Nursery Curriculum Information
Term: Summer term 2024
EYFS Curriculum
The EYFS curriculum is divided into seven different areas of learning and development which are all important and inter-connected. These are:
Prime areas: (We focus particularly on the three prime areas as these lay the foundations for success in the other areas of learning).
Communication and Language
Physical Development
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Specific areas
Literacy
Mathematics
Understanding the World
Expressive Arts and Design
As a Catholic school, we also teach RE.
Communication and Language
The development of children’s spoken language underpins all seven areas of learning and development.
This area involves developing Listening, Attention and Understanding and Speaking.
Examples of learning within this area include: listening to stories, talking to others, understanding instructions such as ‘Wash your hands and get your coat’ and asking and answering simple questions. Children will have lots of opportunities to extend their spoken language by using talk in their play such as role-playing situations in the home corner, playing with animals and playing games.
In summer term we will be taking part in different activities that will help to develop listening, concentration and attention skills. We will also be completing our 20-week (NELI-Preschool) Nuffield Early Language Intervention Preschool which develops children’s oral language skills (scroll down for further information about NELI-Preschool)
Physical Development
This area involves Gross motor skills and Fine motor skills.
Examples of learning within this area include: developing movement and balance by riding scooters and bikes and developing ball skills. Using the play village and climbing equipment will also help to develop children’s gross motor skills. Children will also develop their self-help skills and learning to become independent by learning how to put their coats on and use zips and buttons. In the summer term we will be focusing on using a comfortable grip with good control when holding pens and pencils in preparation for name writing. Children will also learn about making healthy choices about food, drink, exercise and how to look after our teeth.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
This area involves developing Self-regulation, Managing self and Building relationships.
Examples of learning in this particular area include: children developing in confidence, beginning to understand how to manage their feelings and forming friendships with their peers.
In the summer term we will focus on working together in groups to build relationships and take turns. We will also be doing some work around different emotions and how to solve conflicts when they arise.
Literacy
This area involves Comprehension, Word Reading and Writing.
It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading.
To develop language comprehension children will have lots of opportunities to take part in extended conversations about the stories they hear and also learn new vocabulary. To develop word reading children will be taught that print can have many different purposes and is not just seen in books. Children will learn the names for different parts of the book and how to handle books correctly to help them understand sequencing. Children will also develop their phonological awareness by taking part in activities where they listen for different sounds and also playing segmenting and blending games. For example, the adult says ‘put your hands on your b-a-ck’ and the children touch their backs.
In writing children will use their print and letter knowledge in their early writing through their play by writing for a range of purposes. For example, when writing shopping lists, birthday cards or labelling a picture they have drawn. In the summer term we will also begin to focus on name writing.
Nuffield Early Language Intervention Preschool (NELI-Preschool)
In the summer term we will be finishing our 20-week oral language programme (NELI-Preschool) Nuffield Early Language Intervention. NELI-Preschool is centred around storybook reading, which is designed to improve the oral language skills of children in Nursery. Each week focuses on a different book – a mixture of traditional folk tales, contemporary stories and non-fiction – and is comprised of activities to encourage the development of a rich vocabulary and ability to listen to, tell and enjoy stories. Every Friday children will get some suggested home learning activities to do based on the weeks text.
Our NELI-Preschool texts will become our literacy lessons. The texts we will be reading in the summer term are as follows:
Pip and Posy New Friend
Dinosaur Rocket
Jack and the Beanstalk
Nothing Can Frighten a Bear
Franklin Frog
The Knight Who Said No
Firefly Home
Look And Say What You See In The Countryside
Stardust
NELI-Preschool home learning activities
Each week parents will receive a newsletter to inform you of the weekly text and key vocabulary that the children have learnt during the week. Please can you work with your children each week, asking them to use the pictures and tell you what happened in the story.
Mathematics
This area involves Number and Numerical patterns.
In the summer term we will be learning about positions using words such as under, next to, on top of. Children will be playing games to help them understand different positions.
Children will also be comparing quantities using language: ‘more than’, ‘fewer’ ‘than’.
Children will talk about and explore 2D shapes using informal and mathematical language and make comparisons between objects relating to size, length, weight and capacity. They will take part in activities where they will select shapes appropriately, for example, flat surfaces for buildings, a triangular prism for a roof etc., and combine shapes to make new ones.
We will then move on to talking about and exploring 3D shapes using informal and mathematical language and making comparisons between objects relating to size, length, weight and capacity.
We will also be looking at numbers to 5 and what comes before and after.
Please click the link to access online maths games: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/3-5-years/counting
Understanding the World
This area involves learning about Past and present; People, culture and Communities; and The natural World.
Children will talk about their own families, learn about different occupations, understand that there are different countries in the world and develop positive attitudes about the differences between people. They will learn about the natural world, looking at life cycles of butterflies as we take care of caterpillars in class before releasing the fully grown butterflies outside.
In the summer term we will be linking our learning to the texts covered in our NELI sessions. When we read the story Jack and the beanstalk, we will plant our own seeds and take care of them as we watch them grow. Children will also learn about how animals grow and the life cycle of a frog during the text ‘Franklin Frog’.
Expressive Arts and Design
This area involves Creating with materials and Being imaginative and expressive.
Children can express themselves by selecting their own resources whether it be through the media of music, dance, art or role-play. They will use different materials and textures to express themselves and experiment with colour mixing. Children will also have the opportunity to use their imagination to create their own ‘small world’ scenes using building blocks and constructions and act out different emotions in their play.
In the summer term we will be linking our learning to the texts covered in our NELI sessions. We will be using a variety of media to create space scenes such as the moon and stars when we read the texts ‘Dinosaur Rocket’ and ‘Stardust’. Children will also have the opportunity to act out a moon landing when they can dress up as astronauts.
Religious Education
In R.E lessons this term our topics will be Good News, Friends, Islam and Our World.
Good News: Children will begin this topic by exploring the idea that everyone has good news to share. We will then learn that Jesus sent us a new friend, the Holy Spirit as we learn about Pentecost.
Friends: We will start this topic by exploring what it means to be a friend and talking about the things we do for our friends. We will then talk about how we can be friends of Jesus and how we can tell him about all the things that are important to us through our prayers.
Islam: Children will learn about special objects in Islam. We will learn about prayer mats and how they are used. Children will see how Muslims use prayer mats in their own faith and then have the opportunity to decorate their own.
Our World: We will start this topic by exploring some places in the world which are special to us and how we can look after our world that God created. We will refer back to the story of creation and the things that God created on each day. Children will also have the opportunity to ask questions about what we love and wonder about our world.
Catholic Social Teaching
Throughout the year, OLM focuses on different elements of Catholic Social Teaching (CST). Each half term we look at a different theme and discuss what each one means:
Autumn 1 - Care of Creation
Autumn 2 - Preferential Option for the Poor
Spring 1 - Solidarity and Peace
Spring 2 - Community and Participation
Summer 1 - Dignity of Workers
Summer 2 - Human Dignity
Tapestry
Tapestry is an online learning journal to show your child's learning journey and development in their Nursery year. You will be able to access this from home in order to look at photographs, videos and notes following your child's time at school. Please check this regularly.
How to help at home
You can support your child with the early stages of reading, writing and mathematics by:
- Continuing to encourage an enjoyment of books, stories and poems; reading and sharing the class library text sent home and by visiting the local library.
- Continuing to encourage your child to join in with rhymes and songs.
- Continuing to provide your child with a variety of writing equipment to encourage drawing and writing skills, encouraging your child to give meanings to the marks that they make.
- counting everyday items such as biscuits or solving simple problems like sharing out food.
