What we’ve been up to this month…
This month has been filled with lots of exciting experiences, celebrations and opportunities for learning at Three Gables! We have had a fantastic Party Week, celebrating our wonderful preschoolers and all their achievements before they begin their next exciting chapter. The children enjoyed lots of party fun, including pass the parcel, musical statues and bouncing on our bouncy castle, as well as enjoying a special party tea together.
We have also been exploring our Under the Sea theme, with lots of opportunities for sensory and imaginative play. The children have enjoyed exploring a variety of water trays and sensory experiences, experimenting with different textures through slime and using their creativity to make their very own mermaid tails.
Alongside our exciting activities, we have been placing a strong focus on promoting independence and developing important life skills. We have been encouraging the children to have a go at tasks for themselves, make choices, take responsibility for their belongings and develop confidence in managing everyday routines. By supporting these skills now, we are helping to ensure that the children have a strong foundation of independence, confidence and resilience to take with them into the future and their next stages of learning.
What’s happening next month…
Next month, we will be exploring our “All About Me” theme, focusing on what makes each of us special, unique and different. We will be encouraging the children to talk about themselves, their interests, feelings and the things they enjoy, while celebrating the similarities and differences between us.
We will also be learning about families and different cultures, helping children to develop an understanding that families can look different and that everyone has their own traditions, experiences and ways of celebrating. This will include a lot of hands on activities such as celebrations and traditions, looking at the changes in people since babies and creating family trees.
We will continue to place a strong emphasis on independence, confidence and developing skills for the future, encouraging the children to make choices, express their opinions, care for themselves and their belongings, and understand that being different is something to be celebrated.
September Preschool focus:
Next month, our Preschool focus will be “Taking It Back to Basics”, giving the children lots of opportunities to strengthen the essential skills they will need as they prepare for their next stage of learning. We will be revisiting the fundamentals through everyday routines, play and practical experiences, with a particular focus on independence, communication, listening, confidence and school readiness.
We will encourage the children to have a go at tasks independently, including putting on and taking off coats, managing shoes and belongings, using the toilet independently, washing their hands, opening food packaging and using cutlery. We will also be developing their ability to listen carefully, follow instructions, wait for their turn, share, take responsibility and communicate their needs and feelings.
Alongside these life skills, we will revisit important early learning skills such as recognising names, developing pencil control, practising counting and number recognition, exploring letters and sounds, and developing mark-making and writing skills. By taking things back to basics, we can identify any areas where children may need additional support and ensure they have a strong foundation of skills, confidence and independence ready for school and the future.
Activities we will do at nursery:
- What makes me special cards
- My name is….
- Mirror self portraits
- Favourite things
- Baby me – looking at how they have changed
- Around the world sensory trays
- Listening walk
- Feelings faces
- Same and different activities
Some ideas to do at home:
- Look in a mirror together and talk about eye colour, hair colour, facial features and what makes each person unique.
- Practise recognising and writing their own name.
- Look through family photographs and talk about the people who are important to them.
- Talk about what makes your family special and any traditions you enjoy together.
- Encourage your child to have a go at everyday tasks independently,
- Look for numbers on doors, buses, signs and houses.