The collection is complete. ‘The chrysanthemum blooms in the cold autumn air and foretells the coming of winter, which symbolises the virtue to withstand all adversities. It was the favourite flower of the great poet Tao Yuanming (陶淵明, 365-427), a towering figure in Chinese literati culture.
http://www.chinaonlinemuseum.com/painting-four-gentlemen.php
The chrysanthemum flowers, with their striking orange petals adorn the fourth vase in reception bringing a bright splash of colour to the neutral-shaded surroundings. With guidance from Lorna, the pupils were tasked with studying the structure of the flowers as they considered the textures of the petals before recreating them with sponges. The children can identify which piece of art they have been involved with and they take ownership of the space, as they should. Affording pupils the opportunity to develop the spaces around them is vitally important in promoting a sense of belonging within the community. The space becomes theirs; it represents them and tells their story. As a result, pupils have a profound sense of pride in their achievement, it becomes a visible reminder of their part in the community. To refer to the Characteristics of Effective Learning (Development Matters, 2012) the pupils are active learners: they are involved and have opportunity to concentrate; they are encouraged to keep trying and ultimately, they enjoy and achieve what they set out to do. This is motivation at its best!
Books without words – the best start to reading!
Wordless picture books are told entirely through their illustrations, they are books without words, or sometimes just a few words. Sharing wordless books with a child provides an opportunity for literacy-rich conversations. Each "reader" listens and speaks, and creates their own story in their own words. Sharing wordless books also reinforces the idea that, in many books, the story and the pictures are connected.
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/sharing-wordless-picture-books
Wordless books often promote more discussion than books with words, which leads to better comprehension. We tend to focus on, and appreciate, the details in the pictures more in these types of books. They also encourage the introduction of new vocabulary and help develop storytelling skills:
- For pre-readers, wordless books give them the opportunity to ‘read’ and understand a book all by themselves. Turning the pages of a book, following the story from the beginning, through the middle to the end promotes independence in reading. Enjoying the beauty and detail in the pictures supports development of creative thought.
- Beginner readers can be encouraged by their ability to ‘read’ the story more fluently, albeit using words of their own choosing. This can be motivating at a time when most of their reading will be frustratingly stilted. They also learn that clues to a story can be found in the pictures, which is a useful reading strategy to help them when reading text.
- Independent readers can benefit significantly from telling or writing the story unfolding in the pictures. They can be encouraged to add detail about the setting, characters and plot to help develop their storytelling skills.
Adapted from
http://www.childrens-books-and-reading.com/wordless-picture-books.html
Tips for reading a wordless book:
Take time to enjoy what is on offer – study the pictures and allow your child to tell you what they see. Follow up on their observations, build vocabulary, make connections and ask questions. The opportunities are endless.
Encourage discussion – there is no prescribed way of reading a book without words, therefore discussion can ensue without fear of interrupting the flow of words.
Introduce new vocabulary – the most obvious way of using wordless books is to tell the story in your own words. Research has shown that mothers who read a wordless book use richer language, more complex sentences and longer phrases than mothers who simply retell the printed story.
Appreciate the visual story – there is so much to see and your eyes will see various aspects of the visual to your child. How does the picture portray action or emotions? Encourage your child to also think about the colour choices and mood of the pictures. Why do they think the illustrator used a particular colour or technique?
Encourage storytelling – ask your child to tell the story in their own words based on the pictures on each page. Help them to develop their storytelling skills by prompting them to include details about the setting and descriptions of the characters. Promote creativity and imagination by allowing your child to embellish the story however they want or ask them to make up a completely new ending.
Learn about story structure and sequencing - wordless picture books are a wonderful way of teaching your child about basic story structure and the sequencing of events in a story. Once your child has told the story in their own words, ask them to summarise what happened in the beginning, middle and the end. This will start to give them an understanding of basic story structure.
Practice comprehension skills – with no words to restrict you, it can be easier to use wordless picture books with your child to practise comprehension skills. Encourage your child to predict what will happen next, make connections between the story and their own lives, discuss what the characters may be thinking and ponder the overall message of the story.
Inspire writing – wordless picture books can provide the perfect foundation for creative writing activities for younger and older children alike.
Sharing wordless books is a fabulous way to promote literacy skills, including listening and attention, vocabulary, comprehension along with an increased awareness of how stories are ‘built’. For a book with no words, you'll be surprised at the level of conversation and discussion that ensues.
Classroom News for week beginning 15th May 2017
Early Years 1 – Wonderful Water!
This week, we begin learning about water. During activity time, children will have the opportunity to create water art by blowing and spread
ing coloured water to create unique and interesting patterns. We will also experiment with moulding ice into differing shapes and adding colour to this ice. Using water trays, we will place objects in and learn which things can ‘sink’ or ‘float’. Our small world project will involve creating a small water world where children can learn how to take care of animals that live in or near the sea.
We are reading: Fish Eyes, I Spy, We Need Water
We are singing: Waves on the sea, Row row row your boat, 5 Green Speckled Frogs, Wo you yi tou xiao mao lv, Yi tong qu jiao you, Wo shi yi ge fen shua jiang
Early Years 2 – Jungles
All good things are wild and free. We’re excited to introduce and explore the new EY2 topic this week, which is all things jungle. The first week of the theme we will look at a general overview of the topic, exploring what is a jungle, what animals we might find there, and what we should take with us on an expedition. The children will be exposed to a range of activities, from a jungle maze, making telescopes, to making an expedition base camp and being immersed in the sounds and sights of the deepest darkest jungle.
We are reading: 谁在热带雨林, 丛林快客, The Selfish Crocodile – Faustin Charles, Walking Through the Jungle – Julie Lacome, Rumble in the Jungle – Giles Andreae, Monkey Puzzle – Julia Donaldson
We are singing: Chinese song: 小小动物出来玩、大象, Walking in the Jungle
Early Years 3 – Animal Habitats
Next week we will be starting our new theme – Animal Habitats. We previously asked the children which habitats of the world they were the most interested in and every class chose the ocean! The children will be investigating the animals livin
g under the sea, using iPads and books to look for information to answer their own questions and even investigating the features of different animals enabling them to breathe under water.
We are reading: Commotion in the Ocean - Giles Andreae, 小黑鱼, 海底探险
We are singing: 5 Little Fish, The Whales, 鲨鱼一家, 在海里
A kind reminder to all parents and families
