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Birchwood Avenue

Primary School

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Our Learning Environment

Busy Fingers

Construction blocks

These blocks provide opportunities for open-ended play and encourage children to use their imagination to build, stack, and create structures of their own design. By engaging in construction play, children develop their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness. They also learn about concepts like balance, stability, and cause and effect as they experiment with different combinations and observe the outcomes of their actions. The children have used the blocks to build The Three Little Pig’s house, a fire station and engine and used the tyres to build a bonfire during firework night.

 

Knitting with Grandma

This adult led activity, allowed pupils to make their own learning. We provided materials like wool, knitting needles and colourful buttons for children to engage in a craft activity related to knitting, just like Little Red Riding Hood's Grandma in the story. Children observed basic knitting techniques and explored weaving and threading activities. This activity promotes fine motor skills, creativity, and patience.

 

Playdough is a versatile resource that supports the development of children’s learning in a number of ways:

Purposes of Playdough

  1. Fine Motor Skill Development

    • Manipulating playdough helps strengthen the small muscles in pupils' hands and fingers, essential for tasks like writing and using scissors.

  2. Creativity and Imagination

    • Playdough encourages creative expression as pupils can shape, mould, and create various forms, fostering imaginative play.

  3. Sensory Exploration

    • The tactile nature of playdough provides sensory stimulation, allowing pupils to explore different textures, which is vital for sensory development.

  4. Language Development

    • Engaging in playdough activities can enhance vocabulary as pupils describe their creations, share ideas, and engage in conversations with peers.

  5. Social Skills Enhancement

    • When used in group settings, playdough encourages cooperation, sharing, and negotiation among pupils, promoting social interaction.

  6. Cognitive Development

    • Creating with playdough can help develop problem-solving skills as pupils figure out how to construct their ideas and designs.

  7. Emotional Regulation

    • The act of squeezing, rolling, and manipulating playdough can be calming for pupils, helping them manage emotions and reduce anxiety.

  8. Mathematical Concepts

    • Playdough can be used to teach basic mathematical concepts such as shapes, sizes, and counting through hands-on activities.

 

Indoor Environment to support literacy and maths themes of the week

Grandma's House: we created a role-play area that resembles Grandma's House from the story.

 

Little Red Riding Hood's Basket: We set up a basket with various objects related to the story, such as a red cloak, a stuffed animal wolf and some pretend fruits. Children engaged in pretend play and took turns at being Little Red Riding Hood, carrying the basket and re-enacting the journey to Grandma's house. This activity helps to develop their imaginative skills, vocabulary, and social interactions as they take on different roles and engage in cooperative play. 

 

Light box: Incorporating a light box into the learning environment, especially with themed resources like "Little Red Riding Hood," effectively stimulates curiosity, enhances storytelling, and promotes imaginative play among pupils.

 

Maths activity to reinforce learning: Using a tuft tray is an effective way to introduce foundational mathematical concepts. The "more than" and "less than" activity helped pupils understand the basic principles of comparison and provided an independent activity that secured foundational knowledge crucial for developing the pupils’ number sense.

 

Labelling resources: This is a simple yet effective strategy that enhances independence, vocabulary development, and literacy skills while promoting responsibility and organisation. By creating a rich language environment, we aim to support pupils' overall learning and development.

 

Outdoor Learning Environment

Water trays: These provide pupils with opportunities for sensory and exploratory play. Water play stimulates their senses and promotes important skills such as hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and creativity. It also allows children to develop their understanding of concepts like floating, sinking, pouring, and measuring. By providing resources such as containers, funnels, sieves, and water toys, children are encouraged to engage in imaginative play and discover new ways to interact with water. This type of play can also support their social skills as they collaborate and communicate with their peers.

 

Music area and stage: The purpose of having an outside reception learning environment, including a music area with instruments and a stage, is to provide opportunities for children to engage in holistic learning experiences that promote their physical, cognitive, and creative development. Playing musical instruments and using the stage encourages children to explore different sounds and rhythms, fostering their auditory processing and musical intelligence. This can support their concentration, memory, and cognitive abilities.

Outside tunnel and mounds: The purpose of having a tunnel and climbing mount in the outside Reception learning environment is to provide children with opportunities for active play, exploration, physical development and social interaction. The tunnel and climbing mount encourage children to engage in gross motor activities such as crawling, climbing, and balancing. These activities help develop their coordination, strength, agility, and spatial awareness.

Observation tower: The purpose of having an observation tower in the outside Reception learning environment is to provide children with a unique vantage point to observe and explore their surroundings. The children can observe nature, wildlife, weather patterns and changes in the landscape, fostering their curiosity and understanding of the world around them. The children have used the observation tower to observe birds, be a fire station and a safari park.

Language and Vocabulary Development: All of these activities create a rich context for language development. It all develops their personal and social development, as they learn to take turns and respect each other's space whilst engaging in cooperative play.

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