Cambridge Early Years Executive Preview 1

Cambridge Early Years

Multi-component sample - Year 1 Term A

Alison

Borthwick, Gill Budgell, Kathryn Harper, Philippa Hines, Claire Medwell, Cherri Moseley & Elly Schottman

Dear Practitioner,

SAMPLE

Welcome to Cambridge Early Years!

Cambridge Early Years is our new programme for 3 to 6 year olds. It gives young learners the best start in life, helping them to meet key early milestones and thrive in and outside of school. This ground-breaking programme includes everything you need for high-quality learning: a holistic, balanced curriculum, engaging classroom resources, professional development and assessment approaches to help you measure your learners’ progress.

This executive preview will help you understand how our teaching resources and learner’s books work together to support you with your early years teaching.

In creating these resources, we have taken time to speak to early years practitioners from schools all over the world, asking questions and listening carefully to their experiences and challenges. From building an inspiring early years setting, to teaching children from diverse backgrounds and language abilities – our resources support the needs and challenges that practitioners face in the early years classroom.

The teaching resources are the core resources for Cambridge Early Years and provide activities and additional digital downloadables for all of the curriculum areas. They cover Mathematics, Communication and Language (CL), and within the Let’s Explore strand, Creative Expression, Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Physical Development and Understanding the World Each of the teaching resources for Years 1, 2 and 3 provides a wide range of engaging activities which are all aligned with the curriculum’s learning statements.

The learner’s books provide stories and activities that support the early years curriculum areas and work best when used in conjunction with the teaching resources. At Early Years 2 and Early Years 3, the learner’s books are split into subject areas: Mathematics, Communication and Language (for English as a First Language), Communication and Language (for English as a Second Language), and Let’s Explore, whereas our Cambridge Early Years 1 learner’s books cover a variety of subject areas.

Please take five minutes to find out how our resources support you and your learners. To view the full series, you can visit our website or speak to your local team

cambridge.org/education/find-your-sales-consultant cambridge.org/education/early-years

You can also find out more about becoming a Cambridge Early Years centre on our website: cambridgeinternational.org/earlyyears

Best wishes,

Bridget McHugh

Commissioning Editor for Cambridge Early Years

Alison Borthwick, Gill Budgell, Kathryn Harper, Claire Medwell, Cherri Moseley & Elly Schottman

Note to parents and practitioners

This Learner’s Book provides activities and stories to support the first term of Let’s Explore, Communication and Language, and Mathematics for Cambridge Early Years 1.

Activities can be used at school or at home. Children will need support from an adult. Additional guidance about activities can be found in the For practitioners boxes.

Some activities use stickers. The stickers can be found in the section in the middle of this book.

Stories are provided for children to enjoy looking at and listening to. Children are not expected to be able to read the stories themselves.

Children will encounter the following characters within this book. You could ask children to point to the characters when they see them on the pages, and say their names.

The Learner’s Book activities support the Teaching Resource activities. The Teaching Resource provides step-by-step coverage of the Cambridge Early Years curriculum and guidance on how the Learner’s Book activities develop the curriculum learning statements.

Hi, my name is Rafi.

Hi, my name is Kiho.

Hi, my name is Mia.

Find us on the front covers doing lots of fun activities.

Hi, my name is Gemi.

If You’re Happy and You Know It

Traditional children's song

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!

If you’re happy and you know it, and you really want to show it, If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!

If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet!

If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet!

If you’re happy and you know it, and you really want to show it,

If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet!

If you’re happy and you know it, say hurrah!

If you’re happy and you know it, say hurrah!

If you’re happy and you know it, and you really want to show it, If you’re happy and you know it, say hurrah!

I’m happy!

Trace and say.

Trace the smile and say I’m happy.

Colour in the person.

SAMPLE

For practitioners

Children trace the smile and colour in the person to represent themselves. Children point and say I’m happy. Sing the song again together.

Colourful clothes

Colour and talk.

