Early Years Summer Term 2020 & Coronavirus
Dear Parents and Children of Early Years
We hope you are all staying safe and managing to have some fun during this very different and difficult time for everyone. As some of you may have finished the pack Mrs Ford sent home when the school was closed on Friday 20th March she has put together some more ideas for you. There is a letter from Mrs Ford below with photos and links to useful websites and also links to task sheets for you to download and print. If printing at home is not an option for you please send a message via office@oldheath.essex.sch.uk or text 07305 938 237 to say you would like a printed pack. The printed pack contains more work than what we are able to link on the website! Packs will be available on Monday 23rd April from 2pm at the front office if you have pre ordered! Please don't forget to mention your child's name in the email/text so that we can name the envelope and then leave it in the entrance hallway at the front office so you can pick up as part of your daily walk! If you are self isolating as either someone in the household has the virus or you are shielding please let us know and I will see what we are able to manage in the current situation.
At this time Old Heath School along with the rest of the Nation's schools have no idea what is being planned in terms of future opening as being discussed in the news. As soon as we are officially informed and have plans in place to manage reopening I will contact all parents directly via ParentMail.
Many thanks & stay safe!
Amanda Mitchelson
Hello!
Here are a few more ideas for learning at home over the next few weeks, which we would have been covering in Early Years during the next half term.
Literacy
Please find attached words for the children to read with 4 sounds rather than the usual 3. For those of you who have been using Phonics Play, these will be found in the Phase 4 area. All of these words contain four single sounds (i.e. no digraphs in this first set of words) and as long as the children listen carefully for all four sounds, they shouldn’t be too difficult to read with a little practise.
I am also sending the new tricky words which are the last set for Early Years, remember that the children can’t use their sounds to decode these although the first letter is always a clue.
Useful websites
Teach your monster to read.com
Maths
In maths we would have been exploring doubling this half term using butterflies to help us. You can use your Numicon tiles to support this by choosing 2 of the same tiles and then counting the total number of holes. Holding up the same number of fingers on each hand is perfect up to double 5 too. In the classroom, we would often say that 2 of the same things was ‘double trouble’ so the children may remember this. Some children may begin to remember some doubles without needing to count.
We would be revisiting repeating patterns and as we have already talked about this in class it shouldn’t be too tricky. Again, this would be done practically so you could thread the Numicon pegs in repeating patterns. You could start the pattern for your child to continue and then maybe they could start one for you.
Useful website
There are some repeating pattern games in the 3-5 section as well as some excellent games to practice number skills.
Understanding the World
This half term we were planning to plant broad beans, discussing how they grow from seed to bean.
We would have been leaning about the life cycles of butterflies and frogs too.
There are lots of great real life You Tube videos that demonstrate these changes over time. I am also attaching a couple of diagrams to support.
Weather permitting, we would always be on the lookout for minibeasts so keep your eyes peeled for different types of bugs too.
Finally, please remember that playing games, sharing stories, building, drawing, colouring, tracing, painting, exercising and generally having fun are all so important and are things that we would have been doing in Early Years too!
I hope that you are all safe and well.
Helen Ford
A printable version of Mrs Ford's Letter
phase 4 words with single sounds
When you are coming in to pick up packs please can you make sure that if there is anyone in front of you, you give them plenty of space to collect and leave the building before you enter! Thank you very much!