Parish Magazine Update - April 2008

The children of Chapel Lane Pre-school, start this month by beginning their spring holiday. However, the pre-schoolers will continue to keep busy over the spring break, by taking part in our sponsored treasure hunt. During the creak, the children will be asked to search for various, different items, including: train tickets, coins, postage stamps, cotton wool, leaves, flowers, seashells and feathers, amongst other items.

In previous years, the children have found the treasure hunt excellent fun and it has proved a great way of encouraging all the family to get out and about over the holidays. The treasure hunt is also a fun way of covering part of the pre-school curriculum. For example, the children are increasing their 'Knowledge and Understanding of the World" by learning where the different items they are searching for, come from. Picking up the various items and gluing them to our collection sheet is good hand/eye co-ordination practice. Encouraging the pre-schoolers to go to the library, will help with their 'Communication, Language and Literacy', as they will all be encouraged to borrow some books whilst they are there.

On their return to pre-school after the Spring break, the children will begin their new term's theme, entitled: 'Come Outside'. This theme will cover various topics, including: looking at mini-beasts and other nature, the weather and also learning about keeping safe whilst outside.

Initially, we will start the topic by looking at mini-beasts. Creative projects planned, include: making butterfly cakes, constructing junk model caterpillars and making snail pictures with potato prints.

To further the children's knowledge and understanding of this subject, the children will explore the pre-school garden and search for any mini-beasts they may find. The children's discoveries will then be collected and everyone will take it in turns to look at the mini=beasts with our magnifying glasses and microscope.

Communication, language and literacy activities relating to this theme, include: listening to and looking at some popular children's stories and rhymes such as The Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider. The children will also be encouraged to help think of some descriptive labels for our mini-beast wall display, for example: wriggling, jumping, hopping, scuttling and slithering. The children will also get to practice these mini-beast movements during our physical development activities.