Curriculum
Communication and Language
Children are given lots of time to listen and respond to stories, songs and rhymes, to talk about their experiences and make up their own stories. They experiment with sounds and rhymes and learn to link letters with sounds.
Plenty of indoor and outdoor opportunities to become familiar with books, to be able to handle them and be aware of their uses, both for reference and as a source of stories and pictures. Mark making areas with a range of crayons, pens and chalks encourages the development of handwriting skills.
Writing in the forest and in role play areas also encourages ‘real life’ situations to give writing purpose. We also support children who have speech and language difficulties through carefully planned support programmes and children who have English as an additional language.
Personal and social interactions
Children are supported in developing confidence and self-respect alongside a positive attitude for learning. They are encouraged to work and concentrate independently and to take part in group activities, sharing and co-operating with other children and adults.
Through these activities children also learn ways to express themselves emotionally and understand their own feelings. They also begin to understand the difference between right and wrong, develop respect for others including beliefs and cultures.
Physical Development
Children are encouraged to develop physically throughout their day with us. To build up core muscle strength through climbing, rolling, traversing, lifting and also flexibility in movement through yoga, gymnastics and dance-based activities. We complete a daily programme pf physical activities and supervised access to tools such as saws, hammers, scissors, together with threading and sewing helps develop the precision needed to handle small objects and prepare for writing.
Understanding the world
Children are supported in developing their understanding and competence in their knowledge about the world they live in. They are encouraged to explore and ask questions in all areas of their learning. To be curious and know it is ok to make mistakes or ask for help. Children learn the importance of discovery as they test out their own ideas and observe what other people do around them. Real-life skills are also enhanced through cooking groups, gardening, construction, music and meditation to give them a range of experiences to take part in.
