Mary Paterson and Dorothy Gardner Nurseries

Home Learning ideas for Nursery children

Language development

1. Make eye contact with your child as you speak .Do the same while he is talking

2. Always answer what he says and use gestures to supplement your language.

3. Ask your child plenty of questions to encourage him to talk, but do not attempt to force him to speak.

4. Provide a model of proper speech instead of correcting his speech. For example, if your child says “Me hungry,” say “I am hungry, too.”

5. Make every opportunity a language learning activity – if it’s a trip to the shops, or bath-time, you can make every activity a language learning activity. Point to things, name them, sing a nursery rhyme, or ask a question. You don’t have to set aside a specific time of day to learn language, every activity is a language learning activity.

6. Play games that encourage conversation, eg snap, buckaroo.

7. Recite nursery rhymes, so, so important!

8. Play I-Spy that encourages language participation. Eg something that begins with s, or something that is light blue in this room

9. Sing songs to encourage speech, modelling pronunciation.

10. Play games that encourage speaking and listening skills, eg. Hide and seek, musical statues, sleeping bunnies.

11. Observe and comment – when you are playing with your child, take a step back, do not feel that you have to fill the silences, just comment on the things your child is doing so they can hear (and learn) the new vocabulary

 

 

Personal, social and emotional development

12. Play games that encourage turn taking, eg snap, buckaroo. Make this explicit, my turn, your turn, Fred’s turn, whose turn is it now? (encourages fairness)

13. Let your child lead – let your child lead the play, let them be the boss of play. This can build self-confidence and independence. We want children to not have to depend on adults the whole time for entertainment. We want them to be comfortable with themselves and to be able to rely on themselves.

14. Continue the yoga that they receive in schools. A fun way to do this is by googling cosmic kid’s yoga.

15. Fostering mindfulness in preschoolers with tools like pictures, objects, food, simple movements, and music, can help them develop an ability to focus attention at a great level. See mindfulness Ideas sheet on website.

16. Tidying up is a great activity for children to learn responsibility for caring for objects, people and the environment. The most successful strategy for lively, energetic children is sweeping up and washing up. They love the responsibility!

17. Manners will take you far in life. Insist please and thank you.

 

 

Physical Development

 

1. Encourage your child to help prepare dinner, eg chopping vegetables

2. Encourage your child to spread their own butter and jam onto their toast

1. Continue the yoga that they receive in schools. A fun way to do this is cosmic kids yoga ( google)

2. Large motor Skills- My child can:

3. Aim and throw a large ball or beanbag, or catch one thrown to her.

4. Hop several times on each foot.

5. Walk along and jump over a low object, such as a line, string, or balance beam.

6. Bounce a large ball several times.

7. Kick a stationary ball.

8. Pedal and steer a bike

Small motor skills — My child can:

1. Brush teeth, comb hair, and get dressed with little help.

2. Skillfully use eating utensils.

3. Use (child-sized) scissors to cut along a line.

4. Pick up small items such as coins, toothpicks, and paperclips.

5. Assemble simple puzzles.

6. Copy simple shapes, like a circle or square.

7. Print some letters of the alphabet.

8. Stack objects so they don’t fall.

9. Give your child the space and freedom to use large muscles, through activities such as running, climbing and swinging on playground equipment.

10. Make sure your child gets adequate sleep and nutrition to fuel her overall development and activity.

11. Be sure to have her vision and hearing checked. Even small problems, caught and addressed at this age, can greatly enhance motor skill development and confidence.

12. Collect toys and equipment that your child can use to help her develop large muscles. (For example: hula hoops, bean bags, bike, large beach balls and a child-sized basketball hoop.)

13. Set up empty water bottles like bowling pins, and let your child use a soft ball to “bowl.”

14. Join your child in active play. Play catch, tag, or set up a simple obstacle course.

15. Give your child opportunities to practice small motor skills using child safety scissors, Lego blocks, dice, and buttons.

 

Math’s Development

16. Sing Math’s nursery rhymes/ songs every day. It is important for young childrens brains to have the objects/ visuals. Eg five little ducks songs, have five ducks or five drawings of ducks.

17. Sorting- get your child to sort the laundry into dark colours, light colours. Sort their toys as they tidy, teddies, bricks, books

18. Count everything, going up and down stairs, how many plates, knives etc when laying the table together.

19. Cooking- how many spoons of sugar? Use weighing of flour to talk about large or small quantities. I need three eggs can you fetch then for me?

