Half Term in Nursery and Reception at Windrush Valley Prep School
This half term has been a whirlwind of exciting learning experiences for our Nursery and Reception classes at Windrush Valley Prep School. From phonics and storytelling to mathematical discoveries and outdoor adventures, our youngest learners have been busy developing their skills through creativity, exploration, and play.
Phonics and Early Reading
Nursery pupils have been enthusiastically expanding their phonics knowledge, learning new sounds such as d, g, o, u, and l. To help reinforce these phonemes, the children engaged in creative activities, such as printing with Lego blocks for the sound l, making learning both hands-on and memorable. They have particularly enjoyed singing phonics songs and taking home their own reading books, fostering a love of stories and early literacy.
Reception pupils are making fantastic progress in reading, with many recognising simple words by sight and confidently sounding out others in their heads. This has allowed them to read sentences more fluently. During writing sessions, the children have been planning and editing their own phrases each week, focusing on essential sentence structure elements – capital letters, finger spaces, and full stops (or as we call them, tiny dots!). They have also explored rhyming through the book Oi Frog!, inventing their own creative additions to the story.
Exploring Numbers and Mathematical Concepts
Nursery children have been developing a strong foundation in numbers, focusing on 1, 2, and 3 through counting, Numicon, and numeral recognition. They have played fun games using dice patterns and irregular dot patterns to reinforce their learning in an engaging way.
In Reception, the children have been working with numbers up to 8, investigating number bonds, odd and even numbers, and doubles up to 10. They have also explored concepts of weight and capacity, using hands-on activities to develop their understanding of measurement.
Fairytales, Fantasy, and Festive Learning
This half term’s topic has been Fantasy and Fairytales, bringing classic tales to life each week. Nursery and Reception children have immersed themselves in stories such as The Gingerbread Man, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, and Jack and the Beanstalk. Their learning has been enriched through exciting activities, including baking and decorating gingerbread men, tasting different porridge textures, and investigating the best materials for building a house.
As part of our Chinese New Year celebrations, pupils learned about the legend behind the festival (this year marking the Year of the Snake), created vibrant lantern collages, and even enjoyed a fortune cookie treat!
Outdoor Adventures at Forest School
A highlight of the term has been the launch of our first Forest School group. The children have embraced outdoor learning, following a recipe card to create their own ‘potions,’ building dens, and warming up with delicious hot chocolate.
It has been a truly magical half term, filled with curiosity, creativity, and plenty of fun. We look forward to seeing what the next term brings for our wonderful Nursery and Reception pupils!