Summer 2 Topic: I Wonder…..What’s Out There?

 Topic Summary

During Summer 2 we will be focusing on our topic called 'I Wonder........What’s Out There?'. This topic is a great way for our Ducklings to explore and consolidate key skills across all of our areas of learning linked to popular interests. We will link our learning to superheroes, princesses, fairies, dinosaurs, aliens plus any other interests! We will also explore changes that the summer season brings with it.

How can you help at home……

• Please look at photos on Tapestry with your child to discuss their learning.
• Please upload photos to Tapestry from home to share what your child has been doing at e.g days out, craft, spotting any numbers, singing etc. We would love to see and share these!

Our Key Texts

What the Ladybird Heard, What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday, What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside by Julia Donaldson- We will continue reading this series as this was a great interest of the children's last half term! They loved exploring minibeasts, finding out more about ladybirds and listening to the stories!

Aliens Love Underpants - by Claire Freedman (Author), Ben Cort (Illustrator) - A very funny text to explore 'What is Out There?' We will listen to the story, ask and answer questions and have fun creating our own aliens!

Zog by Julia Donaldson- The perfect story for children starting school with bravery, kindness, friendship and perseverance at the heart!

The Colour Monster Starts School – This book will, again, be our focus for those children who will be starting school in September. We will explore different emotions as the children spend more time in our Year R classroom or whilst they visit their new school (if joining a different Year R school). We will also look at other starting school books.

Our Areas of Learning 

Please find below examples of some of our activities:

Communication and Language

• We will be continuing with phase 1 phonics. We will focus on the different sounds that we can make with our voices with the children starting school in September. We will also look at oral blending and segmenting by breaking up words into smaller sounds e.g. c – oat – t. This is to encourage the children to hear the individual sounds in words.
• Our younger children will play fun and interactive listening games.
• We will be singing rhymes and songs on a daily basis. We will let you know what these are on a weekly basis via Tapestry.
•  We will be creating stories using castles and small world figures.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

• Our focus will be on transition to Year R for our older children as well as focusing on preparing the younger children to come back and make new friends.
• We will continue to join in with shared Rainbow Time and reading with Year R to encourage new friendships and to understand the rules and boundaries across a larger space.
• Our Year R teacher will spend time in preschool getting to know the children. For those children attending a different school we will invite their Year R teacher in to meet the child/ren and to discuss their interests/next steps

Physical Development

• We will spend time learning sports day games by working as part of a team to complete physical activities. We will take part in Sports Day!
• We will enjoy using the outside area (playground, tyre park, field to develop our gross (large) body movements. We will be jumping, climbing, crawling and moving in different ways to train as superheroes by completing obstacle courses!
• We will continue with fine motor skill activities to strengthen fingers to mark make and write names e.g. using water sprays to spray villains!

Literacy

• We will listen to and join in with a range of texts, including favourite ones from the year.
• A focus will be on mark making in a range of different ways e.g writing to different characters – princesses, superheroes, dinosaurs etc.
• We will continue with name writing and encourage the children to write known letter shapes during their play.

Maths

• We will focus on one number in depth each week from 0 – 5 to learn all about that number. Can we recognise that number? Find it around us? Can we count up to that number? Show that many in different ways (fingers, clapping, stomping), count out that many?
• We will focus on shape and size by building tall towers for the superheroes to climb and comparing the different sizes.
• Other activities will include hiding princess jewels and stolen coins in the sand - how many can we find? Plus we will unlock trapped superheroes by matching the correct numbered key to the matching quantity lock to free them!

Understanding the World

• We will be exploring the natural environment by thinking about summer time and the changes that this season brings.
• We will take part in fun activities such as freezing superheroes/princesses in ice - how can we free them?
• We will explore gloop/jelly - how can we rescue the trapped figures?

Expressive Arts and Design

• The children will be encouraged to dress up and act as different characters in role-play as well as dance and sing!
• We will create alien/dragon/superhero potions using coloured water and loose parts (leaves, sequins, feathers etc).
• We will create our own aliens, dragons and superheroes using various materials and build castles and carriages using big wooden blocks.
• We will use junk modelling materials to create vehicles and gadgets!

Thank you for your amazing support which is greatly appreciated.