First skills — motor confidence and independence

Learning Objective

• • Child points to or names at least 2 basic emotion faces when shown
• • Child identifies a classmate or teacher by voice alone

Learning Outcome

• • Child responds to own name being called
• • Child uses hello and goodbye appropriately in social contexts
• • Child names at least 5 body parts when asked or during play

Teaching Aids

• • Large emotion face cards: happy, sad, scared, surprised
• • Child-safe mirror
• • A simple screen or cloth to hide the speaker
• • Name Cards Flashcard
• • Body Part Cards — head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands, feet, tummy, knees, back

Home Connection

• • At moments of strong emotion: name it warmly.
• • Play a simple voice guessing game at home — call your child's name from another room and see if they know whose voice it is.

Learning Objective

• • Child selects the bigger or smaller of two objects when named
• • Child uses big and small as describing words beyond objects — applied to sounds and movements

Learning Outcome

• • Child demonstrates understanding of "big" and "small" by selecting the correct object when named
• • Child begins to use the words "big" and "small" spontaneously during play or in response to teacher prompts

Teaching Aids

• • Pairs of objects in clearly different sizes: large and small ball, large and small block, large and small cup
• • Two labelled trays: BIG and SMALL
• • No materials required

Home Connection

• • At any meal: 'which is the big cup and which is the small cup?
• • In the car or at dinner: 'can you say your name in a big voice?

Learning Objective

• • Child tears a sheet of paper using both hands in a coordinated bilateral action
• • Child makes deliberate marks on paper using fingers and palms dipped in paint

Learning Outcome

• • Child tears paper using both hands in a coordinated motion
• • Child uses finger painting with wrist movement (not whole-arm swinging)

Teaching Aids

• • Newspaper sheets (easiest to tear)
• • Tissue paper (moderate difficulty)
• • Coloured paper A4 (hardest — for extension)
• • Non-toxic washable finger paint in 2–3 colours
• • Large paper A2 or larger

Home Connection

• • Old newspapers or junk mail — let your child tear freely.
• • Bath paint or shaving foam in the bathtub — completely mess-free finger painting with easy cleanup.

Learning Objective

• • Child walks around the space and stops immediately on a verbal or auditory cue
• • Child attempts a two-footed jump from the floor, achieving momentary liftoff

Learning Outcome

• • Child walks through the classroom space with directional awareness and responds to a stop cue
• • Child attempts a low jump from a standing position (both feet)

Teaching Aids

• • Open floor space
• • A drum or hand clap for the stop signal
• • A small floor target — a circle of tape or a spot marker

Home Connection

• • Play freeze at home to music — when the music stops, everyone freezes.
• • Any safe jumping surface at home — a cushion on the floor, a soft mat, a garden lawn.

Learning Objective

• • Child explores and begins to describe 4 different fabric textures

Learning Outcome

• • Child tolerates hands in dry rice for 3+ minutes. Child explores and compares at least 3 fabric texture squares. Child engages with dry sensory materials without distress.

Teaching Aids

• • Fabric texture squares (15cm x 15cm minimum): velvet, rough hessian, soft wool, crisp cotton
• • A simple texture board or just the squares laid out
• • Sensory Settling Tracker — 8 June sessions

Home Connection

• • Run your child's hand across different surfaces at home: the carpet is rough, the bedsheet is smooth, the towel is soft, the wall is hard.

Learning Objective

• • Child tears coloured paper into pieces and presses them onto a large sheet to make a free collage — process only, no product expectation

Learning Outcome

• • Child presses open palms into paint and makes marks on large paper. Child participates in handprint art with curiosity and without distress.

Teaching Aids

• • Coloured paper scraps in 2–3 colours (pre-torn starter pieces available)
• • Large A2 backing paper — one per child
• • Glue sticks (non-toxic) or glue trays with paste brushes

Home Connection

• • Tear old magazines and stick onto scrap paper at home — same tearing and pressing skill.

Learning Objective

• • Child separates from caregiver using a consistent, brief goodbye ritual without prolonged distress

Learning Outcome

• • Child shows recognition of own name and reflection

Teaching Aids

• • Named peg for each child's bag
• • Welcome board where name cards are placed on arrival
• • Comfort corner with soft toys and cushions

Home Connection

• • Establish one consistent goodbye phrase and gesture — a hug, a special handshake, a phrase like 'I love you, see you at pickup.' Use it identically every single morning.

Learning Objective

• • Child participates in the daily weather observation ritual and selects the correct weather card
• • Child finds named classroom zones and outdoor/edge-of-room landmarks on a short scavenger walk — extending the classroom tour into child-led discovery

Learning Outcome

• • Child recognises and names themselves and 1–2 familiar others (teacher, a classmate)

Teaching Aids

• • Weather Chart Worksheet
• • Weather Cards Flashcard: sun, cloud, rain, wind
• • Window with outdoor view
• • Simple picture clue cards for 4–5 zones (book corner, pegs, art table, comfort corner, outdoor door or window)
• • Zone photograph labels already on classroom areas

Home Connection

• • Ask your child every morning: what is the weather today?
• • Hide three familiar home objects and give simple clues: find something we sit on; find something we drink from.

Learning Objective

• • Planned across the month — see daily plans for this week's focus.

Learning Outcome

• • Planned across the month — see daily plans for this week's focus.

Teaching Aids

• • Planned across the month — see daily plans for this week's focus.

Home Connection

• • Planned across the month — see daily plans for this week's focus.

Learning Objective

• • Child participates in the circle-opening song through actions or vocalisation by Week 3

Learning Outcome

• • Child participates in at least one song through action, gesture, or vocalisation by end of month

Teaching Aids

• • Song
• • No instruments required in Month 1
• • Hickety Pickety — melody, lyrics, teacher notes

Home Connection

• • Ask your child if they know any songs from school.

Learning Objective

• • Child completes the arrival sequence independently: bag on peg, name card on welcome board, sit in circle

Learning Outcome

• • Child completes the arrival sequence with decreasing adult support across the month. Child finds their own peg and name card by Week 3. Child sits in circle independently after arrival by Week 4.

Teaching Aids

• • Named pegs (with photograph and name) — one per child
• • Welcome board at child height
• • Name cards with photograph Flashcard
• • Name Cards — one per child, photograph and name

Home Connection

• • Create a simple morning routine at home with the same predictable sequence: wake, wash, dress, eat, bag, door.