SAMPLE

For practitioners

Children choose a range of colours to use to colour in Teddy’s clothes. Then speaking in the voice of Teddy, they nd others with the same colour clothes. I have a yellow T-shirt. What colour is your T-shirt? In pairs, ask children to nd other objects in the area that are the same colours.

How many?

Match and say.

Draw a line to match the objects to a number.

12345

SAMPLE

For practitioners

Children match the objects to the numbers by drawing lines from the picture to the number of objects they can see, e.g., a line from the slide to the number 1.

SAMPLE

Alison Borthwick, Gill Budgell, Kathryn Harper, Philippa Hines, Claire Medwell, Cherri Moseley & Elly Schottman

Block 2 Senses

In Communication and Language, we will focus on the immediate world of young children: friends, family and playing. Children will join in with a popular action rhyme, play their own games and share rhymes. The texts and rhymes offer simple language and strong repetitive phrasing to encourage responses and an interest in vocabulary. Children will also talk about the illustrations and words of a story, and begin to show their enjoyment of listening to texts and responding in different ways.

In Mathematics, we will focus on beginning to recognise dice-dot patterns, up to five, without counting. Throughout, dot pattern cards (Mathematics Activity sheet 1.2.1.1) can be used as an alternative if dice are not appropriate/available. Children will also use percussive musical instruments and actions to

practise counting in contexts where touch counting isn’t possible. They will explore numbers as labels, ordinal numbers (numbers used to denote the position of something in a list or series) for first to third and meet the concept of none/zero.

In Let’s Explore, we will explore the senses of sound, sight, touch, smell and taste through science activities and art, music, drama and dance. We will be learning how to listen and identify sounds around us and how to move our bodies to sounds. We will explore patterns and colours, textures and tastes, learning how to describe the things we see and feel. To support learning, look out for spontaneous teachable moments to encourage children to think about what senses they use on a day-to-day basis in routine activities.

Week 1: Communication and Language

Communication and Language Week 1: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

In Communication and Language this week, we will enjoy a simple action rhyme with actions to support the meanings of new words, and begin to using these in our talk. We will also join in with simple conversations and make ourselves understood in everyday situations.

Continuous provision and guided play

• Home area: Ensure the Home area is well-stocked with soft toys for child-initiated retellings of rhymes in their play. You could ask questions that encourage talk about specific words from the rhyme, e.g., What is your toy doing? Can he/she (march)?

• Working wall: Begin a new Working wall so that children can revisit parts of the texts explored, and their own responses once captured. Children may choose when to visit the Working wall and when to add their work to it. This will create opportunities to reflect on their progress through the week and block.

• NEW Listening area: After singing the rhyme, ensure audio versions are available in the Listening area so children can revisit it along with other similar rhymes. When children are exploring these rhymes, model the actions and encourage them to follow along. Children may like to sing or listen to other songs and rhymes they know or make up. They may like to explore the actions on their own or in small groups in and around the early years setting. Guide their play as appropriate to reinforce key vocabulary.

Spontaneous teachable moments

There may be opportunities throughout to encourage talk about how we look after our toys and/or how we share our things with others. As children play, you could prompt them to talk about themselves and how they play with and look after toys at home.

ActivityOutline of learning content

1 Sing and join in Listen to a rhyme showing attention, and join in with the actions. Explore the action vocabulary.

2 Teddy bears from home Share and talk about favourite teddy bears from home or from the early years setting. Show we can listen to others. Develop speaking skills through careful questioning.

Do this on the previous school day if possible.

3 Teddy Bear Says Play a game and use vocabulary from the action rhyme.

Activity 1: Sing and join in

Learning statements

• 1CLc.06 Enjoy and respond to the words of rhymes and songs, for example, joining in with repeated elements, doing actions, singing favourite songs out loud as they play.

• To support the child, use short, simple rhymes and songs accompanied by pictures or actions.

• By the end of EY1, the child may only respond using actions, for example, tapping when they hear a specific sound or word, or joining in with repeated sounds and words.

