Nursery Summer Language, Literacy and Early Phonics Ideas
Week 8 - 08/06/20
Story of the Week - 'Summer Days and Nights' by Wong Herbert Yee
Talk to your child about the story. Discuss their favourite and least favourite parts of the story. Share your favourite and least favourite part of the story too!
Ask some follow-up questions to develop understanding of the story.
Ask some follow-up questions to develop understanding of the story.
- Where does the cat lie down to have a nap?
- What does the little girl try to catch in her net?
- What does the little girl drink to keep her cool?
- What do you drink to stay cool?
- Where does the little girl go for her family picnic?
- Have you ever been for a picnic?
- Can you remember one thing that the little girl did in the park?
- How do you think the girl felt when she heard a scratching noise outside her window?
- What do you think the little girl might do tomorrow?
- What do you like to do on a sunny day?
Early Phonics - Hearing and Saying Initial Sounds
This week, we will revise an old phonological awareness skill (rhyming words) and will build on our new phonological awareness skill (hearing and saying initial sounds).
The first activity will revise rhyming words, using words from this week's story. To avoid confusion between rhyming words and initial sounds, please do the 'Summer Rhyming Words' activity on a different day to the 'Odd One Out' and 'I Spy' activities.
'Odd One Out' and 'I Spy' will develop the skill of hearing and discriminating sounds by ear and will help your child to recognise and build a bank of words that have the same initial sounds. We recommend that you repeat these games throughout the week to embed the skill of hearing and saying initial sounds. You could also practise this new skill at dinner time by asking your child to find something on the table that starts with 'S' (salt, sauce) or at bath time, by asking your child to find something that starts with 'T' (tap, toy). List and point to objects to make the game a little easier!
Remember the three teaching phases as your child practises their new skill:
1. Adult models saying the sounds, always using clear speech to emphasise the first sound.
2. Adult and child practise the sounds/words together.
3. Child attempts to hear and say the sounds independently.
The first activity will revise rhyming words, using words from this week's story. To avoid confusion between rhyming words and initial sounds, please do the 'Summer Rhyming Words' activity on a different day to the 'Odd One Out' and 'I Spy' activities.
'Odd One Out' and 'I Spy' will develop the skill of hearing and discriminating sounds by ear and will help your child to recognise and build a bank of words that have the same initial sounds. We recommend that you repeat these games throughout the week to embed the skill of hearing and saying initial sounds. You could also practise this new skill at dinner time by asking your child to find something on the table that starts with 'S' (salt, sauce) or at bath time, by asking your child to find something that starts with 'T' (tap, toy). List and point to objects to make the game a little easier!
Remember the three teaching phases as your child practises their new skill:
1. Adult models saying the sounds, always using clear speech to emphasise the first sound.
2. Adult and child practise the sounds/words together.
3. Child attempts to hear and say the sounds independently.
Summer Rhyming WordsThis week's story used lots of rhyming words! Download the worksheet below (or draw your own outlines) and ask your child to match up the words that rhyme using a pencil/crayon. Before they start, ask your child to say what they see in each picture, supplying the worksheet word if it's different to the one they've chosen.
Listen to the story again and ask your child to clap if/when they hear any of the words from our rhyming activity. |
Odd One OutClick the button below to play the 'Odd One Out' game. On each card, there are 4 pictures, 3 of which start with the same initial sound and 1 that starts with a different sound.
Ask your child: Which one is the odd one out? cup, coat, cat or zip? Point to each picture as you say the word. Repeat the list, and ask your child to say the words after you, so that they have some time to say and process which word/picture has a different initial sound. You could extend this game by turning it into a game of 'I Spy,' taking it in turns to say a sound. Your child might find it difficult to discriminate the initial sound at first, so be sure to model it a few times first. |
I Spy...This game challenges your child's ability to hear, identify and say the initial sound for each of the pictures. Before you start the game, make sure your child is familiar with the name of the animals/objects in the pictures.
e.g. Picture 1 has: a snake, a spider, an ant, a tiger, a tortoise, a peacock, a panda, a pig, a puffin. Click on the button to play 'I Spy.' Remember to pause the video after you hear the initial sound ('S') and ask your child to repeat the sound they heard. Then, ask them to try saying the different words to see if they start with that sound. Finally, ask your child to point to the ones that do (snake, spider). |
Early Writing
For this week's early writing activity, all you'll need is water, a plastic cup and a paintbrush! Encourage your child to write their names big, medium and small on the pavement, decking or walls outside. See if they can paint a picture of their favourite food to eat in summer (ice-cream, salads and barbecue food) or draw things that they might wear in summer to keep them cool (sunglasses, swimsuit, shorts and t-shirts).
Communication and Language
Look at this picture of a family getting ready for a barbecue.
- What can you see next to the swimming pool?
- Why do you think the man is wearing sunglasses?
- Have you ever been to a barbecue?
- What is the man doing?
- What are the children doing?
- Have you ever been in a paddling pool?
- What time of year do you think it might be?
- What is your favourite thing to eat in summer?