Aims

To prepare children for formal schooling in a happy, supportive environment.

Objectives

• A: To develop self-confidence and self-esteem.
• B: To develop independence.
• C: To develop childrens ability to get along with others.
• D: To introduce children to some formal routines.
• E: To develop fine motor skills.
• F: To develop childrens knowledge of the alphabet.
• G: To develop early reading skills.
• H: To develop childrens Mathematical knowledge

Children will: (The capital letters refer back to the above objectives.)

Preschool Programme

This will be based on a theme, which could be the current season, a nursery rhyme or a simple topic. Letters and numbers will be integrated with the theme. On arrival children will be expected to hang up any bags themselves and put homework books in the container provided. They may then play with classroom equipment until bell time, when they will be expected to sit on the mat. During this time it I will chat with parents and children, meet new children, etc.

Begin with a mat time:
Greetings.
Introduce new children.
Show everyone their names and use these to discuss initial sounds, capital letters, etc.
Roll call.
Go over class rules, which will be on illustrated charts.
Discuss theme, using this to introduce the letter of the week. (The theme may be introduced from children’s experience, a picture or an object.)
Jolly Phonics – show children letter, discuss name, sound, formation, find on alphabet frieze and in Jolly Phonics book.
Look at/for objects beginning with that letter.
Oral/aural Introduce set activities.

Structured Developmental:

(I rove and talk to the parents and children, modelling questioning and emphasising what it is we want children to be able to do, understand and talk about.)

a) Two activities related to Jolly Phonics. Children must choose one, but may do both if they wish. Activities will include drawing, cutting, pasting and /or painting. b) Then children may choose from: Reading books Music corner – experiment with instruments /rhythms Computer – Kid Pix, P.M. story books, Word – typing their name. Maths corner – Sorting/identifying colours, shapes and numerals. Counting. Blocks – introducing prepositions. Dough – have laminated letters for children to shape dough on, shaped cutters for geometry. Writing table – blank page booklets to introduce using left page first, using one page at a time, going on to the next page, working from left to right, top to bottom. Thick pencils for easy grip – teach correct way to grip a pencil, letter formation. Drawing. Individual name cards (laminated) – children find own card and practise writing over and beneath using white board markers or felt pens. Mini whiteboards for free practise. Alphabet table – children sort letters e.g. find all the ‘a’s’, practise forming letters, letter/picture matching, alphabet games. Painting table – paint a picture and talk about it, letter of the week, name.

Children will be expected to tidy up on a given signal. A five minute warning will be given beforehand.

Final mat time:
Nursery rhyme – title, where to start etc.
Big book – turning pages, C.A.P., HPP – one hand approach, I.D. letter of the week.
Poem – where to start, which way to go, 1st, last, one to one pointing – this poem could go home in an exercise book to read with parents to practise one to one pointing.
Birthdays – anyone starting school, give out newsletter, farewells, give out homework, children collect their work.

Year 0 / Year 1

Depending on needs of children and wishes of teachers, this could either be a time to work in the class alongside the child, or a time to withdraw small groups. I envisage the withdrawal groups working in a similar way to the preschool group, with slightly more structure.

Mat time:
Greetings, introducing new children, rules.
Theme discussion, including introducing letter and number of the week.
Jolly Phonics as for preschool programme.
Number of the week – find on a chart, count out that number of objects.

Structured Developmental:
2 activities -
1. Jolly Phonics – letter formation, pictures beginning with the sound, art/craft activity related to the letter.
2. Number – formation, forming sets of objects, decorate and/or paint the number shape.
Free choice of another activity – on completion child dictates caption, written by teacher and read back by child.
Tidy up.

Mat time:
Children read their caption to each other and explain what they did.
Use caption and/ or children’s names to teach C.A.P.
Review letter and number.
Nursery rhyme – C.A.P. Story (as for preschool, if time)
Reading poem.