• 1CLc.14 Explore the meanings of new words that they encounter in their play.

• To support the child, repeat words related to their play accompanied by gestures and actions.

• By the end of EY1, the child may only show an understanding of words repeated and demonstrated multiple times.

Resources

Action rhyme (Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear); audio of the rhyme (you can find this online); a teddy bear (or teddy bear ears on a headband); headphones for listening; other action rhymes, songs and poems relating to simple actions and toys.

Safety tip

Ensure there is enough room for children to safely perform the actions that accompany the rhyme.

Key vocabulary

teddy bear, actions, turn around, touch, reach, march, move, dance, find, run, smile, sit

Activity guidance

• Add any element of the rhyme to the Working wall as cited previously in the Continuous provision.

Begin the session with the Rhyme Time song so children recognise that this is the time to join you for a whole class activity.

• Tell the children this rhyme is about a teddy bear who can move. Show a teddy bear or a picture, and encourage children to say teddy bear as they point to the bear/picture. Listen (hands to ears) and watch (hands to eyes).

Sing the rhyme Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear and perform the actions for children using the teddy bear if possible. You may like to pretend to be a teddy bear (wear teddy bear ears on a headband) as you perform the actions.

• Talk about the words and perform the actions, e.g., slowly say the words and model the actions as listed in key vocabulary above.

• The first reading or listen may be modelled with actions, but on a second and/or third rendition, encourage children to join in with words and actions as appropriate

• Let parent(s)/carer(s) know to send a teddy bear/soft toy to school with their child for the next activity.

Listen and observe

Support:

• Support children who may be less confident to join in by inviting them to hold the teddy and make it perform the actions while other s follow.

• Some children may prefer to perform actions but not yet say the words.

Challenge:

• Challenge some children to be the action leaders at the front of the class and respond to the words of the rhyme for others to follow.

Activity 2: Teddy bears from home

Learning statements

• 1CLc.17 Talk about self and everyday events with familiar people, including past and present events.

• To support the child, use modelling to support them in talking about themselves, for example, say I am Tom. I am a teacher. You?

• By the end of EY1, the child may only talk about themselves using simple rehearsed words and phr ases, for example, I am Anna.

• 1CLc.02 Listen to others when conversations and discussions interest them.

• To support the child, accompany routine talk with gestures and actions, and initiate simple conversations regular ly as they play.

• By the end of EY1, the child may only respond using gestures, actions and a small range of simple words, for example, waving in response to Goodbye at the end of the day, or responding to the question Are you cold? (accompanied by shivering), by saying Yes.

Resources

Action rhyme (Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear); audio of the rhyme (you can find this online); teddy bears/soft toys from home; a selection of teddy bears and soft toys for children to choose from in the early years setting; camera and/or audio recording options.

Prepare: Let parent(s)/carer(s) know to send a teddy bear/soft toy to school with their child.

Safety tip

Be mindful that toys brought from home may have loose parts, e.g., beads for eyes.

Key vocabulary

This is my … toy, teddy bear, His/her name is … , Descriptions, e.g., colours, words, clothing

Activity guidance

• Some children will have remembered to bring in their teddy bears or similar soft toy from home . Be sensitive to those who may not have something to bring in or may have forgotten. Have a range of options in the early years setting for children to choose from, and give them time to play with them to choose a favourite.

• You may decide to begin the session by revisiting the action rhyme.

• Encourage children to show they are ready to listen well, giving reminders of how to show this, e .g., sitting still, looking at the person speaking. Use gestures to support those who are unsure and point out those doing well. Remind children that it is important not to interrupt. Be sensitive to those who listen differently.

• Children take it in turns to talk about their special toy/teddy bear from home. Children could use their home language to talk at times if needed. You could then say what they have said in English for children to copy.

