too.

Board games:

In reception we teach children to take turns and share, tolerate delay and over come challenges including winning and losing. Board games are a fantastic way to have family fun and teach all of these important life skills. 

Chores:

Why not get your children to help with the chores. They could be encouraged with rewards or praise but I'm sure they would love the independence and being trusted to help out with jobs! 

Freddie and I have made a rainbow to display at the front of our house. Why dont you have a go at making one. Remember paints, pens and pencils can be ordered from Amazon.co.uk

Have fun!

Bedtime story

I will post a bedtime story  as often as possible for you to enjoy at home with your grown up. You could draw a picture of one of the characters or design the perfect home for a character. 

Enjoy.