Hear from one of our Pre-Primary (3-6 Years) Directors – Bonnie Chiu and Classroom Assistant Rosalie Dankbaar, as they share the exciting learning that is taking place during Term 3, 2020!
Last term, the children thoroughly enjoyed learning about the human body, the function and purpose of their organs and the names of the bones in the body. We finished Term 2 by creating a human organ project and a skeleton project. This helped to consolidate the children’s learning and engage them in social group activities.
They are beyond inspired to follow their interest in the Solar System and during Term 3, the planet’s orbital paths and other celestial bodies in space were introduced first. We will explore this information gradually throughout the term, who knows where the students’ interest will lead! We will present the children with a variety of resources, evaluate their progress and respond to their interests. Our goal is to promote effective learning and interaction, discover and explore scientific data and to facilitate comprehension and expressive skills. Most importantly, we want the children to ‘love to learn’ by discovering their interests, asking questions, providing hands on experiences and making learning fun.
Please enjoy some of the activities that each age group are working on this term.
3 Year Olds
Practical Life:
Children desire to seek knowledge and independence through a variety of purposeful materials which help to develop their fine motor and concentration skills.
Control of Movement – Walking the Line
The children learn to control their bodies, coordinate their movements and increase their concentration span.
Care of Self – Dressing Frames
The children’s ability to be independent and take care of themselves.
Care of Others
The ability to offer support and help others.
Care of the Environment
- Sweeping and mopping – children taking responsibility for their own mess.
- Washing cloths and scrubbing tables -children becoming aware of order and sequencing and developing independence and concentration.
- Window washing – children take responsibility for their immediate environment.
- Watering the garden – gardening engages with the children’s senses and gives them the opportunity to take responsibility of a living thing.
4 Year Olds
Literacy:
Fostering language growth and phonetic sound knowledge.
Sound Game Lotto
Recognition of random phonetic sounds and letters.
Sandpaper Letters
This activity provides children with a visual and tactile impression of each letter in preparation for handwriting.
Moveable Alphabet
This activity helps to expand on their knowledge of the alphabet and their written language skills.
Mathematics:
Absorbing mathematical concepts.
Shapes
Tracing and drawing shapes will help children with their handwriting.
Card and Counters
Practicing to count quantities up to 10.
Sandpaper Numbers
Tactile introduction to numbers.
Skip Counting
Learning to count using other values besides 1.
Science:
Exploration and self-discovery.
Colour Mixing Experiment
Creating new colours by mixing and blending primary colours together.
Volcano Experiment
Creating and observing a chemical reaction.
Sensorial:
Activities that encourage the use of the senses.
Trinomial Cube
Reconstructing the cubes.
Touch Tablets
Using their sense of touch to match the different textures of sandpaper.
Knobless Cylinders
Visual perception of dimensions.
Colour Box 2 Extension
Collecting items to match the colour tablets.
5 Year Olds
Literacy:
Understanding word order, the meaning of a word and reading comprehension.
Small Moveable Alphabet
Constructing and writing sentences and stories, learning different styles of writing and communication – Limericks.
Word Study
Compound words, singular and plural, antonyms and homonyms.
Introduction to the Adjective Symbol
The function and position of an adjective in a sentence.
Mathematics:
With practice and repetition of concrete materials, children will soon transition to understanding many abstract mathematical concepts.
Stamp Game
Learning addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Multiplication Bead Bars
Memorisation of multiplication tables.
Addition Strip Board
Memorising the basic addition combinations of single digits.
Addition Snake Game Verification
Verifying the possible combinations of 10.
Cultural:
Children learning how they fit in the world.
Continent Puzzle Maps
Introducing children to the world around them.
Embedding Indigenous Perspectives
Connecting children to Australia’s Indigenous heritage.
Leadership:
Fostering self-esteem, confidence and guiding others.
Rosalie and I look forward to guiding and supporting your children this term. We would like to thank all families for creating a community full of support, patience and care. For more whole school news please follow FMS on Instagram and Facebook.
Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your children’s lives.
Kind regards,
Bonnie and Rosalie
