Hello everyone,
I hope the first day of virtual school home learning went well for you. Please don't worry if things don't go exactly to plan - try to relax and know that over time you will find an approach that works for you and your family.
Due to me being unwell my children have already had a week of home learning. We are still finding our feet with it all too and my daughter emphatically telling my husband that "this isn't school" has become as routine for her as watching Good morning POW with Mr Spracklen!
In addition to the school's virtual school timetable of activities I am sharing some alternative activities you might want to do with your child this week. Please don't feel any pressure to do them they are just some different ideas you might like to explore for variety.
1) Get Active
I really recommend finding some time for your children to do some exercise every day. It is important for their physical health but it will benefit their mental health also. The Prince of Wales virtual school program begins at 9am with a workout for school children with Joe Wicks. This was very popular on Monday although any physical activity that gets your child moving would be good.
Many of the children in Year 1 have enjoyed following videos from Cosmic kids Yoga and Koo Koo Kangaroo who are a band that sing fun songs with actions to get your child moving.
Alternatively playing games outside is an excellent way to also get some vitamin D where possible. Ball games, tag games or developing their own circuits are just a few ideas your child might enjoy.
2) Share a book
a) Read to your child
Reading to and with your child is one of the best things you can do at home. If your child doesn't want to engage with any other activity then allow them to choose their favourite books and read them to your child. The benefits of reading to your child are not just educational. It can be a very calming activity for them and can help them feel secure and attached.
b) Ask your child to retell a story
Encouraging your child to retell a story you have recently read or a well known story is a really beneficial activity. It helps your child develop their comprehension skills and vocabulary and helps them develop greater confidence speaking. Allow your child to be creative with this - they may want to collect or make props or masks or they could use different voices for characters. If you want to film or record your child retelling a story myself and Mr Spracklen would love to see or hear them.
c) Listen to your child read
Listening to your child read is always a good activity to do. I can't recommend praising your child for their reading efforts strongly enough. As an English speaker, learning to read is a tricky process with lots to remember. Your child might gain confidence if you take it in turns reading a page or line each rather than reading extended sections of text. For phonetically regular words your child will be familiar with 'Fred Talk' which is where they sound out the sounds the letters make. Children should be familiar with first finding special friends. For example the word thin has special friends th and then we would Fred talk the individual sounds th-i-n.
The English language has a number of irregular words known as Red words in RWI. These words cannot be sounded out and need to be learnt by sight.
For more information about the RWI approach that your child will be familiar with please visit the RWI parents page
Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to support you and your family. c.browne@princeofwales.dorset.sch.uk
Kind regards,
Ms Browne
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