We are the Zebras!

Welcome to our page.

Mrs Crawshawe-Elsey is the Teacher in Zebra Class.

Mrs Courten and Mrs Borland are the Learning Assistants.

Every Thursday afternoon Mrs Crawshawe teaches the class.

Here in the Zebra Class we are always busy. Below is an insight into a typical day in Zebra Class.

Firstly, we will register and  often sing a Hello Song to welcome each other to class. We start our day with sharing books with each other and thinking about how we are feeling using our Zones of Regulation display. 
 

We then get ourselves ready to learn by taking a trip to the 'dough disco' which allows us to refine our muscles ready for the day ahead. This also allows us to have a wiggle and a jiggle which then focuses our mind. To find out more about dough disco, please visit   http://www.alford.lincs.sch.uk/Newsletters/DoughDisco.pdf

We also practice other fine motor skills such as threading, completing peg board patterns or scissors skills throughout the week, alternating what we do each morning to give us an opportunity to practice a variety of skills.

Our fine motor activities are immediately followed by our daily Maths lessons which follow the White Rose scheme. Everyday the children begin their mathematical learning by engaging in a counting activity. This may be rote counting aloud, following a number-line or even counting in multiples of 2, 5 and 10. The children are then introduced to a 'hook' which engages the children in the basis of the lesson. The children will then learn about a specific aspect of mathematics such as matching, sorting, addition, subtraction, doubling, halving and group to name a few. This approach really enables the children to embed their learning and have a deeper understanding of number. We then have a go at an activity based upon what they have learnt in the lesson. This provides them with the opportunity to apply and investigate their new knowledge.

We continue our learning as we move onto phonics. We use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised teaching scheme across Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. This scheme teaches children phonemes and graphemes through visual aids and repetitive structure. This approach supports the children in gaining a secure knowledge of phonics and enables them to apply their knowledge and skills in their reading and writing. 

The link below provides further details about the Little Wandle teaching program.

Our daily Literacy session see us take part in Drawing Club. Each week we focus on either a book, a tale or an animation which encourages us to get creative and use our imagination to support our writing. We write a 'code' which makes our drawing come to life and talk about what is going to happen in our stories. Our 'codes' begin as single letters, before progressing to words, captions and phrases and then sentences as we build on our phonic knowledge.

For more information about Drawing Club, please see the link below. 

After lunch we join in with another song in order to prepare us to be ready to learn for the afternoon. We brush our teeth as we are proud of our My Smile accreditation. We talk about the importance of oral health and check that we are brushing our teeth safely and to the best of our ability.

We then have our Topic lessons. Throughout the course of the year we engage with several different topics allowing the children to learn all about the world around them, different cultures and beliefs and how and why things work. Our day finishes with a story or a news-sharing session before heading home.

Look at what we're learning! 

Summer Term 2024

In Zebra Class we learn through lots of different mini-topics. This ensures that children are offered a broad and balanced curriculum which effectively supports their learning and development across all areas of the Early Years Curriculum.

The topics for this term are:

Kings and Queens                                            

• The Royal Family
• Castles and Palaces
• Coronation
• King John and the Magna Carta
• Our Government

Stories from the Past

• Fairy Tales
• The Legend of St George and the Dragon
• Ancient Greek Myths
• Aesop's Fables 
• Anansi the Spider
• Transitions

P.E. Lessons for Zebra Class are on

Tuesday and Friday

Please ensure that your child's P.E. kit is in school on these days. These can be brought in at the start of the week and will be kept on their pegs. P.E. kits must include shorts/jogging bottoms, your child's team colour t-shirt, a jumper/jacket and a pair of trainers or plimsoles.

Earrings MUST be removed.

The Friday lesson will be with P.O.S.H. and usually takes place outside (weather permitting!)

Our Woodland Area session is on Thursday afternoons each week.

Please ensure that your child's woodland kit is in school every week and is complete with warm clothing.

Please see the attached letter for further information as to what could be included in their kits.

Listening to your child read every night supports their learning and development immensely!

This opportunity allows children to practice and apply their phonic knowledge and helps them to refine their reading skills which we will be working on in school during our Guided Reading sessions.

Research has repeatedly shown that child who regularly read develop better writing skills as they are exposed to texts and language consistently which feeds their imagination.

Please also continue to help your child to practice their flashcards as knowledge of these words helps them to develop fluency in their reading and makes writing easier for them too.

Mathematical opportunities are all around us! Simple activities like counting up and down the stairs, looking at numbers on house doors or reading prices in the supermarket all support with children's understanding of numbers and the number system.

Please click the links below for more information on how you could support your child's learning at home and THANK YOU for your continued support.

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/starting-school/reading-in-school/

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/starting-school/mathematics-in-school/

https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/files/2014/08/EYFS_Parents_Guide-amended.pdf

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