• Encourage their speaking skills with careful questioning, and invite others to ask questions of them where appropriate, e.g., What is your teddy bear’s name? What is your teddy bear wearing? What colour are his ears/eyes/nose/tummy? Support ESL children with modelling, e.g., I am Mr./Mrs. X. This is my teddy bear. You? (with gesture) to encourage the response I am Child Y. This is my teddy bear.

• You may wish to capture children’s talk or a photo of them holding their chosen toy to add to the Working wall or similar.

Listen and observe

Support:

• If children are finding it difficult to listen, try bringing them closer to you for more direct engagement.

• For those needing support with talking about their teddy bear, consider setting up a smaller group if the larger setting seems overwhelming.

• You could encourage children to have the teddy bears speak to each other, so that the child does not have to be centre stage

Challenge:

• If children are listening well and talking with confidence, challenge them with questions to encourage them, e .g., Did you have this teddy when you were a baby? Why is he your favourite toy? What sort of games do you play with him?

Activity 3: Teddy Bear Says

Learning statements

SAMPLE

• 1CLc.14 Explore the meanings of new words that they encounter in their play.

• To support the child, repeat words related to their play accompanied by gestures and actions.

• By the end of EY1, the child may only show an understanding of words repeated and demonstr ated multiple times.

• 1CLc.15 Make themselves understood in everyday situations.

• To support the child, use simple routines to support communication and confidence, for example, greetings and farewells.

• By the end of EY1, the child may only use simple words accompanied by gestures and actions.

Resources

Large space (inside or outside); Communication and Language Activity sheet 1.2.1.1: Teddy bear actions; teddy bear.

Safety tip

Ensure children can perform the actions safely in the space available, e.g., run, run, run may have to be on the spot.

Key vocabulary

Teddy bear says … turn around, touch, reach, march, move, dance, find, run, smile, sit

Activity guidance

• ‘Simon Says’ is a traditional game where one person (taking on the persona of ‘Simon’) gives instructions to a group of children – for example, Simon says clap your hands. The children must follow the instruction. Occasionally ‘Simon’ should give an instruction without starting with ‘Simon says’ – for example, saying Stamp your feet. Because it’s not something that ‘Simon says’, children should not follow the instruction.

• Introduce a game similar to ‘Simon Says’, to help reinforce the meanings of the vocabulary of the action rhyme Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

• Begin by showing the teddy bear and inviting children to greet him, e.g., Who can ask Teddy how he is feeling this morning? Who can ask Teddy what the weather is like this morning? For some children a simple greeting may be challenging enough, e.g., Hello; Good morning; Good afternoon; Hi!

• Tell children that this is a game where they must listen well. Show gesture holding ears or cupping ears.

• If necessary, use the action cards (Communication and Language Activity sheet 1.2.1.1 to revisit the key action words from the rhyme and their meanings. Show each card and perform the accompanying action, encouraging children to copy.

• Explain that when teddy bear tells them what to do, they should do it, e.g., Teddy bear says … run! Teddy bear says … march! Stress the words Teddy bear says … and then make the action. Give thumbs up or similar action to show this is correct.

• You could encourage children to say the action word themselves as they carry out the action.

• However, when the instruction does not include Teddy bear says, they must not do it, e .g., Dance! Say the word and exaggerate no action to model. Those who dance are out of the game/sit down.

• This game is best played outside for space.

Listen and observe

Support:

• If children are finding it difficult to use the words in their play and/or to make themselves understood, use the teddy bear actions to aid understanding (Communication and Language Activity sheet 1.2.1.1).

• Some children may prefer if you hold up the teddy bear as you say the words Teddy bear says … If the teddy is not held up, children should not copy the action.

• Some children may prefer to just mime an action for others to copy in their play, instead of including the ‘Teddy bear says’ element. If so, say the action word as they perform the action, to solidify language understanding.

Challenge:

• If children are using the action words confidently, challenge them to be the caller in the game and/or ask them to explain to another per son in the early years setting how the game works.

Mathematics

Week 1: Seeing quantity and counting sounds

In Mathematics this week, we will begin to recognise dicedot patterns to support recognising quantities to five without counting. We will also focus on understanding that things do not have to be touched to be counted.