20. Use playdough to match objects to numerals.

21. Make your own number line. Ordering and recognizing numerals

Literacy Development

1. Reading

2. Read, Read, Read. Read aloud to your child every day. This supports an understanding of how stories are structured, grammar, rhythm, knowledge and a love of reading.

3. Go on a sound hunt….. what can you hear? ( phase 1 phonics)

4. Build letter sounds by providing rhyming activities eg, fat, cat sat, mat,( Phase 1 Phonics)

5. Make an experience book that encourages children to retell something special they recently participated in. Eg going to the shop, making toast

6. Writing

7. Playdough…strengthens hands, wrists and fingers

8. Q-tip painting……Practice the pincer grip by painting with a q-tip.

9. Bucket of water and paintbrush,….strengthen and develops shoulder muscles reading for writing

10. Threading

11. Adding beads to pipe cleaners

12. Weaving

13. A plastic plate covered with ketchup , hand your child a chopstick, make marks on the plate.

 

Expressive arts and design

14. Dance! Try to represent stories and feeling to movement and music

15. Sing! All day, every day. Sings a few familiar songs.

16. Tap s out repeated rhythms. Explores and learns how sounds can be changed.

17. Explores colour and how colours can be changed.

18. Drawing…. Understands that they can use lines to enclose a space, and then begin to use these shapes to represent objects.

19. Uses various construction materials. Beginning to construct, stacking blocks vertically and horizontally, making enclosures and creating spaces…..boxes/ junk modelling

 

 

 

Understanding the world( Geography, Science, History, Technology)

20. Sensory Baskets – Consider creating different collections of items that all belong to the same environment. Not only will this give the little ones a chance to create logical connections in their minds, but you get the opportunity to observe the things that interest each individual child the most. . (science)

21. Composting- The ‘magic’ of watching food leftovers turning into soil might be just the way to keep your little ones active and foster their curiosity about the outdoor environment. ( Science)

22. Wildlife Gardening- A simple twig pile in an undisturbed corner of the garden or balcony is enough to attract a range of wildlife to your setting’s outdoor area. It can be a true delight for the little ones to observe how different insects and invertebrates find shelter, feed, and collaborate. ( Science and environment/ geography)

23. Family Photos- get some pictures of family members and relatives (or even pets!) and create a memory box or create a family tree. ( History)

24. Create a child photo album of places they have been.( history and geography)

 

25. Use a camera with your child to take photos/ videos of teddy visiting the supermarket, etc and use this technology to make books or maps( ICT/ Literacy/Geography/History)

 

 

 

Resources for Parents

 

 

Websites for young children

 

 

1. www.phonicsplay.co.uk

2. www.bookstart.org.uk – Book Sharing and pack Information

3. http://ukchildrensbooks.co.uk – On-line world of children’s books

4. www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies – Fun and educational games and crafts

5. www.literacytrust.org.uk/talk_to_your_baby – Encourages parents to talk more to babies

6. www.five.tv/milkshake – Fun and educational games & crafts

7. www.sparklebox.co.uk – Primary and Early Years resources

 

 

Book list for EYFS there are too many to mention!

 

https://literacytrust.org.uk/resources/choose-perfect-book-your-child-these-book-lists

 

We’re going on a bear hunt Michael Rosen

Burglar Bill, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

The Tiger Who Came To Tea, by Judith Kerr

Cops and Robbers Allan Ahlberg

Don’t forget the bacon Pat Hutchins

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy Lynley Dodd

Owl Babies Martin Waddell

Room on the Broom, by Julia Donaldson

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

The Cat in the Hat, by Dr Seuss

The Owl who was afraid of the Dark Jill Tomlinson

Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak

The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter

 

Mindfulness activities for children

https://positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-for-children-kids-activities

1. The Bell Listening Activity – ring a bell and ask the children to listen carefully to the vibration of the ringing. Ask them to stay silent and raise their hands when they can no longer hear the sound. Then ask them to stay silent for one more minute to pay attention to any other sounds once the ringing has stopped. After, we can go around to each child and ask them to tell us every sound they noticed during that minute. Young children love this and it helps them connect to the present moment and the sensitivity of their perceptions.

