In the Marvellous Machines project, your child will learn about technology that is part of their daily lives. They will explore various machines, learn about how machines help us and find out about how machines have changed and developed over time. They will learn about products that use electricity to make them work and explore magnetic and non-magnetic materials.
Supporting your child at home
- Talk about the machines and technology you use in your everyday lives.
- Look for things in the home that are powered by electricity.
- Look for items that are powered by batteries.
- Share and discuss the Did you know? resource.
- You may also like to try some of these Marvellous Machines Home Learning
(Please refer to the Downloadable Resources Page for PDF copies of all highlighted/underlined documents)
Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)
Self-Regulation
The children will, identify and moderate their own feelings socially and emotionally. Think about the perspectives of others.
Managing Self
The children will learn how to effectively manage their own needs. In addition, they will be independent in meeting their own care needs.
Building Relationships
The pupils will start to see themselves as a valuable individual. Throughout this term they will confidently express their feelings and consider the feelings of others.
Example of this in Action:
Term 2 Jigsaw PSHE Topic: Celebrating Differences
- In this Puzzle (unit), children are encouraged to think about things that they are good at whilst understanding that everyone is good at different things. They discuss being different and how that makes everyone special but also recognise that we are the same in some ways. The children share their experiences of their homes and are asked to explain why it is special to them. They learn about friendship and how to be a kind friend and how to stand up for themselves if someone says or does something unkind to them.
For more information regarding the knowledge and skills progression, please view the Being Me in My World Knowledge Organiser and Celebrating Differences Knowledge Organiser.
Listening, Attention and Understanding
- Sit on the carpet.
- Be familiar with class rules and begin to follow them.
- Follow simple instructions.
- Begin to answer how and why questions.
- Listen to others retell a simple story.
- Begin to follow 2-part instructions.
Example of this in action:
- In class, we will share the story ‘In Every House, on Every Street’by Jess Hitchman. We will Encourage the children to look closely at the pictures and explore what happens in each room. The children will be supported to make connections with their lives. At the end of the story we will encourage the children to talk about their drawings, and write down what they say on sticky labels.
Speaking
- Hold a conversation with familiar adults and children.
- Use appropriate language in the role play area.
- Retell an event.
Example of this in action:
- In class we will share the story ‘Mr Gumpy's Outing’by John Burningham. As we read the story, the children will be introduced to vocabulary, such as squabble, bleat, trample and tease. The children will be invited to choose a character from the story to play. After rereading the story we will encourage the children to join in using the language from the story.
Gross Motor Skills
At Sandhurst Primary school we use the GetSet4PE programme for all PE lessons. In EYFS the GetSet4PE supports pupils to develop their Gross Motor Skills. In Term 1 and 2, the children will learn to move safely in a space and stop safely. Throughout the unit they will develop control when using equipment and be able to follow a path and take turns. The children will learn to work cooperatively with a partner and develop skills such as; balancing, running, jumping and hopping.
To find out more, view our GetSet4PE Knowledge Organisers
Fine Motor Skills
- To become independent in managing their own needs- dress, undress, use cutlery.
- Copy letters from their name.
- Develop their pencil grip and control.
- Learn how to shape different materials.
- Develop their skills in using small apparatus
Example of this in action:
- Each term, to showcase the children’s development in drawing and painting, they will be invited to complete a self-portrait. The children will be Provided with mirrors, paper, ready-mixed paint and brushes. They will be encouraged to look closely at themselves in the mirror and talk about their eye colour, hair colour and hair length. We will invite the children to paint their portrait and look carefully at their features as they create their artwork. There will also be opportunities for children to explore mixing different colours.
- As part of our Marvellous Machine topic, the children will be invited to created machine inspired paintings. We will Display various nuts, coloured plastic-coated wire, bolts, screws and sheets of black paper. We will show the children how to use the resources to create patterns and pictures. The children will learn that they can make images of objects or use the resources to create patterns. Time will be given for them to adapt and add to their artwork until they are finished. At the end they will be invited to compare their artwork with each other.
Comprehension
- To use pictures to tell stories
- To sequence familiar stories
- To independently look at book, holding them the correct way and turning pages
- To engage in story times, joining in with repeated phrases and actions
- To begin to answer questions about the stories read to them
- To enjoy and increasing range of books including fiction, non-fiction, poems and rhymes
Word Reading (RWI Phonics)
During Term 1, the children will be introduced to our RWI phonics programme. The term will begin with them learning about the pictures associated with the different sounds. By the end of Term 2, all children should be secure with their Set 1 sounds. The children will learn to blend sounds to read words using taught sounds.
For further information about the reading skills we will focus upon this term, please view “Potter’s Sequential Reading Curriculum” and EYFS and KS1 Phonics Overview
Writing
- To copy their name and to write it independently by the end of Term 2.