Continuous provision and guided play

• Counting corner: Add some standard six-sided dot die with the six side covered with a blank sticker (to omit the six pattern for Week 1 and to represent none for Week 2).

• Art area: Include laminated dot pattern cards (Mathematics Activity sheet 1.2.1.1) alongside the modelling clay in the Art area. After Activity 2, provide materials for children to make their own action cards to use alongside a set of dot pattern cards or a die during their play.

• Whole setting/Home area: After Activity 2, make percussive musical instruments available around the early years setting, including pots, pans and spoons in the Home area for use as percussion instruments. You could join children playing with these and challenge them to, for example, Tap three times

• Outside area: After Activity 2, maintain the path of stepping stones for children to follow. Place a die or a laminated dot pattern card on some stepping stones. Alter natively, mark a dot pattern in chalk for 1 to 5 on some stepping stones. When children are playing on the stepping stones, join them and ask them how they know how many actions to perform.

• Construction and small world play area: As children play with animals or vehicles, ask them to quickly tell you how many legs on a giraffe/wheels on a motorbike/car and so on, encouraging subitising (knowing without counting) rather than counting.

Safety tip

When children are hopping and jumping, or playing percussive musical instruments, ensure there is sufficient space around each child to avoid collisions with other children and objects.

Week 1: Mathematics

Spontaneous teachable moments

Look out for opportunities where you can ask children to do actions a number of times, for example, hop three times, jump two times, and clap their hands four times when waiting in line; display a dot pattern card to show children how many times to carry out the activity.

Activity Outline of learning content

1 Dot patternsCount the number of dots on each side of a standard dot die (up to five) and begin to recognise the patter ns.

2 Stepping stonesCount or recognise the number of dots on a standard die and perform the matching number of actions.

3 Musical countingCount things that cannot be touched, such as sounds.

Activity 1: Dot patterns

Learning statements

• 1Mn.08 Recognise small numbers of objects without counting, and familiar patterns, arrangements and representations of numbers up to at least 5, for example, dots on a standard 6-sided die, patterns of fingers, tally marks.

• 1Mn.06 Count up to at least 5 items (objects or pictures) by saying one number name as they point to, touch or move each item, and knowing when to stop the count.

Resources

Modelling clay; large standard six-sided dot die; one standard-sized set of one to five dot pattern cards per child (Mathematics Activity sheet 1.2.1.1).

Prepare: Cover the six side of the die with a blank sticker (or make a set of large dot pattern cards using Mathematics Activity sheet 1.2.1.1).

Activity guidance

• Show children the large six-sided dot die with the six side covered with a blank sticker

• Now show the side with one dot and ask children how many dots it shows. Confir m by placing your finger over the dot and counting one

SAMPLE

Key vocabulary

one, two, three, four, five, How many?, dice

• Repeat with the sides with two, three, four and five dots, in order. Encourage the children to count with you as you place your finger on each dot and confirm the total count for each side: This side has X dots

• Show children each side again, in numerical order, stating the total number shown on each side. Explain that a dot die always shows the numbers one to five in the same way, so children will soon recognise how many dots without needing to count them.

• Give each child a set of dot pattern cards and some modelling clay.

• Show children how to pinch or roll a small amount of modelling clay and place it on a dot. Ask children to put a small dot of modelling clay on each dot on each card.

• Encourage children to count the modelling clay dots on each card so children begin to recognise the patterns, including recalling how many dots in each patter n.

Listen and observe

Support:

• If children struggle to count the modelling clay dots on a card, show them how to place the modelling clay dots in a row on a counting mat and touch count.

Challenge:

• Encourage children to begin to say the total number on each card quickly (without counting) as they begin to recognise the patterns.

Activity 2: Stepping stones

Learning statements

• 1Mn.08 Recognise small numbers of objects without counting, and familiar patterns, arrangements and representations of numbers up to at least 5, for example, dots on a standard 6-sided die, patterns of fingers, tally marks.

