HEATON AVENUE PRIMARY SCHOOL FOUNDATION UNIT
Information for parents – PART TIME
Planning for Autumn Term 1
Theme: Bear Family
Communication and Language
Literacy
Development
Physical
Development
P.S.E.
Outdoor
Play
Understanding the World
Expressive
Arts and
Design
Mathematical
Development
Language Development – Stories and non-fiction books about bears, families and starting school will all be used to stimulate discussions and develop new language relating to our theme of the ‘Bear Family’.
Discussions about awareness of change over time – as we grow and develop……
The children will be given lots of opportunities to discuss what they observe and ask questions about what is happening. We
will be encouraging them to follow instructions, put events into sequence and talk about home and community. We will be
talking to the children about the ‘Bear Family’, developing their vocabulary and language relating to our theme.
Phonics – Sound games to develop listening skills. Listening for initial letter sounds, initial letters of names, Nursery
Rhymes and work with rhyming words.
Reading – Poems, Nursery Rhymes, stories and songs about bears, families and school.
Learning to recognise and read own names. Children will bring home library books to share with you. Please read them with
your child and encourage him/her to join in repeated phrases where appropriate. Stories from the Oxford Reading Tree will
be read at carpet sessions so that children will begin to recognise characters and key words.
Writing – Opportunities for writing in all areas of provision, role play (Goldilocks and the Three Bears), naming pictures/models Letter formation – sand, key skills, whiteboards, Interactive whiteboard
Moving and Handling – The children will be encouraged to actively explore the outdoor space, moving in a variety of ways
and developing their large physical skills. They will also be developing their fine motor skills – using cutters and tools in the
play dough, tools in the sand and water and creating observational drawings of bears.
Health and self care – The children will learn about using tools safely and effectively – indoors – sand, mark making,
model making and outdoors. We will be encouraging them to develop their independence skills with support
Getting to know each other / Agree expectations / Understanding rules and routines
Working as part of a group or class, taking turns and sharing fairly.
Building confidence to try new activities and make new friends.
Celebrating Autumn festivals from different cultures will focus on the Harvest festival as part of the Christian faith.
Empathy with the bears that come to visit our Unit and understanding their relationships.
Outdoor play will include many activities that allow children to develop their physical development in a range of structured
and unstructured play activities for example; in the playground/number chants and games, riding bikes, mark making activities and games using small apparatus (balls, skipping ropes etc.)
Building large structures, collecting and displaying natural objects as we move into autumn
Playing in our outdoor role play – The Three Bear’s House.
The World Children will be encouraged to ask questions about why things happen and how things work as we find out about:
 Looking at food. What do I like and dislike relating to snack times? Which foods are healthy?
 Tasting porridge with different flavours and making bear biscuits.
 Investigating changes through physical forces or heating.
Technology - Using a CD player to listen to stories. Complete the ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’ game on the computer.
Use the IWB – Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Using ICT – digital camera to sequence a traditional tale.
People and Communities – The children will have opportunities to develop their friendships, talk about home and community and celebrate special events such as the bear party/picnic. They will also be having a bear to visit at home and completing their entry in the bear diary.
The children will learn a variety of nursery rhymes and simple songs related to bears and ourselves. They will be use body
parts such as hands and feet to make sounds.
The children will become familiar with setting out and clearing away painting and craft materials. The children will be encouraged to use their observational skills to add detail to their work, doing observational drawings and paintings of bears.
Exploration of 3D materials will include development of skills and understanding in the model making area.
Number – Counting (reciting) from 1-10 will take place every day as part of whole class, group or individual work which
will also include number rhymes, songs and stories. The children will have many opportunities to count objects and play
games to develop one to one correspondence and number recognition. They will also be encouraged to develop mathematical language as part of their play.
Shape, space and Measures – They will have practical experiences of comparing the different bears that come to visit.
Shape recognition will include Square, Circle, Triangle and Rectangle.
You can help your child at home by:
 Repeating Nursery Rhymes / reading stories/looking at books each day
 Encouraging ‘writing’ activities especially own name / helping with letter recognition
 Looking at words and numbers on everyday things e.g. cereal packets, adverts, street names, car number
plates.
 Helping to fill in an entry in the bear diaries and talking about the Bear Family with your child
HEATON AVENUE PRIMARY SCHOOL FOUNDATION UNIT