Feed the birds...

This week the nursery children have been hard at work creating their own bird feeders to hang in the garden

The Ladybird group with their bird feeders.

Mrs Ricciardi - "We used a needle and string to thread the cheerios to make a delicious snack for the birds now winter is coming!"

At the Grove Academy we believe that outdoor play and learning is vital in developing a broad range of skills and encourage the children to spend time outside on a daily basis. 

For more information on the benefits of outdoor learning, the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) are a great resource.

“Let Nature be your teacher.” – William Wordsworth

Stay and Share

It was lovely to see so many parents and carers last week for our 'Stay and Share' sessions. These drop in sessions are a great opportunity for you to have a look through your child's Learning Journal at the progress they have made so far, as well to see their targets for future learning.

The best way for children to achieve these targets and to progress to the best of their ability, is through continued support from teaching staff and families. When we are all on the same page with children's next steps in learning and are working towards the same goal, success for every child is both achievable and inevitable.

If you were unable to make the 'Stay and Share' sessions in Nursery and Reception last week then please feel free to chat to your child's key worker who will be more than happy to share your child's progress and next step targets.

"A little progress every day adds up to BIG results". - Satya Nani

Word of the Week: Noisy

Each week the children in Reception are introduced to a key word for the week. We talk about the meaning of the word, what sound we can hear at the beginning and try to find a word that rhymes. In addition, we learn the Makaton sign that accompanies the word and try to use it regularly throughout the week.

This week the word of the week is :noisy 

The Makaton sign is:

 

Have a go and see what 'noisy' things there are in your home!

"Increasing vocabulary is an accomplishment. Celebrate mastery of every word" - Marilee Sprenger

Fantastic Phonics

As the children are introduced to each new letter in our phonics lessons, they are taught how to say the 'pure' sound that the letter makes. Using the 'pure' sounds really supports the children with their early blending and reading as it makes it much easier for them to work out what word they are trying to read.

A link to the Read Write Inc. sound pronunciation guide can be found in the 'Parents Evening FAQ's' blog post below to support you with correct sound pronunciation when you are helping your children at home.

In addition to this , the children in RG have recorded some helpful clips to demonstrate the correct pronunciation for the first 5 phonic sounds that we learn in Reception. Please have a look and check out how they say each 'pure' sound.

m - Maisy, mountain mountain

a - round the apple, down the leaf

s - slither down the snake

d - round the dinosaurs bottom, up his tall neck and down to his feet

t - down the tower, across the tower

Check back next week for the next 5 sounds!!

To learn to read is to light a fire” — Victor Hugo, Les Miserables