During the month of December 2023, our focus encompassed a delightful exploration of Christmas toys and games within the realms of music and drama. In the musical arena, children engaged in dynamic shifts while singing, prompted either verbally or through gestures from adults. The exploration of varied vocal expressions became a central theme, with children adapting their voices to corresponding symbols. In the spirit of the season, they were given the opportunity to play with "noisy toys," experimenting with creating different sounds. Musical renditions included singing sound words to festive tunes such as "His name is Santa Claus" and "Jingle Bells."
Turning our attention to SESE Geography, the children embarked on a Winter walk/Winter Hunt, armed with pre-prepared sheets guiding them to identify signs of Winter, such as frost, ice, and winter clothing. Utilizing PowerPoints, the children participated in activities that involved matching pictures associated with Christmas. In the realm of History, the focus extended to recognizing how weather patterns align with seasonal changes, particularly in the context of summer and winter clothing. This involved a Clothes Sorting activity and a story session featuring Peppa Pig dressing for the weather. The celebration of Christmas was explored through reading stories, singing songs, and playing games like Christmas Bingo. Festivities reached a peak as children dressed up for a Christmas Party.
In the domain of science, children delved into the intriguing world of Mixing and other changes, investigating how materials undergo transformations. Festive-themed games, including making a Christmas handprint for the main hall and Christmas Bingo, added a spirited touch to the scientific exploration. In SPHE INCIDENTAL TEACHING, children were granted opportunities for independent work and play throughout the day, with support provided only when necessary. Choices were a recurring theme, ranging from snack preferences and playtime toys to work assignments and TV program selections.
The visual arts took centre stage with activities like a colour collage featuring red, blue, green, yellow, and white. Children created non-representational collages for Christmas by placing materials onto a glued background. Salt Dough Ornament trees and stars added a hands-on dimension, allowing children to choose their decoration shapes and paint them independently. The festive spirit extended to crafting Christmas Reindeers, with children using paint/ink to create reindeer faces that adorned the Christmas-themed class board.
In the realm of numeracy, the "red table" served as a focal point, encouraging daily object manipulation. Art activities involved creating Christmas tree cards, reindeer, and handprints using gummed paper, introducing vocabulary related to shapes like triangle, square, rectangle, and circle. Marker and crayon outlines of shapes took centre stage at the teacher's table and workstations, while interactive games on iPads and IWBs engaged children in sorting and matching 2D shapes.