2. Breathing Buddies – ask the children to bring along a stuffed animal each and if possible, have them lie down on the floor and put the stuffed animals on their stomachs. Ask them to breathe in silence for one minute and notice how their Breathing Buddy moves up and down, and any other sensations they notice. Ask them to imagine that any thoughts that come into their head turn into bubbles and float away. Having a Breathing Buddy there makes the meditation more friendly and shows the children that a playful activity doesn’t have to be noisy.

3. The Squish and Relax activity – whilst the children are lying down with their eyes closed, ask them to squish and squeeze every muscle in their bodies as tight as they can. Ask them to start with their toes and feet, squish the muscles in their legs, squeeze their stomachs, then their hands into fists and raise their shoulders up to their heads. Ask them to hold themselves squished up for a few seconds and then fully release and relax.

4. Smell and tell – give something fragrant to each child, such as some fresh orange peel, a flower, a mint leaf etc. Ask them to close their eyes and breathe in the scent, concentrating all their focus on the smell of their object. Scent can help with anxiety-relief as well as relaxation, stress, concentration etc.

5. The Art of Touch – give an object to each child to touch, such as a ball, a feather, a soft toy, a stone, etc. Ask them to close their eyes and describe what it feels like to a partner. Then ask them to swap. This exercise and the previous one teaches children to isolate their senses and to tune into separate, clear-cut experiences.

6. Mindful walks – children will love to do a ‘noticing walk’. We can walk along noticing things we haven’t seen before and then have one minute where we are completely silent and pay attention to all the sounds we can hear, such as birds singing, a lawnmower, a stream gurgling over stones etc. We can even expand it into a Safari walk by asking them to notice as many birds, bugs, creepy-crawlies etc as they can. This will turn a normal walk into an exciting adventure and teach them to focus all their senses.

7. Have a daily gratitude moment – we can teach our children to appreciate the abundance in their lives, instead of focusing on all the toys eat they want. It can be as simple as sharing about one thing we are grateful for at dinner every night.

8. Personal weather report – ask the children to best describe their feelings at the moment. Are they sunny, rainy, stormy, calm, windy etc? How do they know they are feeling those feelings? Where do they feel them in their bodies? Ask them which feelings they like best? Then ask them what they can do to feel better, reminding them they can always imagine their thoughts as bubbles when they’re upset; they can do the Squish and Relax activity when they need to calm down; or they can take a few moments to listen to their breath or feel their heartbeat if they want to relax. This activity shows children that they can observe their present state without over-identifying with their emotions. They understand that they can’t change their emotions any more than they can change the weather, but they can change how it affects them. They can learn to recognise that they are not the rain, but it is raining: they are not a scaredy-cat, but they can sometimes feel scared.

9. The Heartbeat exercise – ask the children to jump up and down for one minute and then ask them to sit back down and put their hands on their heart. Ask them to close their eyes and feel their heartbeats, their breath and whatever else they notice about their bodies.

10. The Mindful jar – this activity can teach children how strong emotions can take over and how to calm down when these emotions happen. We should put a big spoonful of glitter glue into a clear jar and fill it almost to the top with water. We then put the lid back on and shake it to make the glitter swirl. We then tell the children that the glitter is like their thoughts when they’re upset or angry and they can see how when it is whirling around it makes it hard to see clearly. And that’s why we make silly decisions when we’re upset and this happens to all of us. We then put the jar down in front of them and ask them to watch what happens when they’re still for a little while – the glitter starts to settle and the water clears. We then tell them that their mind works the same – when they’re calm for a few moments, their thoughts will settle and they will see clearer.

 

Playdough recipe

Makes 1 coloured ball Prep 10 minutes

You will need

· 8 tbsp plain flour

· 2 tbsp table salt

· 60ml warm water

· food colouring

· 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the water, a few drops of food colouring and the oil.

2. Pour the coloured water into the flour mix and bring together with a spoon.

3. Dust a work surface with a little flour and turn out the dough. Knead together for a few minutes to form a smooth, pliable dough. If you want a more intense colour you can work in a few extra drops of food colouring.

