February 2012 Plan
Theme: Fantasia Fantasia covers a range of experiences and learning opportunities. The primary focus of this project is to stimulate imagination and encourage children to use fantasy to explore new experiences and gain confidence. The theme itself explores the differences between fantasy and reality and through story telling, acting, dressing up, and interacting with fictional characters, the children learn new vocabulary, improve their language skills and build their self image. Children need to learn that some things are real and others are not. For example, that spiderman is not real and cannot actually fly between buildings. This is an important ability as it helps children to stay safe in their world and to understand that imaginary characters may have super powers, but human beings do not. They can still use the pretend play to explore and challenge everyday abilities but fantasy allows them to do this in a safe and protected environment where there are no limits to where their minds can take them. In a practical sense, in later life, the creative abilities that children develop in childhood will help them to become adults who push boundaries and challenge themselves to reach their full potential so this is a foundation skill which is essential to rounded development and success in later life. Theme vocabulary: fantasy, fairy tale, fiction, non fiction, superhero, science fiction, imagination, royalty, prince, princess, giant, dwarf, witch, fairy, magic, kingdom, palace, castle, evil, spell, events, sequence, cottage, forest, tower, sword, magic wand, knight, mermaid, beast. Letter: Qq for Quarrel some queen, Vv for Vicky violet & Villain, Ww for Walter walrus, witch & wand, Xx Fix it max Number: revision on 9, 10, 11 & 12 + introducing 29, 30, 31 & 32 Colour: Revision on all colours + focusing on black, yellow & brown Shape: Revision on 2D and 3D shapes + focusing on cone, star & polygons. Pattern: abb, abc, aab Opposites: ugly/beautiful, good/bad, giant/dwarf, rich/poor Story: Beauty and the beast, Aladdin, Princess and the pea, Cinderella, Snow white and the 7 dwarfs, Frog & The little mermaid Fine motor skills activities (and pencil grasp): practice writing (freehand), cutting and sticking, play dough modelling. Gross motor skills activities: aerobics exercises and dancing with wiggles band. Patience: Patience is a skill many of us wish we had a little more of. Life is challenging on all levels for children as well as adults and patience, learning to take turns, or wait for something is a hard learned ability in all children. Most parents will recall their young child at some point making a demand upon them that simply cannot be met at that immediate point in time but the child shows disappointment, often anger or may perhaps have an aggressive reaction to the need not being met. The psychological development of a child means that the child's brain has to develop away from the egocentric phase before they actually have the physical equipment to be able to demonstrate the emotional restraint necessary for patience. All children believe that the world is entirely for them and everything should be immediate.. As they grow older they do alter their perception and understandings that help them see other people are as important as they are. This requires a great deal of patience on behalf of the adult, not to become frustrated that child is demanding, instead you can use this time to develop the long term goal of teaching them a valuable skill, in conjunction with the child's actual brain development. As with all behaviour, patience is a learned behaviour that is modelled on others around the child. They will copy and duplicate the actions and reactions that they see in everyday life. That is why it is essential for parents to highlight times when they have had to be patient themselves for example queuing in the supermarket is boring for a child but if the parent interacts with the child and explains to them what is happening in a step by step way, the people wait here in the line, then they reach the cash till where the cashier scans the items, the till records the items, then we know what we have to pay, this will help the child watch the processes instead of becoming impatient with the wait. Praising your child for being patient encourages more of the same behaviour so if you say, 'thank you for waiting with me, I have enjoyed your company, this will help your child to see that you appreciate them being beside you as well as teaching them that patience is a good thing and creates positive praise from a parent and others around the child.
