Calling all early years teachers....

[Hopeinhell]

Hi, am after some ideas, I have an observation next week. I am new to teaching F1, the children are mostly 3 with a couple of 4 year olds. All fairly low ability. The focus of the observation is literacy. Apparently they are looking at moving from good to outstanding and want to see me being inspiring!!! Our topic is light and dark and we've been looking at going on a bear hunt this week, dark caves etc. was thinking of maybe doing Funny Bones or Owl Babies. Any ideas?

There's a book about a bear who goes to the moon.... I'll try and think what it's called.

I would provide very open ended resources and manipulate a situation where the children decide to build rockets to go to the moon.

My outdoor area usual resources are:

Cardboard boxes
Ropes
Plastic sheeting
String
Clothes pegs
Bulldog clips
Drain pipes
Blankets
Masking tape
large wooden blocks
builders' trays
cardboard tubes
paper
Card
Pens
Sellotape
Scissors
Etc.

Discuss the sort of things they would take to the moon with them. They could "write" lists, or take photos of groups of real objects, and justify their choices (encourage them to use connectives like because, so, and to extend sentences).

Create a dark space under a table and stick glow in the dark stars in there. Challenge the children to work out how many stars there are.

Have you got anywherre you can hang up a rope and pulley? Make a rocket out of a lemonade bottle and thread a rope through the bottle. Hang number cards 0 to 10 with 0 at the top and 10 at the bottom. The children can pull the rocket up, saying the numbers as it goes past them.

Any good? how many children have you got, and how many adults?

I think the book I called "Whatever Next?" Or something like that. I have read it about 17 million times. It drives me bonkers now!

Owl Babies is a nice one too. It is about 3 young owls who awaken to find their mum has gone out hunting and they wait for her to come home.

Is it called Whatever Next?

Oh. Just seen that you have already mentioned Owl Babies

Plop the Owl who was afraid of the Dark? Too old?

Gruffalo's Child is set at night too- moon coming out is a big plot device

Yes, that's the one - "whatever next" by Jill somebody or other.

Owl Babies or Gruffalo's Child are the two I would recommend.

Whatever Next? is possibly a bit too abstract for F1's, and Funny Bones is too long and perhaps a bit scary for very littles.

Owl Babies and Gruf.Ch are full of repeated language which are good for getting the children to join in with, which raises engagement.

If it were me... on balance, I'd choose Gruffalo's Child.