4. Store in a plastic sandwich bag (squeeze out the air) in the fridge to keep it fresh. It lasts usually for a week. .

NHS Mental wellbeing while staying at home If you have to stay at home because of coronavirus (COVID-19), it's important to take care of your mind as well as your body.You may feel bored, frustrated or lonely. You may also be low, worried or anxious, or concerned about your finances, your health or those close to you.It is OK to feel like this – everyone reacts in their own way to challenging events and uncertainty. It's important to remember that staying at home may be difficult, but you are helping to protect yourself and others by doing it.

The tips and advice here are things you can do now to help you keep on top of your mental wellbeing and cope with how you may feel while staying at home. Make sure you get further support if you feel you need it.

The government also has wider guidance on staying at home as a result of coronavirus. 1. Find out about your employment and benefits rights. You may be worried about work and money if you have to stay home – these issues can have a big effect on your mental health.If you have not already, talk with your employer about staying at home, and learn about your sick pay and benefits rights. Knowing the details about what the coronavirus outbreak means for you for you can reduce worry and help you feel more in control. GOV.UK: Coronavirus support 2. Plan practical things. Work out how you can get any household supplies you need. You could try asking neighbours or family friends, or find a delivery service.Continue accessing treatment and support for any existing physical or mental health problems where possible. Let services know you are staying at home, and discuss how to continue receiving support.If you need regular medicine, you might be able to order repeat prescriptions by phone, or online via a website or app. Contact your GP and ask if they offer this. You can also ask your pharmacy about getting your medicine delivered, or ask someone else to collect it for you.If you support or care for others, either in your home or by visiting them regularly, think about who can help out while you are staying at home. Carers UK has further advice on creating a contingency plan if you care for others. Carers UK: Coronavirus 3. Connect with others. Maintaining healthy relationships with people you trust is important for your mental wellbeing. Think about how you can stay in touch with friends and family while you are at home – by phone, messaging, video calls or online – whether it's people you usually see often, or reconnecting with old friends or neighbours. Lots of people are finding the current situation difficult, so staying in touch could help them too.

 

4. Talk about your worries. It is quite common to feel worried, scared or helpless about the current situation. Remember, it is OK to share your concerns with others you trust – doing so could help them too. Or you could try a charity helpline or webchat. NHS-recommended helplines 5. Look after your body. Our physical health really affects how we feel. Try to make sure you and your family eat healthy, well-balanced meals, drink enough water and exercise regularly. Avoid smoking or drugs, and try not to drink too much alcohol. It can be easy to fall into unhealthy patterns of behaviour that end up making you feel worse. Get outside for a walk or a run if you can or an exercise video.

Difficult feelings .Concern about the coronavirus outbreak is perfectly normal. However, some people may experience intense anxiety that can affect their day-to-day life. Try to focus on the things you can control, such as how you act, who you speak to and where you get information from. It's fine to acknowledge that some things are outside of your control, but if constant thoughts about the situation are making you feel anxious or overwhelmed, there are some things you can try to help manage your anxiety, like listen to a mental wellbeing audio guide. .7. Do not stay glued to the news . Try to limit the time you spend watching, reading or listening to coverage of the outbreak, including on social media, and think about turning off breaking-news alerts on your phone. You could set yourself a specific time to read updates or limit yourself to checking a couple of times a day. Use trustworthy sources – such as GOV.UK or the NHS website – and fact-check information from the news, social media or other people. GOV.UK: Coronavirus response 8. Carry on doing things you enjoy. If we are feeling worried, anxious, lonely or low, we may stop doing things we usually enjoy. Make an effort to focus on your favourite hobby if it is something you can still do at home. If not, picking something new to learn at home might help – there are lots of ideas online. 9. Take time to relax. This can help with difficult emotions and worries, and improve our wellbeing. Relaxation techniques can also help deal with feelings of anxiety.