• 1Mn.06 Count up to at least 5 items (objects or pictures) by saying one number name as they point to, touch or move each item, and knowing when to stop the count.

Block 2: Senses

Resources

Chalk; several large standard six-sided dot dice. Prepare: Outside, use chalk to mark out a path of stepping stones that children can travel along by jumping or stepping from one stone to another; cover the six side of each die with a blank sticker (or make several large sets of dot pattern cards using Mathematics Activity sheet 1.2.1.1).

Safety tip

Ensure that the stepping stones are drawn where there is sufficient space to avoid collisions.

Key vocabulary

one, two, three, four, five, How many?, dice

Activity guidance

• Take children outside and show them the stepping stone path you have prepared.

• Ask for a volunteer to follow the path, stepping or jumping from one stone to the next. When the child reaches a particular stepping stone say Stop and offer a challenge: briefly show the child a dot pattern card or roll a large die and ask them to perform an action (for example, jump, hop, frog jump, clap, etc.) that many times as they stand on the stepping stone. Encourage the child to quickly recognise the dot pattern (subitise), rather than count, but allow children to count the dots if they need to.

• Now station some children alongside the path so that there is one child alongside each of several stepping stones; give each of these children a set of dot pattern cards or a lar ge die.

• Have the rest of the children line up at the start of the stepping stones, and set them off one after the other along the path.

• When you call out Stop and name an activity, any child on a stepping stone with another child stationed next to it must stop, read the dot pattern card/die face they are shown and perform the named activity that many times.

• Repeat, swapping out children on the path and dot pattern card/dice holders until everyone has had a go at both parts of the activity

Listen and observe

Support:

• Work with a small group of children on a short section of stepping stones, using dot pattern cards for 1, 2 and 3 only until children can confidently recognise these numbers without counting. Then extend to 4 and 5.

SAMPLE

• Leave the stepping stones drawn on the ground and the dot pattern cards/dice available so that children can create their own challenges for each other; alternatively, mark dot patterns in chalk on some of the stepping stones and allow children to choose their own activity to perform.

Challenge:

• Invite children to draw up a list of activities to carry out on the activity stepping stones. This could be written or drawn.

Activity 3: Musical counting

Learning statements

• 1Mn.07 Begin to count things that cannot be touched, for example, repeated actions or drum sounds made at regular inter vals.

• 1Mn.08 Recognise small numbers of objects without counting, and familiar patterns, ar rangements and representations of numbers up to at least 5, for example, dots on a standard 6-sided die, patterns of fingers, tally marks.

Resources

A range of percussive musical instruments (e.g., drums, triangle), one per child, or pots and spoons; a large standard six-sided dot die.

Prepare: Cover the six side of the die with a sticker showing a repeat of another side from one to five (or make a set of large one to five dot pattern cards using Mathematics Activity sheet 1.2.1.1).

Key vocabulary

number, count, How many … ?

Activity guidance

• Give each child a percussive musical instrument (e.g., drums, triangle). Give them a few minutes to bang/tap their instrument. Go around the group and ask children to say which musical instrument they have.

• Choose your own percussive instrument. Then roll the die and ask children to say the number shown. Then bang/tap your instr ument a number of times equal to the number rolled, counting out loud as you bang/tap the instrument. Repeat a few times with the children counting with you.

• Once children are familiar with the task, roll the die and ask children to identify the number of spots shown (practising recognising the quantity from the patterns but counting if necessar y to confirm the number). Agree what the number is and then ask all the children to bang/tap this number on their musical instrument together, counting out loud as they make the sounds. Now choose one or two children to bang/tap their instrument that number of times. Ask the children if they all heard the same number. Repeat several times.

• As children become familiar with the game, you can ask children to take turns at being in char ge and rolling the die.

Listen and observe

Support:

• Work with children on a one-to-one basis if necessary. Show the child the die pattern for one, confirm that they need to do just one bang/tap; ask the child to count as they bang/tap. Repeat for two, then one and two randomly before including three, then four and five.

