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Hello parents of class Red, it definitely feels like summer! I hope you and your families are keeping well. As always, you can email me red@stbrigids.net. There will be activities on Seesaw this week, don’t worry if you haven’t looked at it yet, check your emails for the log in details I sent and play around with it 😀

Here are suggested activities for this week June 2nd – 5th.

Literacy

Continue practicing letter formation using the techniques I explained in the post Red (May 11th-15th) and the website from the post Welcome Back Class Red! Apr 20th-24th.

If you haven’t already looked, The Oxford Owl website has lots of free resources including eBooks you can read with your child. You should begin by looking at this page, giving you tips on how to read with your child at home. It will ask you to make a log in.

https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/early-reading-skills-age-3-4/

Once logged in, here is a lovely story to read to your child about being worried.

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/api/interactives/29765.html

I know we’re all eagerly waiting for the hairdressers to open! But some of your children are only delighted they are closed. Here’s a picture book about going to the hair dressers to look through with your child. It’s a nice way to show that it other children do it and it is ok. The front and back pages describe how to read it with them.

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/api/digital_books/1408.html

Maths

Forming numbers – Write a number on a piece of paper or mat and get your child to roll the play dough and place it over the letter (All have done this at school, some may need hand over hand support). Begin with 1 – 3 and move on once they are confident.

Tracing numbers – Draw numbers using dots and get your child to trace over them. Again, begin with 1-3 and move on once they are confident. While doing these activities, keep saying the number out loud and pointing to it.

Here are 2 songs that we have heard in school. Try singing these with you child, encouraging them to use their fingers while counting (For OS, pause the song on numbers and let him find it on iPad). When they become very familiar with the songs, begin leaving words out for them to say independently, saying less and less until perhaps they can sing it all by themselves little prompting 🙂

Speech Activities

Blowing bubbles
Class Red love blowing bubbles and this activity is especially good for improving breathing control and exercising the lip muscles.

Using a straw Start by having your child suck a ‘thin’ liquid through a straw, like apple juice or water. Once they have mastered this, start using thicker liquids like milkshake. (Thicken the milkshake by adding yogurt or ice-cream.) Alternate by having your child suck faster or slower through the straw.

Funny faces
Pull funny faces at your child, using mostly your lips and jaw. You can grin, stick out your tongue, and move your jaw or just your chin from side to side Let your child have a mirror to watch themselves pulling funny faces, or have a competion to see can pull the strangest or ugliest face.

Music

Homemade Musical Instruments – Shakers and Maracas

Making homemade musical instruments is a fun activity and your children can get involved with decorating them. Here is how to make DIY shakers that won’t split! (I know the thoughts of rice spraying everywhere would make you not want to make them)

First, choose containers that are made of good thick materials. Don’t use the sort of plastic bottles that scrunch up easily. Look out for cylindrical containers that might have a tin bottom, like the cocoa pot in the picture above, or tubular biscuit tins, these will be strong and make a really good percussive sound too.

The sound of the shaker will depend on what you put inside, so vary the contents. You can use sand and rice for a soft effect and lentils, or bigger dried peas and beans for a louder sound. Don’t put too much in, it’s good to have a bit of space for it to shake about in.  Make sure that you then seal the containers with duck tape securely.

If you have it, use sticky-back contact paper to cover the whole of the outside of the shaker, this is your insurance against splitting (you could also use duck tape). Be particularly careful to make sure the ends are well sealed.

 Once they are covered you can decorate with stickers, coloured tapes or marker pens however you like.

If your child enjoys this, you could have a go making other instruments from recycled materials too! Please email me pictures of class Red students with their instruments (red@stbrigids.net).

P.E – Outdoor Play Time

When engaging your child in outdoor play time try specific games like hopscotch, “Simon Says,” tag and “Red Light Green Light.”  Games like these promote whole body movement and balance while teaching your child to follow directions and focus their attention. If they haven’t played the game before with you, be patient and show them how to play again and again until they understand.

Offering plenty of options for free play is important too. Give your child chalk and outdoor equipment like balls and hula hoops, they will engage their fine and gross motor skills without even realizing it.

Art

Sponge Art – dipping your sponges of different sizes / textures (Cut up kitching sponges) into paint and pressing onto card to create a picture – squeezing to wring out water and paint is great for strengthening hands and forearms.

Finger / hand / foot painting – as above but have sensory fun encouraging your child to use different body parts.

Have a lovely week and send me a message if you’ve any questions 🙂

Chat soon,

S. Donlon