Week beginning 13th October 2025

The Investigation Hub at Sidney Grove

Characteristics of Effective Learning

Active Learning- keep trying!

The children have been showing lots of enthusiasm for using scissors lately, and we’ve been supporting them in fun, developmentally appropriate ways. This week, we added some exciting new “enhancements” to inspire their interest — including making shape wands and completing cutting challenges on colourful paper!

We’ve been so proud of the children’s resilience and perseverance as they practised their cutting skills. It can be tricky at times, but they’ve been determined and creative in finding solutions:

• “It ripped! Let’s put sellotape on!”
• “We cut a square — we cut up and down!”
• “Can you hold it and I’ll cut it quickly?”

Attached, you’ll find some handy information on how you can support your child’s scissor skills at home.

Parents as Partners

We linked our rhyme of the week to some phonological awareness activities — helping children tune in to and recognise different sounds. While singing Hickory Dickory Dock, the children took turns playing instruments to represent parts of the rhyme: shaking a shaker for the mouse’s feet, playing the triangle for the clock, and using maracas for the tick-tock sound. They listened carefully and joined in at just the right time!

Our core text this week was The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson — a firm favourite among many of the children! We soon discovered that lots of them could even recite parts of the story from memory. We encouraged the children to retell the story through play, using props to support their understanding and to build their vocabulary. It was wonderful to hear such expressive storytelling and rich language being used:

• “The fox wants to eat the mouse!”
• “He tells the snake… it’s terribly kind of you, Snake, but no! I’m having tea with a Gruffalo!”

In our small group maths sessions, the children used playdough to make small quantities to match numerals. We modelled how to split one piece into two or three, and practised recognising these quantities quickly without counting — a skill known as subitising. The children enjoyed exploring numbers in such a hands-on, creative way!

Outside Learning

We continued our exploration of The Gruffalo in the garden this week, where the children took part in story walks! As they followed the path, they encountered different characters from the story and acted out their favourite parts — bringing the tale to life through movement and imagination.

The children also explored creating transient art using natural materials they found outdoors, designing Gruffalos both big and small. It was wonderful to see their creativity and problem-solving as they used leaves, sticks, and stones to build their own interpretations of the story’s characters.

Thank you to everyone who donated to our Harvest Festival collection so generously! We will update you when the donations are delivered. You are amazing!

Have a lovely weekend!

Weekly Learning Summary – Rising 3s

Week Beginning: 13th October 2025
Story of the Week: The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson

Dear Parents and Carers,

This week, the children have been immersed in the world of The Gruffalo, engaging in imaginative storytelling, outdoor exploration, and creative construction. Their learning has been rich in language, movement, and discovery, with strong links to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and child development theory.

🎯 Active Learning

Children demonstrated high levels of engagement and perseverance as they recreated scenes from The Gruffalo using props, wooden bricks, and natural materials. They built log pile houses and underground homes, showing sustained focus and pride in their creations. These activities supported EYFS characteristics of effective learning, particularly active learning and creating and thinking critically.

The Gruffalo Hunt in the garden sparked excitement and curiosity. Children searched for hidden characters, asked questions, and made predictions—developing their ability to think independently and explore ideas through play. This also supported Understanding the World, as children observed seasonal changes and discussed the natural environment.

Schemas observed this week included:

• Enclosure and Containment: building homes and dens for characters.
• Transporting: collecting and moving natural items.
• Trajectory: throwing leaves and moving with lycra during music sessions.

🗣️ Communication and Language

Children listened attentively to The Gruffalo, joining in with repeated refrains and retelling the story in their own words. Staff supported vocabulary development by introducing descriptive phrases such as “terrible tusks” and “knobbly knees,” and encouraging children to describe characters and settings.

Small-group discussions allowed children to share ideas, ask questions, and build confidence in speaking. These experiences supported EYFS goals for listening, attention, and expressive language, and reflected Vygotsky’s theory of learning through social interaction and adult scaffolding.

🕺 Physical Development

Children took part in a range of movement-based activities, including dancing with lycra and parachute games. These supported gross motor development, coordination, and rhythm. Fine motor skills were strengthened through building with blocks, manipulating natural materials, and creating shape-based pictures at the writing table.

Mathematical learning was embedded through:

• Recognising and naming shapes.
• Counting objects in the environment.
• Using blocks to create representations of houses and pathways.

These activities supported Mathematics and Physical Development, while also linking to Piaget’s theory of symbolic representation and spatial awareness.

Thank you for your continued support.

Have a lovely weekend 😄 see you all next week.