Twinkle, Twinkle!

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Small Steps

I had a little visitor this afternoon! A princess magic fairy came to visit! She cast a magic spell for all your wishes to come true!

What would you wish for?

Walk in the rain!

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Small Steps

I was scheduled to do a long walk on Dartmoor today, but alas the rain stopped play again. So I went for a mini walk around Haldon forest, near Exeter in the rain. It is a really pretty trail with lots of different nooks and crannies, and secret pathways to explore!

As you can see below there was a throne for ‘Queenie’ for me to sit in and sing a little song. The request was ‘wheels on the bus’ and ‘wind the bobbin up’! All that was missing was my crown!

Thanks for dropping by! X

Happy Birthday Queenie!

Posted on August 23, 2012 by Small Steps

As you might have guessed already it was my birthday yesterday! And for my birthday I got a new camera. Which I am very excited about. This is the first camera that is all mine, no hand me downs or other peoples rejects! So now apart from blogging OHs lovely pictures, I can post ones that I have took. They won’t be as good, but it will give you a better idea of what happens in my day.

So we went to Plymouth for the day, down at the barbican. I like going there because it is by the sea , it has lovely shops, I like the aquarium, and most importantly it has lots of boats! After picking up my camera, we went for lunch as you see above! My ‘teacher’ look with my specs!

This is the very first picture taken with the new camera!

Now to try out all the different settings!

We went on a boat ride after lunch. So more playing around with the different settings, and trying to be a bit arty farty!

Below is the boat OH brought me for my birthday……..I wish!

Plymouth Hoe looks great from the water!

Had a lovely day! Thanks for dropping by! X

Just a thought….

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Small Steps

If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?

First day of school, teachers plea!

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Small Steps

A few of you were showing interest in knowing what would help your child be prepared for school, and give them a good start on their road of education. I work with Year one at the moment which is the 5/6 years olds, and there are definitely things you could be doing to help with the foundations of their education. So here is an insight of what we do at school with your blossoms and some things you could be doing at home to help them along a bit.

Maths

A large proportion of children struggle with is counting the teen numbers. So when counting with them always go to at least 20. (oh just a little note, can it be thirteen instead of ferteen)

Seeing the numbers written down, so they recognize them

Knowing numbers out of context, for example, children learn to count up in ones by rote but ask them a number out of order, you then know if they really know what it really is and what it looks like.

For the bright ones counting up in tens would be helpful, because we teach them in year one their 10, 5, and 2 timetables.

The best way to help your child learn about counting and counting on, adding, is good old fashioned board games. Because the first thing we teach them is counting on, adding, and counting back, taking away. But we cannot do any of this until they have got the basic counting up and back in ones and recognising their numbers.

Literacy

We all know that reading every day with your child helps them with their writing and reading. It’s not only about reading to them but about asking them about the story, getting them to talk about what is happening in a picture. Making up imaginative stories getting them to finish stories off. The talking comes before the writing. If a child cannot explain it to you in words then there is no way they can put it down in writing.

It is so helpful that at this age they can write their name. They should have had a lot of practise with this in reception class.

If you are starting to practise writing at home, make sure that you are using lower case letters because many children for some reason write in capital letters. I think this is partly down to the computer keyboard they see the letters at an early age on the keyboard and of cause it is all in capitals.

Knowing the names of the letters as well as the sound of a letter is good too. We always ask for the name and the sound because they need to be able to sound out a word and be able to write those letters.

Last little plea…It would so help my day, because it takes up so much time if not, can…

all the jumpers have their names on
children can put their own socks on
use a knife and fork
practice putting their new coat on and off, doing the zip up!
and have manners

I thought it might be a nice and helpful idea to offer any advice to parents who child is first starting school in September, just from a teacher’s point of view! Obviously all schools do things in different ways, but the worries are still the same!
Maybe questions about the curriculum, homework, making friends, what’s helpful for children to know before starting school to help them along, reading books, general routine in schools, questions like that. I don’t promise to know everything but I will do my best!
So go on fire away, what do you want to know?

Alaska

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Small Steps

Just have to share with you these pictures my OH took while they were whale watching in Alaska! That’s where they have been hiding the last two weeks!

Saw some seals as well, great to see them all in their natural environment and not performing tricks at sea world, even though the seal just looks lost without his ball! X