Literacy
At Tenterfield our goal is for every child “to learn about letters, sounds and words by exploring a range of books and developing a love for stories.” Also “to make meaningful marks to bring my ideas to life.”
Literacy development involves encouraging children to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials (books, poems, and other written materials) to ignite their interest
There are three strands within Literacy:
- Letters, Sounds & Words (Reading): Differentiating sounds and linking sounds to letters; and using a wide range of reading materials to support the curriculum.
- Love of stories: Weekly story planning allows children to become immersed in books and stories
- Mark Making (Writing): Variety of opportunities to make marks and begin to draw & write for a purpose.
Children are supported through developmental milestones to learn and develop:
This is how we teach Literacy at Tenterfield:
“Early reading skills are taught particularly well. Staff take every opportunity to emphasise the link between letters and the sounds they make.”
Ofsted 2017
Mathematics
At Tenterfield our goal is for every child “to use mathematical language and begin to understand how they use maths and numbers every day in the world around them.”
Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, solving practical problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measure.
The two strands of mathematics are:
- Mathematical Language: Using mathematical language through play in a variety of contexts
- Numbers: Counting, understanding and using numbers; and calculating simple addition and subtraction problems.
Children are supported through developmental milestones to learn and develop:
This is how we teach Mathematics at Tenterfield:
“Staff foster children’s understanding of number very skilfully. During the inspection, one group explored two- and three-dimensional shapes, using their excellent observational and speaking and listening skills to articulate similarities and differences.”
Ofsted 2017
Understanding of the World
At Tenterfield our goal is for every child “to explore the awe and wonder of their world with curiosity and understand how they and others fit into our community.”
Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, technology and the environment.
- Community: Using knowledge and understanding to make sense of environments, communities and living things.
- Curiosity: Using all their senses through real life activities to learn about the natural world around them.
Children are supported through developmental milestones to learn and develop:
This is how we teach Understanding of the World at Tenterfield:
“Children’s awe at seeing the life cycle of the butterfly gives them a sense of wonder.”
Ofsted 2017
Expressive Arts and Design
At Tenterfield our aim is for every child “to express themselves with creativity and imagination, in ways that make them happy”
Expressive arts and design involves enabling children to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials, as well as providing opportunities and encouragement for sharing their thoughts, ideas and feelings through a variety of activities in art, music, movement, dance, role-play, and design and technology,
- Creativity: Opportunities to extend curiosity, play and exploration with a variety of media.
- Imagination: Exploring feelings, thoughts and events through music, art, dance, movement and imaginative play.
Children are supported through developmental milestones to learn and develop:
This is how we teach Expressive Arts & Design at Tenterfield:
“Carefully planned tasks fire children’s imagination”
Ofsted 2017