Foundation News

Literacy in Foundation:

Phonics - We have been spending lots of time learning the visual cues for the phonemes (sounds) s, m, p, t, a, o, c, g. The visual cues that we learn are called 'cued articulation', these cues help the students to recognise how we need to use our mouth to form each sound. It also helps them to understand the type of sound the letter makes (nasal, voiced and non-voiced).

We have been hunting for these sounds around our classroom, as well as while we are reading in our small groups.

Magic Words -It is great to see each students confidence growing in reading their magic words. At school, we have been having a magic word of the day, practicing it throughout the day at random times, spotting it in books we are reading and recognising when we use the word while talking.

I encourage you to make learning these words as fun as possible at home. This could mean you make the practice into a game like memory and snap or make it more physical by hunting for the words around the house, jumping on the words outside by using chalk to write the words - be as creative as you would like!

Maths in Foundation:

Our focus in maths over the past two weeks has been counting forwards and backwards to and from 10. We have been using the language 'one more than' and 'one less than' to find different numbers on number lines and working towards finding the answer in our heads.

We have started practicing counting on from any number. We have been focusing on not having to count every number again, but just continuing on from a given number.

PMP - Perceptual Motor Program

Over the couple of weeks Foundation started the Perceptual Motor Program. PMP aims to develop children’s perceptions and understanding of spatial awareness through the way the body moves. It aims to develop fine and gross motor skills as well as promoting hand-eye coordination, concentration and the confidence to have a go! The children participate in fun activities including, running, hopping, skipping, jumping, balancing, crawling, climbing, throwing, catching, bowling, sliding, etc.

During Term 1, Foundation will be participating in PMP fortnightly on a Thursday. From Term 2, the program will be run weekly.