Preschool News 6.3.26

We’ve had a wonderful week in preschool, filled with stories, springtime exploring, and lots of playful
learning across the Early Years Foundation Stage.
We introduced our new traditional tale, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and enjoyed reading several
different versions. The children joined in with repeated phrases, talked about the characters, and compared the different endings. This supported their communication, language, and early comprehension skills. We also story mapped and acted out The Little Green Dinosaur, helping the children build confidence in retelling stories and using expressive language.
This week we began tuning into initial sounds in words, focusing on the sound a. The children explored objects such as ant, alligator, and ambulance, helping them hear and identify the first sound in each word. This is an important early phonics skill and supports their developing awareness of letters and sounds.
Our rhyme, When Goldilocks Went to the House of the Bears, helped the children develop rhythm, memory, and early phonological awareness—key foundations for early reading.
In maths, we explored 3D shapes and looked for real life objects that matched them. The children spotted spheres in balls, apples, and even the moon, and cubes in dice, sugar cubes, and building blocks. This supported their understanding of shape, space, and mathematical reasoning.
We went on a dinosaur footprint hunt around preschool, identifying numerals 1–5 and ticking them off on a list. This encouraged number recognition, counting, and early mark making.
We have been learning lots of dinosaur facts and had an interesting time pacing out the length of several different dinosaurs on the large playground. Our favourite was the diplodocus who took up the whole length!
In Heartsmart, we played a Boris game called “Sharing Islands”. The children worked together to make sure everyone had a space on an island, practising turn taking, kindness, and teamwork—important skills for personal, social, and emotional development.
Our fine motor challenge involved transporting water using only pompoms. The children squeezed, dipped, and transferred water with great concentration—brilliant for strengthening the small muscles needed for writing.
World Book Day was a huge success! The children loved dressing up as their favourite characters and sharing stories. A special thank you to Year 4, who came to read with us and helped foster a love of books and storytelling.
We made the most of the spring sunshine in dinosaur land, with lots of imaginative play. The mud kitchen has inspired the children to “cook”, feed, and bathe the baby dolls.
We also went on a spring walk around the school grounds, spotting daffodils, buds on the trees, and new eaves—helping the children observe seasonal changes and develop their understanding of the natural world.
We enjoyed a little “spring cleaning” in our role play area, using toy hoovers, irons, and an ironing board. This supported imaginative play, language development, and independence skills.
Next week we are excited to begin Science Week, where the children will become palaeontologists, doctors, and scientists. We’ll be exploring investigations, asking questions, and discovering new things about the world around us. It promises to be a week full
of curiosity, creativity, and hands on learning.