Mayfield Primary SchoolEarly Years: Summer Term
EARLY YEARS SUMMER SUNSHINE
OUR CORE INTENTION IN ACTION
Take a look at the page below, including our curriculum project posters and mats, and download copies at the base of the page.
Please click here for our Phonics: Resources page for the latest practical support for learning at home.
We can spread some sunshine this summer with out fabulous time together. We have two new broader themes for I Dream of Being... this term. The first of these has a fabulous title 'Critters, Capers & Natures Neighbours' (much easier to do than say). It is all about life cycles and nature and fits well with the chance to get out there and explore! In the second half of the term, we look at a theme all about journeys and destinations called 'Are We There Yet?'. This is a brilliant feed into the Travels & Tales studies that appear through Key Stage One.
Our range of texts this term feed from our broader themes. They include The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max and Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen. Our other texts to read aloud, share and link to our wider subjects range from David Attenborough and Mae Jemison (The Little People: Big Dreams series) to Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell - amongst many, many others. Our phonics session take place every morning across the term, starting the day with our pacy sessions with children grouped to meet their starting point need and point of learning.
Numbers to 20 and beyond are a major focus of our Mathematics work together. We recreate patterns and explore shapes: finding 2D shapes inside 3D shapes. We also look at sharing and grouping - trying to create even amounts.
As scientists and investigators we have a really great time with two new projects. We look at life cycles of caterpillars and chicks. Next, we move on to look at floating and sinking - exploring objects and materials that do this and make some links to our journeys and destinations theme and methods of transport. We look at and visit a farm during the term and explore what they are and how they work, talking about where our food comes from and how important they are, as our Geography focus. In readiness for Year 1 geography themes, we also look at holiday destinations and what features are special to these places (it really helps living by the sea and we use this advantage greatly during the term). Meanwhile, we explore the lives of people in the past during the term, comparing their lives and sharing stories of their work - this links to David Attenborough and Mae Jemison. We then take a look at air travel and how it has changed over time. This deliberately feeds well into their knowledge for Travels & Tales 2 during Year 2. We ask: How do people celebrate a special time? and What makes a good friend? during our Religious Education work. This involves us talking about the festivals of different faiths and exploring the idea of friendship with Jesus and his disciples.
Our artwork this term is inspired by animals, beaches and nature. We take a look together at the work of Andy Goldsworthy, Salvador Dali and Beth Cavenerr. Painting and drawing our own observational pictures and our own photographed natural artwork using Andy Goldsworthy's ideas. Exploring Design and Technology skills means we undertake sandwich making for our Family Garden Party and make our own Under The Sea seascape with its own moving parts. Summer Term in Music means we are continuing to listen and perform songs - mainly for our garden party, but also undertake some early composing using percussion instruments based upon Carnival of the Animals.
We use jungle animals as the stimulus for our movement work in Physical Education. We also work on our throwing, jumping and running skills ready for our sports events and mini Olympics.
We will create animals pictures using an App and focusing upon control during our Computing and devices work and we look at what arrows mean on a screen and how we can use them to control what we want to do and be able to follow a simple set of instructions. This directly sets up the Key Stage 1 computing programme to follow in Autumn Term.
We talk about good choices and bad choices during our PSHE work, alongside time together talking about our bodies and how they work. We then move on to look at important people in our community and how we can stay safe when playing together. We also spend time looking at Year 1 and what it will mean to be part of that year group very soon.