PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Each day the children will have the opportunity to have a playtime. which will normally take place outdoors (weather permitting.) They will be encouraged to use a variety of small apparatus for throwing, catching, rolling. pushing, pulling etc, to encourage gross motor skills.

They will also take part in Music and Movement, and Drama, which will consist of acting out favourite stories such as "GoIdilocks and the three bears" etc. Also mime, using props with music, dancing and ring games.

To practise fine motor skills, there will be opportunities to work with diferent kinds of materials in Art and Craft activities and handling the tools to manipulate these materials. Back

LINGUISTIC DEVELOPMENT

There is a storytelling time at every session and also a book corner where the children can sit quietly and peruse the books at their leisure. At project time, diferent topics are discussed, knowledge and understanding of the world, science and nature, with the help of objects. books and photos. Also we encourage the children to talk about themselves and their experiences. Back

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

The freetime period is set up to encourage the children to choose an activity at their own will and to interact with the other children, whether it be in the home corner, the book corner, or constructing the Brio train set or Lego blocks. The children learn to share and communicate with each other and are all encouraged to tidy away in preparation for the next activity. Back

MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE.

Through a variety of educational aids, some of them Montessori, the children will learn to sort, match, classify. order and count. They will learn about comparisons, weight, shapes and their dimensions, and through simple scientific experiments, knowledge of how things work and reasoning.
At worktime the children will each have their own activity books, and folders for completed worksheets.
The number mats which are made by the school are very good for practising number recognition. Back

NATURE OBSERVATION.

As we have access to the beautiful grounds of the Brentham Club, this gives us great opportunities to observe the changing seasons, living creatures and plant life. Saint Barnabas has its own secluded garden and nature area.
Gardening and watching plant growth vill also be part of the curriculum inside and outside the Nursery.

The TREASURE BASKET - A large basket of natural objects of interest i.e. shells, natural sponges, flowers, leaves etc, will be brought into the Nursery for the children to touch and observe.
If any child wishes to bring something of interest of his/her own, to show to the other children for "show and tell" he/she is encouraged to do so. Back

READING AND WRITING.

At 2 1/2 years old, the children will be gently introduced to afew letters of the alphabet with die aid of the Let terland characters, i.e. "SAMMY SNAKE SAYS 555, OSCAR ORANGE SAYS 0", phonetically, with cards and pictures as well.

At worktime they will be given simple worksheets to promote pre-writing skills.

Once they have settled into Nursery. they will start to learn the whole alpha bet and will be given a letter box to take home.

Wheti they have learnt all the letter sounds, the moveable alphabet will be introduced to start word building with the aid of pictures.

Finally when they are ready, they will start to read books from the Oxford Reading Scheme, introducing them to the main characters, Biff, Chip and Kipper.

At worktime, they will have writing books and News Diaries to practise formation of letters. Back

ARTS AND CRAFTS.

Each term the teachers will set a Theme, which the Arts and Crafts activities will be based upon. The teachers will prepare a variety of crafts such as; junk modelling, clay modelling, collage, pallet painting, finger painting, drawing e:c, using many dcfferent types of media and materials. Dough is put out at the same time as the craft every day, and may be alternated with cooking activities from time to time. Back

AT HOME WITH NEW WORLD MONTESSORI.

I believe that a close partnership between parents and the school is beneficial to the childs welfare.
As you have chosen a Montessori school l have therefore given parents some ideas to carry on the philosophy at home if they wish.

PRACTICAL LIFE EXERCISES - POURING.

In the Nursery we give the opportunity for the children to learn to pour, the aim of the exercise is to try NOT to spill any water/rice/sand.

This exercise helps to strengthen fingers enabling them to write at a later stage. The exercises also aid independence and concentration to do a task.

At HOME you can let your child have his/her own jug of squash which he/she can pour themselves into their own cup.

DRESSING FRAMES.

In the Nursery the children will practise their skills on the Montessori Dressing frames, zippers, buttons, buckles, laces etc.

At HOME try to encourage your child to dress or undress themselves. This is probably better when you are not in a rush to get somewhere.

LAYING THE TABLE.

In the Nursery this is practised in the Home Corner.

At HOME you could get your child to set the table for teatime. This is a wonderful exercise and introduces the child to early maths, counting the places ensuring that each place has the same amount of knives, forks, cups, etc. Back