Blog 11 - 1st December

Well Apples I certainly wasn't ready to finish our week with snow! How exciting... What a lovely way to begin December! 
 
Now to share with you all our fabulous learning this week (even though Wednesday left us a bit too cold to learn in our wonderful classroom!)
 
We started our week focusing upon our core text The Gruffalo, but this week we looked at sequencing the story and retelling it in small groups.
 
Every day we read the story but with a different focus. It is so important to read stories over and over again as it allows children to take in the story properly and to join in with the story telling - especially the repeated refrains. It also allows you to have a different focus each time you read. For example, rhyming words, filling in the missing words, rhythm, story recall, talking about characters or the setting and asking questions. Understanding the story is the most important part when children cannot read for themselves. When you read at home, ask your child questions about characters, the story setting, what they think might happen next. 
 

We continued with our Gruffalo hunt to develop our phonic skills. We searched for the Gruffalo characters around the garden and tell me what initial sound it began with. For example, "g for gruffalo, m for mouse, f for fox." This was quite a tricky activity. Only some children could hear the initial sounds in the words. Some children were able to tell me the sound the animal made instead. 

 

We continued with our subtizing number work when we play the "gruffalo game." 

 

To go alongside making their own stories, many children have been using the characters as props in almost all areas of the classroom! Again, this is a great way to develop a good understanding of the story and build upon their communication and language skills. 

 

And finally on Thursday and Friday we of course enjoyed the bit of snow that we had! 

 

Wrap up warm everyone and take lots of care when out and about! 

 

Mrs Farrar