Challenge:

• Roll the die and use a puppet to bang/tap a drum the number incorrectly. Encourage children to notice, explain and correct the mistake.

Let’s Explore

Week 1: What do you hear?

In Let’s Explore this week, we will listen to and identify sounds around us. We will imitate those sounds and explore ways to use our bodies and an assortment of tools to make all sorts of noises.

Continuous provision and guided play

• Library/reading area: Add books relating to sounds in the world around us, e.g., fictional books Peace at Last by Jill Murphy and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. When children are looking at the books, ask them if they can copy any written sounds and do them aloud or if there are any movements within the books that they could copy.

Continued

• Construction and small world play area: As children play with the figures and items, encourage them to make sound effects for different things, e.g., making the sound of a motorbike when they’re pushing one along, meow like a cat when they’re playing with the cat figure, etc. You might find that many children will do this spontaneously but you can ask questions to prompt those who don’t: What sound does this car make? I wonder if this dog has a loud bark?

• Music area: Provide basic instruments such as shakers, drums and tambourines for children to use to make their own music with. They can either make new sounds or songs, or repeat songs they have learnt this week such as the Bread and Butter song, or to re-enact We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. Join in with their play and become the conductor of the music group, asking them to play softly or loudly, slowly or fast and to join in and sing along as they play their instruments.

• NEW Sensory area: Add basins of sand, dr y corn, dry beans, bird seeds, dry rice for children to pour, stir and sprinkle, as well as containers, tubes, funnels, spoons, ladles. Ask the children what sort of different sounds they can make and what textures they can feel. Do the materials make a different sound if they do different things, e.g., shaking the beans in a tub versus dropping them onto the surface of the tray?

Spontaneous teachable moments

To encourage children to think about sounds, point them out when they’re playing, e.g., if the birds are singing when you’re outside, ask children to tell you what they can hear. Allow them to tell you what they hear – they might hear something you haven’t noticed!

Activity Outline of learning activities

1 Listen! What is it?Explore different sounds.

2 Making soundsMake loud sounds, soft sounds.

3 Fast and slow We’re Going on a Bear Hunt: A story song adventure.

Activity 1: Listen! What is it?

Learning statements

• 1CEm.04 Describe sounds using everyday language (e.g., quiet, smooth) or body movement (e.g., tremolo might be described as a ‘wobble’ or shown by shaking the body).

• 1CEdr.02 Represent familiar things and experiences using movements and sounds, for example, different types of animals, driving a scooter

• 1UWp.07 Talk about immediate indoor and outdoor environments (e.g., garden, playground).

Resources

Let’s Explore Slideshow 1.2.1.1; Circle Time chant.

Activity guidance

Use the Circle Time chant to gather children together, then tell children that this week they will be exploring sounds.

• Place a hand behind your ear and say, Listen! Use your ear s. What sounds can you hear? Have children imitate and identify the sounds they hear. You could also open the classroom door or outside window to see if any new sounds can be heard.

• Show Let’s Explore Slideshow 1.2.1.1. For each slide, have children identify the animal or object, then ask What sound does a (bird) make? What sort of sound is this? Is it a quiet sound or a loud one? Encourage the children to describe the sounds that they are making in simple terms.

• Praise the variety of sounds children come up with, taking the opportunity to talk about how the sounds are – quiet, wobbly, high, low, etc. then have everyone stand up and move like the animal or object while making the sound. Let’s flap our arms like a bird! Let’s buzz like bees! Ask them to them think about other objects or animals and make sounds and movements related to them. How does jelly move and sound? Does it wobble?

Practitioner tip

If some of your children speak home languages other than English, encourage them to share the words used for animal sounds (bird, horse, bee) used in those languages and compare with the words used in English, e.g., Chirp! Tweet! Neigh! Buzz.

