| Seal’s topic this half term will be exploring ‘Light’.
Each week we will explore a new story related to our current topic. During each week we will engage in a number of activities that are topic related. Your child will be encouraged and supported to explore and engage in each of these activities at a level that meets their individual needs. The holistic approach to learning in Seals class will allow your child to progress at a pace that is suitable to their individual needs and abilities within a rich and enabling environment.
Your child will regularly bring home information on their individual learning targets, individual targets may change in line with the topic, as and when experienced or consolidated. Each pupil will have individualised timetables to work alongside our class time table. Each individual timetable highlights targets taken from your child’s personal targets such as EHCPs, Sensory enrichment plans and communication plans. Your Son/Daughter’s individual timetables and current PLGs were sent home at the beginning of the term, if you have any questions or require an additional copy please do feel free to contact me.
Please do feel free to explore individual targets at home, it would be great to hear about your child’s experiences via their home School book or EfL, here are the themes we will follow this half term, including key signs and stories of the week.
|
| Curriculum Area | Subjects and ideas for home |
| 'Light' | Activities and exploration of learning will be as follows, each activity will be linked to our topic of ‘Light’ or directly to the story of the week.
We will explore Diwali, Bonfire night, the Sun and Moon and sources of light such as lamps, torches and fire, and of course the safe use of each element.
Total Communication will be running throughout each activity and working alongside children’s individual Communication plans, we will be learning topic related words/signs and symbols found in our stories. We will continue to work throughout the half term on contextual words that support requests, play and social situations.
Daily activities – As is our class routine, each day after registration we will continue to take part in a number of activities such as –
Number songs
Disco dough
Exploring listening skills and comprehension.
Fine motor skills and dexterity
Following direction-pinch, roll, splat etc., forward, backward, numbers 1-5
Tactile discrimination
Wake up shake up
Exploring listening skills and comprehension, following instructions
Gross motor-wake up shake up.
Recognition of body parts, feet, hands etc.
Moving around the room safely/spatial awareness.
We will explore
Place value by
Showing response to number rhymes and songs e.g. anticipation.
Becoming aware of number names through their enjoyment of action rhymes and songs that relate to numbers
During our Multi-sensory Listening and Attention sessions we will be exploring our individual PLGs and communication targets/SaLT programmes. This will involve attention and anticipation activities, following instruction in activity songs, exploring our listening skills in line with music and expressing our preferences to stimuli.
|
| Maths/Problem solving | In maths we will be taking part in exploratory activities, such as recognising and making our own patterns. We will use 2D and 3d shapes, glow sticks and torches, light up balls and battery powered toys to observe light and its patterns.
Throughout the week we will be exploring
Pattern
Experiencing patterned objects and images
Beginning to predict what happens next in predictable situations
Joining in with repeated actions in songs and stories
Anticipating meaningful events in response to object / song of reference.
Becoming familiar with patterns in daily routines
Joining in with and predicts what comes next in a familiar story or rhyme
Correctly identifying object/song of reference for part of school day
Properties of Shape
Exploring differently sized and shaped objects
Beginning to put objects inside others and take them out again
Stacking objects using flat surfaces
Responding to changes of shape
Attempting, sometimes successfully, to match shapes with spaces on inset puzzles
Pushing objects through different shaped holes, and attempting to fit shapes into spaces on inset boards or puzzles
Beginning to select a shape for a specific space
Eye/hand points to direct the actions of another to put shapes into matching space.
Enjoying using blocks to create their own simple structures and arrangements
Sorting objects which are the same
Choosing puzzle pieces and tries to fit them in
Making simple constructions
Stories for the half term
Little glow-Katie Sahota and Harry Woodgate
Dipal’s Diwali-Twinkl Ebook
Sparks in the sky-Twinkl Ebook
Ten little lights-Twinkl Ebook
Fox in the Night: A Science Storybook About Light and Dark (Science Storybooks)-Martin Jenkins
The owl who was afraid of the dark-Jill Tomlinson
The light in the night-Marie Voight
|
| Communication/English | We will be exploring the stories above which deliver a great backdrop to investigate Light. We will be matching symbols to objects that produce light, decoding singular symbols/photos.
This will include daily story time, mark making activities, listening activities, activities focussed on the story of the week, during this time we will be focussing on.
Reading
Responding to sounds in the environment such as cars, sirens and birds
Showing anticipation of repeated refrain or key moment in a familiar story or rhyme
Beginning to join in with actions and/or sounds in familiar book sharing experiences.
Noticing pictures and symbols
Beginning to recognise what pictures and symbols stand for within their familiar experiences
Recognising and decoding a single symbol
Beginning to respond to pictures in familiar book sharing experiences
Handling books, printed and digital reading material with interest e.g. tactile books, symbols, pictures, photographs, electronic devices
Being interested in and anticipates books and stories and may have a favourite
Having some favourite books or stories
Writing/mark making
Manipulating objects using hands singly or together, e.g. squeezing water out of a sponge
Hands start to operate independently during a task that uses both, with each hand doing something different at the same time
Using a combination of independent movements in play e.g. grasp, release, throw, bang, drop, using one hand or two hands
Tolerating hand over hand support from adult during play/learning activity eg. to complete a task, to request/exchange a PECS symbol.
Enjoying the sensory experience of making marks e.g. in food, damp sand, water, mud, paste, paint
Attempting to use tools to interact with materials, e.g. crayons, chalks etc.
Beginning to understand the cause and effect of their actions in their mark making
Enjoying drawing and writing on paper and/or in different media, e.g. in sand or playdough, foam, paint, styling gel
|
| Creative (Art, Craft and DT) | In Creative we will be exploring lots of different items related to light. We will be making Bonfire pictures, Sparkly play dough, lanterns and various Christmas decorations.
|
| Exploration and investigation | we will work on the area of ‘understanding the world’ by exploring light, where it comes from, Identifying different light sources,
sorting light sources, (flames, battery, mains) , looking at natural light sources during day and night. We will also explore coloured lights, changing colours, what effects can they make and how we can change them, Looking at shadows, making shadow puppets and exploring our own shadows outside.
|
| Motor skills development
| As well as our usual motor skills activities such as -Pencil control, hand eye co-ordination activities, puzzles, we will be exploring how to use switches for cause and effect. We will continue to work on our individual Physio and SE plans alongside our motor skills too, including Fine motor skills to develop independence (holding cup, cutlery, isolating fingers to point manipulate objects.) In P.E we will be using lights and lasers to move to, making up dances and using light up balls and balloons to play games to work together and interact with each other. |
| Personal development/PSHE | will be woven in through our weekly activities, exploring pupils individual PLG’s, aspirations and Feelings.
|
| Relaxation | To draw our busy week to a close we will take part in a number of relaxation activities on a Friday afternoon, such as yoga, foot spas, massage mats and time for reflection. We will explore how we feel before, during and after these sessions as well as how to activate such resources. |
| Things to try at home. | At home you might wish to explore/discuss different light sources and how these are accessed in a safe way.
Try involving your child in using light switches, plug switches to activate a device.
Maybe discuss when the sun is shining and it is bright, observe the moon on a clear night, discussing light and dark?
Your child may enjoy spending time exploring shadows, acting out a favourite story using shadow puppets, or creating different patterns with light sources such as torches, bubble tubes or lava lamps.
Explore what items your child can safely access/operate independently in and around your home, they may surprise you with a new skill.
Please feel free to record your explorations on EfL, we’d love to see what you’ve been up to at home
|
Welcome to Seals