10. Create a routine. Life is changing for a while and whether you are staying at home or social distancing, you are likely to see some disruption to your normal routine. Think about how you can adapt and create positive new routines and set yourself goals.You might find it helpful to write a plan for your day or your week. If you are working from home, try to get up and get ready in the same way as normal, keep to the same hours you would normally work and stick to the same sleeping schedule.You could set a new time for a daily home workout, and pick a regular time to clean, read, watch a TV programme or film, or cook. 11. Look after your sleep. Good-quality sleep makes a big difference to how we feel, so it's important to get enough.Try to maintain your regular sleeping pattern and stick to good sleep practices. 12. Keep your mind active. Read, write, play games, do crosswords, complete sudoku puzzles, finish jigsaws, or try drawing and painting. Whatever it is, find something that works for you. Further support and advice There are plenty of things you can do and places to get more help and support if you are struggling with your mental health. Our pages on stress, anxiety, sleep and low mood have lots more tips and specific advice. If you are a parent, Young Minds has guidance on talking to your child about coronavirus.The NHS mental health and wellbeing advice pages also have a self-assessment, as well as audio guides and other tools you can use while staying at home.We also have guidance and information to help others if someone you know is struggling with their mental health. Urgent support. If you cannot wait to see a doctor and feel unable to cope or keep yourself safe, it's important to get support. Ring 111, Samaritans or ttps://www.bigwhitewall.com.

 

Dear Parents/Carers

Dorothy Gardner and Mary Paterson are closing this Friday 20th March

As you know during the outbreak of coronavirus we have been following all government advice very carefully and monitoring the situation at the school extremely closely. At the same time we have been preparing for the probability that the nursery would have to close at some point.

Today we find ourselves in a position where we have been asked to close in an effort to delay the spread of this virus.

Now the school has closed, what should your child be doing each day?

Below are some helpful websites that provide some ideas of games and free resources. We will add a page of early learning activities under our news page.

www.twinkle.co.uk

www.phonicsplay

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/advice-for-parents/fun-ideas-learning-at-home/fun-ideas-ages-3-4/

https://www.jumpstart.com/parents/activities/activities-3-year-old

We have tried to contact all the families who we believe to be a key worker. We are working in partnership with Queen’s Park Primary school to keep a service open for children of key workers, those with Education Health Care Plans and looked after children. PLEASE ADVISE DOROTHY GARDNER NURSERY (0208 969 5835) IF YOU ARE A KEY WORKER AND INTEND TO USE THIS SERVICE.

It has been suggested that a Key Worker would fall under the following categories at this time:

· Health workers, including doctors and nurses, midwives, paramedics and so on

· Other health workers employed in a health setting

· Police officers

· Fire brigade and other community safety workers

· Supermarket delivery drivers and workers

· Other delivery drivers

· Workers looking after the vulnerable and elderly

· School staff

· Anyone working in "critical infrastructure"

Well-being

In addition to providing home learning, the school will also run a weekly well-being check. Family workers will telephone once a week to speak with both parents and pupils. We hope this will be reassuring for the children and helps them to still feel part of the Queen’s Park community.

Teachers will phone you on either Wednesdays or Thursdays between the hours of 11:00am and 3:00pm. Please note the call will show as ‘No Caller ID’.

Contact with the School

Although the telephones will not be manned, the school’s email account will be monitored. You can email us on office@qpfed.org. We will keep you updated of further developments going forward via text message or the website, www.qpeyfed.org , so please do keep a regular check on this.

We know this is a very worrying time for everyone but in challenging times, the Queen’s Park community will always pull together and support each other wherever we can. Many thanks for your understanding and ongoing support.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Commins

Interim Executive Headteacher

Parent Coffee Mornings

1.10.19 Help with applying for primary school places.

Douglas Shaw from the Westminster Admissions team came to talk about the process for Reception Class admissions and answered lots of your questions.

Carmen Sanchez from IASS was also available to meet and talk to parents of children with SEND.

15.11.19 Help your child with speech development.

Speech & Language Therapist Allyia Khan discussed how communication develops in young children. She shared some great Parent Child Interaction (PCI) strategies and ended the morning with some easy practical ideas for communication activities for parents to try at home.

5.11.19 Health Visitor.

Guest speaker Joy Onyegbosi- Health Visitor Team Lead.

December

Helen spent two sessions focused on toilet training offering tips to support parents to help their child.

3.12.19 What does early Reading look like?

Rose discussed the skills required for reading including phase 1 phonics which is covered comprehensively in nursery.

29.1.20 Helping your child with Early Maths Skills.

Wendy talked about the importance of mathematical development and how it is part of everyday life both at nursery and at home.

26.2.20 Behaviour and emotional wellbeing in pre- school children.

Rose explored the link between emotional regulation, mental health and behaviour in children under the age of 16. We discussed the importance of early intervention, strategies looking ‘beyond the behaviour’ to what the child is trying to communicate.