Activity 2: Making sounds

Learning statements

• 1CEm.08 Take part in a range of musical activities, for example, make regular beats, join in with simple chants and songs in their home language and in English, including those with actions.

• 1CEm.11 Change singing according to different signals or instructions, for example, slow or fast, strong or soft.

• 1UWs.13 Explore making sounds in different ways, for example, tapping a surface, shaking beads in a container, humming.

Resources

Bread and Butter song

Activity guidance

• Have children stand in a circle. Ask them to use their feet to make the strongest sound they can. Then ask them to use their feet to make the softest sound they can. Repeat this again using tables for children to tap their hands on, or by asking them to hum! Try as many different ways to make loud and soft sounds as you can think of. You could even use instruments if they are available. Exploring ways to create loud and soft sounds in different ways, with hands and feet as well as voice, helps children develop a more robust understanding of the concepts of loud and soft.

• Have children join you in saying the word Hello! as fast as you can, then as s-l-o-w-l-y as you can. Then practise saying the word Goodbye as softly and as strongly as you can. Tell children they will use these words in the Bread and Butter song.

• Tap your legs in a slow steady beat as you prepare to sing the song. Have children join you in doing this action and in singing the words Hello and Goodbye. Ensure they are following your lead by singing parts slower or faster, depending on the instruction. Sing the song, encouraging children to join in, especially with Hello and Goodbye. You may need to repeat this a few times so that the children become familiar with the lyrics and join in with the whole song.

Week 1: Let’s Explore

Activity 3: Fast and slow

Learning statements

• 1CEm.13 Provide sound effects and vocalisation ideas as part of a story, song, accompaniment or drama piece, either independently or with guidance.

• 1PD.08 Explore different ways of moving, including during play-based activities.

Resources

Let’s Explore Activity sheet 1.2.1.1: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.

Activity guidance

• Explain to children that you’re going to go on a bear hunt adventure together. This is a call-and-response or ‘echo’ stor y. The children will repeat your words and sound effects and copy your actions. This activity is best done standing up to allow for freer, more dramatic movement and gestures. The tempo should be slow and comfortable in the first part of the story. After you have found the bear, the pace speeds up!

Home links

Customise the Home links letter for Week 1 as appropriate and send it home to families. Feel free to add other suggestions!

Communication and Language

• Encourage parent(s)/carer(s) to share baby pictures with their child to prompt discussion about teddy bears/baby toys they had when they were a baby (with sensitivity).

• Ask parent(s)/carer(s) to enjoy simple rhymes and action rhymes at home in English and in their home language.

• When out and about shopping (shopping centre or market), play a ‘Spot the Soft Toy’ game. Ask parent(s)/ carer(s) to encourage their child to use descriptive language to describe the soft toys they see.

Using the Let’s Explore Activity sheet 1.2.1.1, say the chant and do the actions, being as enthusiastic, engaging and encouraging as you can. Encourage children to join in. Praise them for their efforts!

• If children have completed Communication and Language Activity 1, you could remind them of the teddy bear rhyme and help them to make the link between the word ‘teddy bear’ and ‘bear’ in We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

Practitioner tip

Before presenting to the children, practise the words and motions to with this traditional call-and-response story song. Feel free to adapt and personalise! If you are not familiar with it, watch a variation online, using the search term ‘Going on a Bear Hunt song’.

SAMPLE

Mathematics:

• Give each child a set of 1 to 5 dot pattern cards (Mathematics Activity sheet 1.2.1.1) to take home. Encourage parents or carer s to tell their child how many objects to collect or actions to do by showing them a card.

Let’s Explore

• Encourage children to go for ‘listening walks’ in their home or outdoors.

• Inspire children to find new ways of making music and singing at home and to practise doing it slowly or fast!

• Encourage children to go on a bear hunt! Ask them to read the book with their families and to follow the movements and actions of the story. Can they crawl through the woods? Can they climb the trees?

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1 © Cambridge University Press and Assessment 2024 © Tom Percival 2020, Meesha Makes Friends, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.