Early Years Spring Term 1
Theme 1 - Winter
We shall begin 2015 with a theme of Winter, which will be covered in the first week back. It is only a
short week but we will aim to cover some of the following topics and fun activities:
Seasonal changes including cold weather, snow, ice, winter clothing, bare trees, feeding the birds and
hibernation of animals as a reminder of what they learnt in Autumn.
We will undertake some experiments to encourage prediction with melting ice and an observational one
involving fizzy ice cubes!
There will be Winter-themed spoken and written language opportunities such as adjectives to describe
ice cubes, different words to describe degrees of cold and what a magnified snowflake looks like. We
will be making collages with cold colours and learning how to paint a watercolour wash. There will be
more opportunities for painting and collage with bare trees and snowmen subjects.
We will make bird seed cake to put outside in our garden area and we will attempt to recreate an ice
house. Our Number activities will also be snowmen/snowball/snowflake themed. PE will focus on Dance
and will be based around snowflakes, making and rolling snowballs and creating snow sculptures.
What more can we say but… ‘Let it snow!’
Specific Area: Mathematics
We will continue to teach mathematics through a range of practical and fun activities both indoors and outdoors. They will be reciting,
ordering, recognising and comparing numbers. We will also be continuing with adding and subtracting numbers up to 20, counting in
two’s and ten’s, also working with some measurements including weight and capacity. Reception children will also be looking at shape
both 2D and 3D and looking at shapes in our environment.
Prime Area: Communication and
Language Development
Within the unit we use both
verbal and non-verbal
communication and will be
continuing using Makaton- a form
of sign language. We will be
talking to children and providing
opportunities for children to talk
to other children about their
activities at home and school
helping them to reflect upon and
explain events. Rhythm, rhyme
and repetition will be explored.
Prime Area: Physical Development
Physical development covers both
fine and gross motor skills as well as
children’s health and self-care. This
half term we will be continuing to
develop children’s fine motor skills
through activities including using
tweezers, peg boards, threading,
cutting, writing, finger gym and
dough discos. We will be
encouraging the children to move
with controlled effort and motivate
children to be active through games.
Reception children will be having a
weekly PE session where they will be
changing into their PE kits and going
into the small hall or outdoors
(Weather permitting) to work on
dance, games, gymnastics and
multiskills.
Prime Area: Personal, Social and
Emotional Development
The children will be consolidating the
rules and routines of our setting
including behavioural expectations at
lunch time. Through circle times we will
be talking about emotions and how we
deal with them. Also we will help the
children to recognise when their actions
hurt others. We will be teaching the
children to use and care for resources
then trusting them to do so
independently. Confidence will be built
and we recognise and enjoy children’s
success.
Dinosaurs
Specific Area: Knowledge and Understanding
of the World
In this area we will be encouraging children to
talk about their own home and community life,
and to find out about other children’s
experiences. During the week prior to half term
we will be looking at and thinking about
Pancake Day. As well as finding out about
dinosaurs, where and when they lived, what
they ate and the many different types of
dinosaurs there were.
Specific Area: Literacy
Literacy is broken down into reading and writing. Reading is an integral part of
the Early Years curriculum and throughout this term we will be exploring a
range of books in both small and larger groups. This half term we are focusing
our learning around the topics of Winter and Dinosaurs. The activities for the
beginning of the term are based on the stories of Harry and his Dinosaurs,
Dinosaur Roar and Dinosaur Stomp. .Reception children will continue their
daily phonics sessions where they will be introduced to letter sounds and
receive their sound books to consolidate their learning at home. Children will
be discussing characters in books and predicting outcomes. We will be
supporting children with their mark making and writing-whatever stage they
are at. We will be continuing to learn new words that will be brought home to
learn. We will be beginning to write short sentences using full stops and
capital letters and continuing with learning correct letter formations.
Specific Area: Expressive Art and Design
Children will have daily opportunities to play with playdough, paint and to make their own models
in the Blue zone (any recycling will be greatly appreciated).They will have access to 3 role play
areas to help develop their imagination and build on their speaking and confidence. This half term
our role play areas will include a dinosaur area, café and bus stop. The children will have singing
sessions and continue to access musical instruments.