Kangaroo Peek of the Week

March Week 1

Dear Parents,

This month we are trying something a little bit different in Kangaroo class.  Our lesson plans are cross curricular, which means that as much as possible all of the new things that we learn and practice have activities relating to our monthly Animal theme. This means for example that when we learn about continents we will talk about what animals can be found in each continent.  We are encouraging the children to think about what they know themselves and show us in their drawing and art. This is the first stage of them expressing themselves in writing.

We ask that for the next few weeks for show and tell your child makes a quick talk about an animal or bird that your country is famous for. If they can bring something to illustrate their talk such as photos or a toy model of the animal that would help make it more alive to the other children.

Maths

Sorting and Classification:

The children sorted toy animals according to various attributes, for example size, colour, pattern etc.

Measurement

The children began practicing the language of comparison, big, bigger, biggest, and the language of opposites, tall/short, big/small etc.

Sequencing:

Children put tiger number cards in order from 1 to 20. An added challenge was laying out some of the numbers and the children had to put the missing numbers in the correct space.

Children practiced 1 to 1 correspondence by matching elephants with numbers 1 to 20 on them to elephant cards with dots on them.

Language

Reading

Our text of the month is Who is the Beast? By Keith Baker.

We talked about the Title of the book and the Author and Illustrator.

We looked at the cover for clues about what the book may be about and then read together. Through this story this week the children are developing their prediction skills thinking and expressing what they think will happen next. They are also developing their recall as each day we are practicing remembering who is in the story and what happened in what sequence.  The children predict rhyme and what character will come next. We will work towards being able to retell the story.

Phonics

The children worked on beginning sounds, taking animal cards and matching animals whose names begin with the same sound.

Writing

We are building up our word wall of animal names. Some children are beginning to label animal names on their pictures.

Art

The children have been thinking about patterns in the animal world, for example stripes and spots.  The children explored making their own patterns with stripes and spots with crayons and with dark and light using strong hands to create their crayon patterns and then washing over their pattern with a light coloured paint wash.

The children have been drawing various animals and have been encouraged to try and add detail to their pictures in terms of colour, pattern and setting.

The children used various paper shapes to make a home for their chosen animal.

Science

We talked about animal characteristics, how animals are the same and different. We also began talking about animal homes.