Note to Parents:

Nursery rhymes are a great way into learning early phonic skills (the ability to hear, identify and manipulate letter sounds). All schools use phonics as one of the main ways to teach reading. Nursery rhymes give children practice in pitch, volume as well as in language rhythm they will help to expand your child’s imagination and allows you to take your child to an imaginary world where blackbirds are baked in pies and vinegar and brown paper are a remedy for a cracked head! They transport children to a world of fantasy and play and can really develop your child’s visualisation skills through the use of actions.

 Short nursery rhymes often tell a story and contain a beginning, middle and end. Whilst this may be a compact way of storytelling, these will be some of the first stories your child will be able to follow and understand. An engagement with a sequence of events will be a skill they need when reading. Please encourage your child to look at lots of different rhymes and do let us know what their favourites are!

Please remember to upload your home learning onto Evidence Me using the app. This is how we can keep in contact with you and give you help, comments and feedback on your child’s learning.

Literacy : This week we are looking at one of our favourite Rhymes Humpty Dumpty

Read or watch the story of Humpty Dumpty. At the end, discuss what happened in the story.

Teach your family the song, Humpty Dumpty .

Don’t forget to show them the actions too!

Here are some questions to discuss with your family.

1. What kind of character is Humpty Dumpty?
2. What did Humpty Dumpty sit on in the story?
3. What happened to Humpty Dumpty? 
4. What was the problem in the story?
5.  Who couldn't put Humpty together again?
6. Which word rhymes with FALL?

Can you use the attached sheet to sequence the story in the correct order?

Practise writing letters in a tray of salt or sand using a paintbrush or your finger. Try the letters from your name first.

Have a look at a real egg.

What words can you use to describe the shape and feel of the shell, such as smooth, speckled spotty etc.

Break the egg into a saucer, what words can you use to describe it?

Discuss all the different ways you use eggs in your home.

Can you make some stick puppets to re tell the Nursery Rhyme?

Numeracy:

Can you practise writing your numbers 1-10? You can use paint, crayons, chalk or felt tips. 

Can you help the number blocks complete their puzzles?

Try drawing some egg shapes and cutting them out.

Number the eggs 1-10

Can you place the eggs in the correct order from one to 10?

Count along the line forwards and backwards placing your finger on each one as you go along.

Close your eyes and ask an adult to remove one of the eggs.

What number is missing?

Can you explain how you worked it out?

Repeat by hiding different numbers.

Count every day and see how high you can get.

For an extra challenge you could even try forwards and backwards or don’t always start at 1!

Talk about some recipes that require using eggs.

Have a go at making some fairy cakes!

Ingredients

• 100g caster sugar
• 100g very soft butter
• 100g self-raising flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the icing

• 200g very soft butter
• 200g icing sugar
• food colouring, sprinkles, marshmallows etc

Method

• STEP 1

Ask a grown-up helper to turn the oven on to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put a paper case in hole of a 12-hole bun tin.

• STEP 2

Put the sugar and butter (it must be soft or you won’t be able to mix it properly) in a bowl and mix it together. Sift in the flour.

• STEP 3

Break the eggs into a separate bowl (spoon out any bits of shell that fall in) and add them to the bowl with the vanilla. Mix everything together.

• STEP 4

Divide between the cases using a spoon, scraping it off with a knife. Ask a grown-up helper to put the tray in the oven for 20 minutes.

• STEP 5

Mix the butter and icing sugar to make a creamy icing. Add colouring, if you like. Push an icing nozzle into an icing bag, then scoop in the icing.

• STEP 6

Let the cakes cool completely in the tray. Pipe icing onto each cake and decorate with marshmallows or sprinkles, or whatever you like.

Look at an empty egg shell. Can you see how easily it breaks? Some things are very delicate and are not able to be mended.

Try using a clean and empty egg shell to make a egg head.

Remove the top section and decorate the shell to look like a face.

Fill with damp cotton wool sprinkled with cress seeds.

Keep well watered and watch the egg heads grow hair!

Creative:

Can you paint, draw or use different collage materials to make your own Humpty Dumpty?

Try making your own Humpty Dumpty Art Puzzle. Using an oval shape, draw Humpty Dumpty. Then cut him apart and put him back together again!

Please continue to practise these every week!

- Putting on your coat

- Zipping up your coat

- Getting dressed by yourself including doing up your own shoes

- Recognising and writing  your own name

- Counting forwards and backwards to 20

- Practice writing numbers to 10