Merritts Brook E-Act Primary Academy
Medium Term Planning – Summer 1 Engage
Early Years Foundation Stage Nursery / Reception
Main Focus: Develop children’s curiosity,
understanding and knowledge about exploration,
travel and discovery. Using their senses and
imagination to explore the environment. Continuing
to develop group work, sharing ideas and
conversation. Developing good relationships and
critical thinking. Maintaining Parental involvement
and supporting learning at home.
Topic: Can we explore it?
Displays: Learning behaviour, child initiated play –
Assessment: On-going observational assessment
Environment and Resources: Provide an
Use of Learning Journals, including work/comments
enabling environment for children. Introduce
from home- as introduced to parents/children end of
developing areas of learning to children,
Autumn 1. Group/Individual Observations – where
indoor/outdoor.
needed. On line Journals.
Provide, model and introduce new resources available
AFL to inform pupil targets/progress.
to children daily. Listening and responsive adults.
Send out new Prime Target bears set at the end of
Explorer rucksack, binoculars, maps, hiking boots,
last half term with parents.
camera, compass, flask, Clip of Alice in Wonderland,
Honey I shrunk the Kids.
work and photos. Develop an interest (working) wall,
with children’s questions to investigate. Maps. Prime
targets. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.
Range of stories based on Journeys – focus on We’re
Going on a Bear Hunt. Bear Hunt outside, cave.
Communication and Language:
Mathematics:
Explorer Rucksack arrives via ‘Mystery Postman’ –
focus on talking about contents and asking ‘why?’
explorer may need these things. Why and how
questions. Also exploring objects -Awe and Wonder.
Talk to children about exploring– discover children’s
understanding of this language to begin ‘explore,
discover, adventure, journey..
Encourage them to ask questions about exploring so
(Differentiated to meet individual learning needs.)
we can focus on finding the answer.
Focus on Speaking skills, building to complex
sentences. (Linked to weekly Talking Time).
Encourage constant dialogue between adults/children
and children to talk to each other.
(Emerging children: focus on closing gaps in 22-36
learning outcomes, emerging/developing in to 30-50.)
Focus on: developing number and counting skills –
counting a number of steps, jumps – realising we can
count actions. More able – counting actions that can
not be moved whilst o our Bear Hunt.
Work with recognising numerals - 0-3 emerging, 05/10 middle, number 0-20 for more able – focus on
simple addition.
Personal Social and Emotional:
Focus on managing feelings and Behaviour. Talking
about emotions as we go on the Bear Hunt – ‘How are
we feeling?’
Talking time- daily talking time, family and link it to
our own experiences in Nursery – recall the Bear
Hunt. What do we do with our families at home? Do
we go on Bear Hunts?
Continue to develop relationships with others,
developing play within a group and drawing on others
ideas to extend play.
Literacy:
Positional language – differentiated according to
Focus on We’re Going on a Bear Hunt– link to
ability, understanding/use of when on Bear Hunt.
exploring theme, also use to support PSED - feelings.
Have free access to mark making and reading areas.
Mark make maps of the Bear Hunt– higher ability
begin to think about using initial sounds in writing –
making phonetically plausible attempts at words.
Sing a range of rhymes and songs –alliteration focus.
Talk about the shapes of everyday objects as they
explore them on Bear Hunt.
Sing number rhymes daily –topic link – emerging
children in particular.
Phase 1+ 2 Letters and Sounds – Revise letters
Provide opportunities to count and use fingers/marks
introduce so far.
to represent number daily built in to provision.
Look at key words from story – ascribing meaning to
them. (Role play language) Mum, Dad.. Rhythmic
language in story – Story Structure – beginning, end.
Understanding the World:
Physical Development:
Creative and Expressive Arts:
Begin to explore the natural World – the River, the
Mud, the forest, the snowstorm – what would these
things feel like? -link to texture EAD. Encourage
children to make comments and ask questions about
these natural elements and experiences. How could
we make a snowstorm, a mud river?
differentiated to meet individual needs.
Rhythms to attract the Bear.
Have free access to fine/gross motor activities
Tap out these rhythms.
in/outdoor.
Texture – linked to Natural materials – mud, water..
Use paint brushes to make maps and paint pictures
Role play – Bear Cave, explorer campsite.
of the Bear.
Use resources to create props for Role play – make
Using pencils daily – grip/control.
explorer props – Binoculars to look for Bear, maps.
Link to our senses – what does the mud feel like? Is
the River cold? How do we know the wind is there if
we can’t see it? Make our own wind to blow bubbles.
Talk about these experiences.
Role play: The Bears Cave/ Campsite.
CBeebies – Andy’s Wild Adventures.
Moving in lots of different ways on our Bear Hunt.
Child initiated activities – use construction to build
Handle their own self-care, use toilets, wash hands -
and stack making a house for the Bear to live in.
differentiated.
Explorer songs –make up words in a group.
Continue with weekly gross motor groups,
Think about Rhythms in the Story – make up our own
Focus on change in body after exercise.
Parental Involvement: Parent information board/newsletter. Parent Story-time weekly. Parents encouraged to contribute to
Learning Journals. School Website.