- To give meanings to the marks they make
- To copy taught letters
- To write initial sounds
- To begin to write CVC words using taught sounds
- To use the correct letter formation of taught letters
- To write words and labels using taught sounds
- To begin to write captions using taught sounds
For further information about the writing skills we will focus upon this term, please view “Potter’s Sequential Writing Curriculum”.
Following the White Rose Maths scheme, EYFS will cover three main phases of learning over the course of the Autumn term. As part of the White Rose Maths scheme, each phase is broken down into a series of small learning steps. Combined, these small learning steps then cover all the curriculum content your child needs to know in small related chunks.
This term’s small learning steps for each block
| Maths area of learning | Block | Small Learning Steps |
| Number | Getting to Know you | Classroom rules and routines
Number songs and rhymes Baseline Assessments |
| Measure, shape and special thinking | Match, Sort and Compare | Step 1 Match objects
Step 2 Match pictures and objects Step 3 Identify a set Step 4 Sort objects to a type Step 5 Explore sorting techniques |
| Measure, shape and special thinking | Talk About Measure and Pattern | Step 1 Compare size
Step 2 Compare mass Step 3 Compare capacity Step 4 Explore simple patterns Step 5 Copy and continue simple patterns Step 6 Create simple patterns |
| Number | It’s Me 1, 2, 3 | Step 1 Find 1, 2 and 3
Step 2 Subitise 1, 2 and 3 Step 3 Represent 1, 2 and 3 Step 4 1 more Step 5 1 less Step 6 Composition of 1, 2 and 3 |
| Measure, shape and special thinking | Circles and Triangles | Step 1 Identify and name circles and triangles
Step 2 Compare circles and triangles Step 3 Shapes in the environment Step 4 Describe position |
| Number | 1,2,3,4,5 | Step 1 Find 4 and 5
Step 2 Subitise 4 and 5 Step 3 Represent 4 and 5 Step 4 1 more Step 5 1 less Step 6 Composition of 4 and 5 Step 7 Composition of 1 - 5 |
| Measure, shape and special thinking | Shapes with 4 sides | Step 1 Identify and name shapes with 4 sides
Step 2 Combine shapes with 4 sides Step 3 Shapes in the environment Step 4 My day and night |
Past and Present
- Comment on images of familiar situations in the past.
- Understand the difference between past and present and is building up knowledge of key historical events through topics, stories and community events, e.g. Bonfire Night, Remembrance Day.
Example of this in action:
- The children will have to chance to explore transport through the ages picture cards. The children will be encouraged to discuss how the vehicles have changed and developed over time.
People, Cultures and Communities
- Talk about members of their immediate family and community
- Name and describe people who are familiar to them.
- Listen carefully to stories about different places and is beginning to recognise that different places have different features, e.g. recognising the difference between life in this country and other countries.
- Know about some celebrations and is able to talk about how they might be celebrated, e.g. Christmas, Advent, Diwali
Example of this in action:
- The children will explore the let's explore picture cards, postcards from places worldwide and holiday brochures. They will learn that places around the world have different weather, living things and environments. The children will be invited to describe the pictures and compare the locations to their local environment.
The Natural World
- Draw information from a simple map
- Explore the natural world around them.
- Describes some features of plants and animals and identifies when things are the same and different.
- Notices, observes and talks about seasonal changes
Example of this in action:
- The children will be provided with tubs and buckets of different materials in which the children can dig holes and tunnels. Wet sand, soil, gravel, sawdust and clay will be offered to them to explore. They will be provided with a range of digging tools, such as forks, trowels, spoons, small spades and rakes. As a term they will identify the best materials in which to make holes and tunnels.
Creating with Materials
The children will learn how to create collaboratively, sharing ideas, resources and skills. Throughout the term they will develop storylines in their pretend play.
Example of this in action:
- We will Share the story ‘My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes’ by Eve Sutton. We will Explore rhyming words in the story. As a class, we will explore the different boxes in which the cat likes to hide. On display will be a selection of large boxes and the children will be encouraged to work together to make dens using the boxes. The children will be provided felt tip pens, fabric, large pegs and cushions so they can make the spaces cosy. With support, the children will be encouraged to communicate their ideas, share the resources and cooperate with each other as they create.
Being Imaginative and Expressive
In Term 1 and 2, the children will explore listening and responding to different styles of music, embedding foundations of the interrelated dimensions of music, listening to, learning to sing or sing along with nursery rhymes and action songs, improvising leading to playing classroom instruments and, sharing and performing the learning that has taken place.
Example of this in action:
- Our Charanga music topic for term 1 is ‘Me’. The children will explore family, friends, people and music from around the world. Throughout the unit they will Explore high pitch and low pitch in the context of the songs.
- Our Charanga music topic for term 2 is ‘My Stories’. The children will explore songs that tell stories. They will use their imagination to explore the lyrics and the stories they are telling. They will experiment with a range of instruments to accompany their learnt songs.
For further information about the Charanga music programme, please view “Charanga School Music Knowledge Organiser’’