Our main theme in Acorn class is 'Growing and Changing'. We will be looking at the different seasons and how the weather changes during the seasons. We will be planting some seeds inside and in our vegetable garden. We will be watching closely as they grow and discussing what we can do to help plants grow. We will be looking at animals and their babies, and looking at the life cycles of some of these animals. We will be looking at where we get our food from and what work farmers put into making sure we have food to eat. We will also look at how we grow and change as humans, in particular what we could do as babies, what we can do now and what we would like to do when we grow up!

In Literacy, we will be reading our core text 'Jack and the Beanstalk.' We will be exploring the characters, creating pictures of them and looking at their features. We will be using illustrations to help us retell the story. We will be discussing what the characters did during the story and thinking about they might have felt. 

Our two core rhymes this half term are 'Tiny Caterpillar' and '5 Currant Buns' Copies of these rhymes will be sent home for children to share with you. We will be singing these songs during circle times.

In Phonics we will be working on oral blending and segmenting through a variety of activities. We will be identifying rhyming words in stories and with picture cards. We will be using instruments and our own bodies to make different sounds. 

In Maths we will be focusing on counting; taking and giving 1,2,3. In our shape, space and measure focus we will be moving and building with shapes and talking about our builds. We will be working on subitising amount of dots, arranged in different ways. We will also be comparing and sorting collections.

In Art we will be studying how Van Gogh used different marks to draw still life, along with Lowry's work and drawing our own house and matchstick people. We will be using the architecture of Hunderwasser to inspire us to draw imaginary houses.

To help the children develop their Personal and Social Development we will be reminding the children of the school rules and ensure they understand why the rules are important. We will encourage the children to express preferences when making decisions. We will also encourage children in independent play and co-operative play with other children, promoting turn taking and talking to each other to solve conflicts. The children will be encouraged to become increasingly independent as they learn how to meet their own care needs.

To help the children with their Physical Development we will provide push-along wheeled toys, scooters and tricycles, along with balance beams and stepping stones. The children will be supported to develop their kicking, throwing and catching skills with different resources such as, balls, hoops and bean bags, along with fitting into spaces such as tunnels and dens. The children will be encouraged to develop their large motor skills by waving streamers, using paint and chalk to make large creations. The children will also be encouraged to develop their fine motor skills, by using scissors, putting coats on independently and managing buttons and zips.