Suggested Activities 20th-24th April 2020

• Using paper circles with 1 – 10 inside, ask your child to place small items (buttons etc) inside the circle. Begin at 1 and continue to the number your child is comfortable with. Each day continue to the next number until 10 has been reached. 
• If the first step has been completed with confidence, place random numbers in circles in front of the child and ask them to place small items in the circles amounting to the correct number. 
• If second step has been completed, encourage your child to complete the activity with no verbal prompt from you, in order to gauge their ability to complete the task unsupported. 
• If your child has mastered these tasks, have amounts of buttons, no greater than 10, on 2 separate plates. Write the number on each plate. Then have an empty plate at the end of your equation and ask your child to fill it with the same amount of buttons on both plates. Write the number on the last plate to be the sum of the equation. Once she has gotten used to this, she can start writing the numbers herself. 
• If your child masters the previous task, ask her to complete equations using numbers but provide her with concrete objects to help her count. 

• Choose, or ask your child to choose, a picture book and read the book from start to finish with your child. Repeat reading the book everyday for at least a week to familiarise the child with the story. 
• For visual storytime, Youtube contains the children’s favourite stories such as Owl Babies and Bear Hunt. All stories covered are in the children’s reports in their journals. Give your child the choice to choose two of these stories each day. 
• With phonics, ask your child to verbally express and/or identify the sounds of the letters S,A,T,P,I. This is an important stage and only when the child correctly identifies the phonics three times consecutively should she move onto the next stage. If she recognises all her letters well, this week you can add ‘n and ‘c’. 
• Ask your child to identify by pointing the words at, sat, pat, tap, pit, sit, sip. If she has recognised all these words you can add ‘tan’, ‘sin’ and ‘pin’. 
• Ask your child to sound out the words specified above and encourage them to say the word after sounding it out. 
• Give your child all the letter cards. Give her a word card at a time and ask her to construct it. The child should see the word as she is spelling it. 
• Verbally prompt your child to spell the word using the letter cards. 
• When working on the words with your child, begin with ‘at’ and continue if she is confident in progressing. If your child disengages with the task, it should be cut short and revisited the following day. 
• You can also feel free to use the resources posted by the junior infant teachers though not all of them will be suitable. Short home-made tasks and interaction during lessons will be more beneficial. 

Links for stories: 

Owl Babies – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPQRiSTYFHo 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75NQK-Sm1YY 

We’re Going on a Bearhunt –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Waoa3iG3bZ4 

Room on the Broom –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWB0goTWZic 

Try a new story this week! 

The Gruffalo – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8sUPpPc8Ws 

• Allow your child to choose the order of the 6 songs they regularly engage with every day. All songs are available on Youtube. The songs are noted in the weekly reports in their journals. 
• Encourage your child to perform the actions for the songs. 

Links for music videos: 

Itsy Bitsy Spider –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_lCi8U49mY&t=10s 

Old Mac Donald –   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6HzoUcx3eo 

Bingo –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IvC6fZYGMM 

Baby Shark –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX20kcp7j5c 

If You’re Happy and You Know It –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71hqRT9U0wg 

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes –  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuqvGiZi0qg 

Add in a new song this week! 

Try Skidamarink a Dink a Dink 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6916kVhbEZw 

• Try finger painting or even footprint painting! You can add flour, cereal or rice to the paint to make the sensory art experience more fun! Ask the girls to help mix them in with a spoon as the stiffness of the mixture will stimulate her proprioceptive senses. 

• Every morning, the children are used to at least 20 minutes of freeplay in order for them to settle in for the day ahead. Free play could consist of pretend play with dolls, a tea set, lego, blocks etc. Any activity that engages the child and focuses her attention. 

• Sensory time should be allotted at least twice a day if possible because all the children in Seóda benefit from it. The lights can be dimmed or switched off and the curtains or blinds can be drawn. Relaxing music can be sourced on Youtube or Spotify and played at a low volume. Sensory timers are also available online and have soothing visuals for the children. Gather any toys that are squishy, items that are scented, fans, torches or furry/fluffy items and place them in a box for your child to explore during her sensory time. If she prefers to relax rather than play with given items, that’s fine too. 

Links for sensory time –  

Sensory Timer –  https://www.online-stopwatch.com/sensory-timers/ 

Music Playlist –  https://open.spotify.com/album/0vsh4YCOspZwtU8cI58Wx8?highlight=spotify:track:5IB9GOShcNCZ8fhfoj3NXF or  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RvXsdtPv_4 

• Yoga is part of the daily routine in the classroom. Although the video below is not what is used in class, your child is familiar with the majority of the poses in it. 

Link for yoga video – 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XCQfYsFa3Q 

• The children should participate in two tactile activities daily. Activities can be playdoh, puzzle, blocks, lego, sand, water or rice. Bath toys can be used in conjunction with all of these activities or items can be hidden for the children to discover to maintain engagement. 

• The children should receive two movement breaks a day. Their movement breaks can take place in a garden, a quick walk down the road and back carrying a backpack with a book or two in it for proprioceptive needs. If the outdoors in not possible, rolling or tumbling on the carpet or following a movement video can be fun and beneficial to your child. GoNoodle is a great resource to get your child active. After each movement break your child should receive sensory time in order for her to find a good level for focusing on her next activity. 

Link for GoNoodle –  

https://www.gonoodle.com/ 

A possible routine for your child could consist of: 

1. Freeplay. 

1. Sensory time. 

1. Task. 

1. Tactile activity. 

1. Art. 

1. Movement break. 

1. Sensory time/yoga. 

1. Task. 

1. Music. 

1. Movement break. 

1. Visual storytime. 

This is merely a suggestion but it is in keeping with the general routine of our schoolday in Seóda.